I went to the Remodeling Forum here on GWeb and did a quick search on the terms "load bearing walls" and there were lots of results which I show below. If there is a problem connecting with that information from this link, go to the forum and in the search box AT THE BOTTOM OF THAT PAGE, enter the same terms I did, and you'll soon have the same information I see now.

After you solve that problem with some good advice, come on back over and we'll talk about other things related to smaller home living. Glad you stopped by. :)

We're doing something similar right now.

Here's a good how to that I just found. It doesn't say how to get out the studs that are in the way. You'll probably have to have a nail claw pry bar to get a grip on the nail head if they are toenailed into the stud.

Go up in your attic and see if the rafters or trusses rest on that beam.

http://s1114.photobucket.com/albums/k527/watboy2000/

Is that a center beam (is it two 2x12s nailed together?), with attic space above? Or is that an exterior wall? I can't tell what size anything is in your photos. What size is the beam and what size the studs supporting it, and how far apart? How are the studs attached to the beam? That beam is not like one in any house we've built or remodeled. I still think you can put a door there, but you need to get the how to from someone who has seen that construction before. The center beams we've used in the past have had support posts about ten feet apart. Your support studs look much closer together, if that is a center beam.

My dh used to remodel older houses. I'll show him your photos and see what he thinks. When was your house built, and what size door do you want to put in?

Sorry I'm not more help.

I think you can put in a 30" door with no problem on the width, and use the beam as header. The only problem (a biggie) I do see is the height because a typical door frame is about 3/4" thick, plus you'll have to leave at least 1/4" to 1/2" around the frame to square it. And you need to leave at least 1/2" at the bottom so the door will swing freely. More if your floor is really unlevel within the swing area. That's almost 2 inches out of your 81 inches. That doesn't leave enough room for the typical big box door. Hollow core doors have a solid frame around the outer edge, about an inch, so you can cut or plane off a little, but from the bottom only if it is a door unit that comes with the frame.

Your only other option would be a solid wood door so you can cut more off the bottom of the door.

It's always something isn't it? When we start a project, we always run into some problem and ask ourselves why it can never be simple.

Watboy, you choose the HTML CODE line beside each photo after you upload. It is in the stuff to the RIGHT of each photo. You click that line, it says "copied", and then you come to the open window of your GWeb post and do a "CRTL+V"

And voila, there you go. Do not change ANY of the code.

It looks to me like the ceiling rafters are turned FLAT, and very far apart. For strength, I think they need to be turned with the 2x4 standing taller, not flatter. How wide is your room anyway? And is that a shed roofline? Is there any insulation overhead?

Taking out that center 2x4 in the door opening will put more stress on the two at the sides of the opening. You might can double them up beneath that beam. When my contractor took out a wall in our bathroom remodel, he doubled the beam across the top of the opening.
In this picture, the opening will not have a door, but it will be about 7.5 feet across where the old exterior wall used to be. Can you tell that it has a doubled header beam there? It is still holding part of the roof load, and you see the roofing support 2x4s that he used to extend the roof on beyond the old exterior which is about 5.5 more feet.

Good luck with it and let us see your progress.

Very glad you stopped into the forum, we all enjoy having new houses to look at and work with. Please do show us what happens to the finished room. I know it will add greatly to your enjoyment of your home.