C6 to ZF5

[funnyman06]

So I'm expecting a pretty decent tax refund check in the next coming weeks and I was talking to my friend who explained that he can get me a pretty good deal on a ZF5.

I would love to do the swap but I'm really not sure what is all involved in this and was hoping someone with experience could explain it to me.

Thanks,
Chris

 

[Cincinnati Guy]

I did this on my 85 I had. Its a weekend job if you have all the parts.

You will need:

4x4 or f450 ZF5 Transmission
Clutch & Pressure Plate
Clutch Slave Cylinder
Slave Cylinder
Flywheel
Pedels

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I was able to use the same cross member, just had to move it back an inch or so.

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It took me a good weekend with some good help. We worked on and off on it. Hardest parts to the whole project was installing the flywheel, because it was so damn heavy.

 

[icanfixall]

I would add this to the above. When you remove the C6 flexplate you also need to remove a crank spacer. This spacer looks alot like the end of the crank. Just lightly tapping it with a hammer will make it pop off. Now installing the new flywheel you must use a thread sealant on the bolts because the crank is drilled all the way thru. Oil will leak past the tightened threads and ruing your clutch. The torque for these bolts is 47 lbs... No other bolts should be used here. These bolts are a special hardened and length spicific bolts. Ford and International still sell them. Don't try using any hardware grade 8 bolt... they will not last long.

 

[itsacrazyasian]

dont forget your driveshafts are a different length. I just did the same thing, ditched the c6 for the zf5.

 

[MidnightBlade]

The ZF will have to be from a 460 or 7.3 for anything to remotely line up. The 460 ZF will have to have the Bell Housing holes re-drilled. The 7.3 ZF will bolt right in (I think)

 

[Cincinnati Guy]

dont forget your driveshafts are a different length. I just did the same thing, ditched the c6 for the zf5.

I used the same drive shaft. The length of the c6 and zf are about the same. Reference where I redrilled the crossmember holes.

And about using a zf out of a 460 it can be done with modifications, akthough the gear ratios are different.

 

[bike-maker]

I used the same length drive shafts on mine. I did use the cross member out of the ZF5 truck. IIRC, the upper wings bolted in the same place, which located the actual ZF5 cross member rearward about 1". The original C6 cross member wasn't going to work on mine. There was a big hole in it where the ZF5 tranny mount needed to bolt on. Though many people have had no trouble using the C6 cross member. Maybe the earlier C6 cross members are different?

 

[franklin2]

I did this on my 85 I had. Its a weekend job if you have all the parts.

You will need:

4x4 or f450 ZF5 Transmission
Clutch & Pressure Plate
Clutch Slave Cylinder
Slave Cylinder
Flywheel
Pedels


It took me a good weekend with some good help. We worked on and off on it. Hardest parts to the whole project was installing the flywheel, because it was so damn heavy.

Also need;
zf short upper crossmembers
zf wiring harness from below the brake booster to the tranny.
tranny/floorboard plate with the hole in it.

And the big one, get ready to spend half of your tax money on a flywheel conversion kit. Most all factory flywheels are going to be dual mass, and are wore out.

 

[itsacrazyasian]

Um, HOW? I had to get my rear driveshaft custom made! It was too long!

 

[Cincinnati Guy]

What Year was the truck you did it to and was it a regular cab?


Alsoyou can do the lucky mod to your flywheel in case your tight on money it will save you from from having to buy a smf.


Franklin what wiring? Reverse lights are all there are, you can make your own harness its only two wires.

 

[franklin2]

What Year was the truck you did it to and was it a regular cab?


Alsoyou can do the lucky mod to your flywheel in case your tight on money it will save you from from having to buy a smf.


Franklin what wiring? Reverse lights are all there are, you can make your own harness its only two wires.

If you don't use the harness, the first thing that will happen is it won't crank. So you have to take the plug that went to the c6 and twist the red/blue wires together, or it won't start. You then need to cut the other back-up light wires and tie them into the ZF reverse switch, hopefully you have the plug for the ZF switch.

Those are things that come to mind off the top of my head, but I didn't have to worry about it.
I unplugged the ZF harness under the brake booster on the donor, and plugged it into my truck after I took the c6 harness off. No thinking on that one at all. The factory put the jumper I was talking about right at the plug under the booster on the ZF harness.

 

[Squeaky_Wheel]

I did this same swap on my truck last october except mine was 4x4. I found all the needed info on this forum but it took a look of searching. Here are some links to help limit some of your searching:

http://www.oilburners.net/forums/showthread.php?t=43878&highlight=flywheel+install

http://www.oilburners.net/forums/showthread.php?t=28172&highlight=tranny+swap

http://www.oilburners.net/forums/showthread.php?t=29020&highlight=tranny+swap

http://www.oilburners.net/forums/showthread.php?t=36339&highlight=tranny+swap

http://www.oilburners.net/forums/showthread.php?t=38043&highlight=firewall+flex

 

[ryanecvbrown]

Help with a stupid problem

Well, I know there are no stupid questions, but how about a a stupid problem???? My C6 is dying a painful death so I bought a '92 ZF5 "swap kit" complete with all the goodies, LUK and all.
First: Will the pedal assembly work in my '87 F250?
Second: Where the heck do I hook up the pushrod for the clutch master cyl. on the clutch pedal? Maybe I'm tired, but it just doesn't seem obvious right now. Please help!!!
Oh....the pushrod has a "heim" style end. Do I have the wrong master? Wrong pedal assembly? Missing a mount on the pedal arm? I have from next Fri. 'til next Sun. to complete the bulk of the swap and this is the only stray duck.
Thanks in advance!

 

[itsacrazyasian]

Well, I know there are no stupid questions, but how about a a stupid problem???? My C6 is dying a painful death so I bought a '92 ZF5 "swap kit" complete with all the goodies, LUK and all.
First: Will the pedal assembly work in my '87 F250?
Second: Where the heck do I hook up the pushrod for the clutch master cyl. on the clutch pedal? Maybe I'm tired, but it just doesn't seem obvious right now. Please help!!!
Oh....the pushrod has a "heim" style end. Do I have the wrong master? Wrong pedal assembly? Missing a mount on the pedal arm? I have from next Fri. 'til next Sun. to complete the bulk of the swap and this is the only stray duck.
Thanks in advance!

No the pedals won't work from the 92 to the 87. Master cylinder is different on the firewall side but i'm pretty sure its just how the hose is routed as i'm using a master from my parts truck which was a 91 with a 92+ pedal assy. When i did the swap, the pedal attaches to a rod that goes to the end of the pedal assy which has a tab for the joint for the clutch rod.

 

[ryanecvbrown]

No the pedals won't work from the 92 to the 87. Master cylinder is different on the firewall side but i'm pretty sure its just how the hose is routed as i'm using a master from my parts truck which was a 91 with a 92+ pedal assy. When i did the swap, the pedal attaches to a rod that goes to the end of the pedal assy which has a tab for the joint for the clutch rod.

Could you post a pic of your setup? I have several hoses from different makes/models so I could mishmash and make something work. Is it simply an issue of the bracket not lining up with anything? I can modify/fab if needed, but I simply can't figure out how to mount the heim on the rod end to the pedal shaft. Am I missing a bracket?