It isn't the unwillingness, it's the knowledge of how darned difficult it is. That's why we all say "buy Tom's OD, get bigger tires and turn your fuel up". For the A3 guys, they just don't have a lot of options due to their tranny.
Moving the transfer back it move than just the riveted crossmembers. It's now dealing with the relocated parking brake cable and the problems that creates. Move it far enough and the cable isn't long enough and now you're trying to source a cable with specific ends and length in the civvy world or have one made. Will it hit the rear cab mount? And once you've moved the transfer back, the shifter handle mount has to be built from scratch to accommodate it. Longer air hose for front axle engagement, speedo cable (I assume it would work, but you never know until you put it all together).
I never said it wouldn't be a fair bit of work. Putting a 6.5L GM diesel in my Land Rover in place of a 2.5L engine and changing the tiny Land Rover gearbox with an NV-4500 was a fair amount of work -- including many of the same issues you mention. But the result was a 6000 lb truck with enough power to comfortably cruise at 75 on Interstate and easily pass RVs while on the 2-lane blacktop I prefer all while pulling 7-8000 lb trailer. And get 22 mpg hwy regularly.
It was well worth it for me.
As for the specifics of an alternate tranny in a deuce.
Parking brake cable - a replacement Morse cable built custom is literally off-the-shelf with delivery maybe a week at most. As cheap as a replacement from a scrapped M35A2? No but you're replacing the tranny and another $40-$80 is a no-brainer for me. They don't generally wear out.
Transfer shifter seems pretty simple - extend it with a TIGed on piece in the center. PITA fab work? Maybe but again, why are we seeking an alternate tranny?
Speedo cable seems even more simple FOR ME. I really don't like not being able to see the gauges at night so the speedo is being replaced with one with good backlight. That pretty much means electronic (and I much prefer mechanical everything). Identify proper sensor, install it and hook it.
A replacement air hose for front axle engagement -- is that really an issue?
Maybe it's just me but these seem trivial problems. But I have built one truck from scratch and plan to do another. Talking myself into doing the first one took a couple of years because it DID seem so daunting a task!
cheers
