ZF-5 Wide ratio....gonna try it

[madcj8]

Well I bought a zf out of a 97 4x4 gasser this weekend off fleabay to put in my 85. Once i figure out how to get it up to NC from FL its going in along with some head studs. Has anyone had a wide ratio behind there IDI? Did you like it? hate it? I figured if i dont like it or can't make it fit I can sell it to my dad to put in his 86 gasser.

Also i found a hydroboost system off craigslist out in portland, as soon as that gets here I might have to do a write up on that install

 

[Double-S-Diesel]

uh gassers zf wont fit an idi without modification

 

[madcj8]

uh gassers zf wont fit an idi without modification

Luckily I have a spare adapter plate to modify before it goes in the truck. And if i mess up mine, h2odrx might still have a spare i can use

 

[hugeredford]

you can put on a diesel front housing and a friend of mine had a gasser tranny and couldn't tell any differnce in speed/power

 

[Diesel JD]

I thought it wouldn't work since the ZF has a bell and the body of the tranny cast in one piece unlike the T18/19. I'm sure an adapter could be made to make it work. Let us know how it goes,
J.D.

 

[hugeredford]

put the entire front casting on from a diesel tranny, the bell is cast with the gearcase

 

[Diesel JD]

Ah Ok, I don't know anything about how the ZF is cast or put together. Sounds like it ought to work. The ratio might be good or bad..don't know. There was a guy over on Diesel Stop who had a gasser T19 behind a 6.9, he said it wasn't perfect, the close ratio would have been better but it was close enough.

 

[Dieselguy123]

Are the ratios differant in them? I didnt think they where, Last time I remember all the part #'s where the same whether it was a gasser or a diesel, I dont know maybe not, I thought the only differance was the bell housing? -Brad-

 

[madcj8]

pulled from the ZF website

Close Ratio (Diesel) 4.14 2.37 1.42 1.0 0.77 3.79
Wide Ratio (Gasoline / Diesel) 5.72 2.94 1.61 1.0 0.76 5.24

 

[84TD]

pulled from the ZF website

Close Ratio (Diesel) 4.14 2.37 1.42 1.0 0.77 3.79
Wide Ratio (Gasoline / Diesel) 5.72 2.94 1.61 1.0 0.76 5.24

Can you school me on these?

Does the Gasser have lower reverse/first or higher?

If you had a souped up diesel it seems like it would be better to have the wide,
I hate how fast I have to shift my truck when my foot is in it!!

 

[madcj8]

I couldnt quite copy/paste the way it was on the website, but it is a PDF which works well for troubleshooting these transmissions. The gasser has a lower reverse and first gear.

 

[G. Mann]

Ohhhhhh @(!@XXXX!!! Now I'm in a panic.. my ZF5 speed is from behind a 460 gasser, wide ratio, which I decided I would live with, since I'm also putting in a Gear Vendors, but all this talk about the bell housing not fitting ???? Are there two ZF's ? One bell housing to go behind a gas engine and one to fit diesel?? I didn't find anything in the ford parts manual that told me they were different. HELP!! I'm about a week away from tearing my truck down for the swap and want to not get "hung out to dry" trying to find a front case for a diesel ZF.

 

[madcj8]

Are there two ZF's ? One bell housing to go behind a gas engine and one to fit diesel?? I didn't find anything in the ford parts manual that told me they were different.

As far as i know the top bolts line up but the bottom 4 and the dowel pins dont. As soon as i get this transmission I am going to measure and make up a diagram to show the differences between the two!

 

[Agnem]

Can you school me on these?

Does the Gasser have lower reverse/first or higher?

The gasser needs a lower first gear than the diesel, and it's going to wind out farther so the gears are lower all the way around until you get to 1:1.

 

[82fordtruck]

my understanding is that they don't line up, but the holes are close enough to work. There are some 460 guys that use the diesel tranny over on fordtrucks.com

They say the holes need to be wallowed out a little, but will work.