Will a 5sp trans from a 2wd work on a 4wd? Both same year pickups.

Thanks

 

My memory is starting to fade, but I'm pretty sure they aren't interchangeable. The tail of the 2wd tranny tapers down to the driveshaft output, where the 4wd doesn't taper, it just ends where the transfer case would attach.

 

This ^^ is pretty much it. I have heard that you can convert some 2WD transmissions into 4WD transmissions by swapping over the tail housings and other parts from the same transmission series (provided that the gear ratios are the same), but is way more work than just finding the right 4WD transmission to begin with.

 

You need to figure out if your transmission and transfer case are matable. To do this you need to know the series and model of each.

Your best bet for accurate information once armed with these details is going to be found over at Marlin crawler, either the tech guys in sales or the forums..

From what I recall it's apples to apples (say an L series transmission, model 42) bolts to the same transfer case regardless of what gearing is inside the transmission..

The 2wd tail shaft unbolts and the 4wd transfer case mates to this, then there is a shorted output/tail-shaft that goes on the back of the transfer case.

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If the tail shafts were cast into the transmission they would have had to design multiple transmission for both applications and this is uneconomical.
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https://www.marlincrawler.com/tech/transmission/transmission-gear-ratio-chart
Has some identifying features you can look for, like length and shifter positions to ID what you have if your not sure and can't trust the build plate riveted to the body of the vehicle (trust but verify!)

 

It's good to remember than any transmission bolted to an "R"-series engine will bolt to any other R-series engine. The issue comes from what was state above: shifter location, length etc. They're all things you can overcome by cutting a larger hole in your floorboards, modifying driveshaft lengths and all that. But like Jake said, depending on what you're trying to do, it usually makes more sense to find the correct tranny for your truck.

The situation I think of where making a different transmission fit is if you're upgrading from a 4 speed to a 5.