Sorry i missed your post, i try and check in here at least once a day, guess i just missed it ,, but you have a good idea about the dsl and trans , however in 87 there were no 4x4 dsl brought in the country and only about 200, dsl 2wd pickups with 5spd trans , also any dsl eng from 83-84 on, had the higher hp eng , the only diff in th eng was the no 2 and the no 4 main bearing , was made narrower than the previous years and just that diff picked up about 4 hp, all new brn kits are this way , but remember the 5 spd dsl 4x4 was only available in 86, even though they were shown to exist in some advertising,anyway a nice running truck is the trooper with a normal asperated eng and a 5spd spd is an easy swap and will make a very dependable and long lived veh, and the best part is it will bolt right in, let me know if i can help you with any info Jerry

i just bought an 81 LUV 2.2 diesel. where can i find more info, or who can give me more info on swapping it to a 5 speed? its top speed is too slow for freeway commuting, however the granny gear in 4 low is nice for climbing.

This website will help you out a lot and you may want to try www.luvtruck.com I have been a member there since June 2002 and it is a great site, also has a seperate diesel forum for the Chevy LUV diesel. I am usually just on that forum because I have a 1982 Chevy LUV diesel.

HI SALVY I FOUND THE TRANS WE WERE LOOKING FOR , BUT IT IS FOR A 4WD GAS MTR BUT IT IS A 4SPD, COULD BE CONVERTED TOP A DSL IF YOU HAVE THE FRONT TRANS CASE BUT IT WOULD ALSO HAVE TO BE A 4SPD THE 5 SPD IS DIFF, IN THE FRONT OF THE CASE WHERE THE BEARING RETAINER RESTS, HOWEVER IF ALL YOU WANT IS A 4SPD JUST TAKE THE TAILSHAFT OFF AND REMOVE THE 5 TH GEAR ASSY AND YOU HAVE A 4PSD , SAME TRANS OTHERWISE.. JERRY

Thanks a lot Jerry, I appreciate your help. That transmission would be a lot of work and time my dad and I don't have at this moment. We do have a 5-speed trans that we could put in as the replacement, but the shifter is stuck in 3rd gear. We think it is a minor problem for it doing that, but would anyone know what is causing that on this 5-speed diesel trans?

REALLY HARD TO TELL ABOUT IT BEING STUCK IN ANY GEAR BUT MY BEST GUESS IS THAT THE 3-4 SHIFT FORK IS BROKEN, NOT A BIT UNCOMMON ON A HI MILAGE TRANS NOT TOO HARD TO FIX BUT IT HAS TO COME OUT AND BE TAKEN APART AND THE FORKS REMOVED , PRETTY STRAIGHT FORWARD ONCE THE CASE IS REMOVED .. JERRY