Sorry I know its been discussed a thousnad times but I think I am going to do the swap. I have done a lot of reasearch I just wanted to make sure I get everything done right. I already have the ZF. It was to good of a deal to pass up and now my 4L60E is on the way out. I know it is not the best bang for the buck but this is what I want to do. I already have/ordered the following parts:
1. Bellhousing
2. Clutch Fork
3. Drive Shaft M6
4. C Beam
5. Clutch and brake pedal
6. Master and Slave cyl.

What else do I need for the swap.

I know i need a clutch and flywheel assembly. Any budget minded recomendations? I can get a used clutch/flywheel/press plate for around 250. What would be the best thing I could do for a nearly stock car....1. Resurface the flywheel and buy a new ACDelco clutch 2. Buy a Caralonia Clutch and mached flywheel assembly 3. Something else????

The next problem I know i am going to encounter is all of the fasteners. Would anyone know exactly what I will need.

Finally, the electrical part is the main part i'm worried about. I've read the computer will run but the spedo will be off. Reflashing will fix this. Will TunerCATS do this??? Also, what do you do with the electrical connections on the ZF????
Thanks,
Jeff

 

whoa.

don't go cheap on the clutch or you will regret it.

I hope someone chimes in, but you will need to get your flex plate match balanced with the new flywheel.

I would suggest, at the very least getting a steel F-body flywheel, f-body friction disc and a corvette pressure plate. All of that will be about $500 from Superior Chevy (Chris May, 1.800.728.8267, tell him you are a forum member).

what year is the transmission? Black Tag or Blue Tag?

I will have to check the specs for the bolts. I know the bolts to hold the bell housing to the engine are the same.

 

Alright...I thought that the flywheel was neutrally balanced..or is that only if you get a Finanza?? Can I get the al flywheel neutral balanced and get the corvette clutch and pressure plate and use a al flywheel. Would the best thing to to is get the matched set w/ flywheel, clutch, pressure plate from Carorlina Clutch? The stage 3 is 1100 and I could swing that if it would be worth it.

 

the LT1 is balanced at the rear by the flywheel. if you install a flywheel or flex plate that isn't properly balanced, vibrations and noise will ensue.

I am hoping someone who has done this conversion will chime in.

 

Jeff- You do not need the C-beam or M6 driveshaft, unless you've already got, or getting a D44. The only thing you need is the ZF6 yolk. That is what I did since I kept the D36.

Clutch is a personal preference... If you can get a dual mass flywheel with low miles off ebay, I'd be tempted, but this is one of those jobs you really don't want to have to do more than once so that is risky. If you go used, at least have it checked out for proper thickness and flatness. Resurfacing is tricky, though I think some of the Power Stroke guys are getting away with it on their DM flywheels.

As for wiring, you will need to do a few things. All wires can be found at the automatic's shifter. When you pull it out, you'll see what I'm talking about. At a minmum, you'll need to jumper the connector so the PCM thinks it is in park or neutral so the engine starts. That is all I ever did. I will eventually get around to wiring it into the neutral safety switch on the clutch pedal and hooking up the reverse indicator switch. I'm the only one that drives it, so I really don't care. Unfortunately I did not take any notes, but I'd be happy to check it out tonight for you. Send me a PM if you need the info and don't have a shop manual (it's all there in the schematics).

You don't need to bother hooking up the CAGS solenoid. The reverse switch would get wired to the automatic shifter harness connector. The other connector is for the VSS. You can reuse the connector that was hooked to the VSS sensor of the 4L60E, but you'll need to cut the wires and extend then as they are too short (again, that is what I did).

As for the PCM, you will need to flash it to make your speedometer work properly. If you ask the scan and tune guys, I am sure someone can hook you up with the stock M6 bin from the year you need.

Good luck, you're going to love it! I have pic in my sig, if you have not already seen them. It is also the first result if you search "zf6 conversion" on google

 

Great write up...that is what has inspired me to do this swap!!! Thanks for all the info. I have one and a half weeks to try and get the bulk of this project done. So the biggest problem I'm having is finding someone to match balance the flexplate/flywheel. Any sugestions??? The salvage yard said they have a flywheel with low miles in good shape so I plan on using that flywheel and getting a centerforce dual friction clutch. Is there any other parts I will need??? I need to get all of these part ordered so they can be in when i get home.

 

Also...napa has a flywheel insert. Is that something I should do????

 

To be honest, I never did. I talked to Merle at Exotic Muscle and he assured me that the LT1's did not recieve any special treatment for balancing at the factory, so the standard "Chevy balance" was good enough. He went on further that none of cars they do recieve anything extra in this regard either. This was for my 13lb McLeod flywheel, BTW (there is a little weight that got attached to the back). I'd just start calling engine machine shops in your area and tell them what you need to do. I imagine they are used to doing such things for racers, but going the other way (guys converting to automatic for dragging).

With no attention paid to balancing, I have no vibration issues to 6500rpm. I might have gotten lucky, but I tend to trust people that have done these things many times, like Merle.

I'm not sure what a flywheel insert is... Is that the fricition surface of the dual mass flywheel?? I am only familiar with flywheel inserts on high performance light weight flywheels. You will need to get a pilot bearing, BTW, I am sure you have not forgotten that. It may not go in all the way, so if it appears to be stuck, and it is not all the way in the crank, you should be fine. Mine stuck out a good 1/8", maybe more. I ruined 2 of them trying to get them in further. Crank probably needed to be honed for it to fit properly, but everything was clean and smooth, so there had to be some sort of taper. A few other people told me this happens from time to time, so it is not a huge deal.

If you have a week and a half to work on the project, that should be plenty of time. If you have any questions, PM me and I'll give you my phone number.

Mike

 

I'm having some problems with finding a place to balance my flex/flywheel. Also, i'm worried about putting a used DM flwheel in my car w/ a brand new clutch. I would really like to put a fidanza al flywheel. What do i have to do to it to prevent vibration. Does it have to be matched balanced also.

Also, exotic muscle has a single mass lightwheight flwheel for 250. What has to be done to that. Is that what you used, ninetyfivevette?? And you just added a weight to it??

 

The way "I" understand it is that your flex plate is neutrally balanced at first. Then the small weights are added to it to balance the engine. The the dm fw is also neutrally balanced. So by placing the small weights in the same location on the dm as placed in relation to the OEM flex plate, you should be good to go. The weight kits can be had at the dlr. I was going to do the swap like you but decided to step up to a ZR1 instead. good luck.

 

The flywheel EM has is probably a Camaro flywheel, machined down 0.090" as required for the Corvette/ZF6 application. You then could use the Camaro clutch disc and a Corvette pressure plate. I'd check that out carefully though. I wouldn't want to steer you in the wrong direction and have you get parts you don't need. There is a memeber on here that has all the GM part number required to do that particular conversion. I am sure a search will dig him up.

The flywheel I used came from McLeod as part of their Street Twin package. I don't think it can be used seperately since it will be much thinner to accomidate the extra clutch disc and floater plate. The McLeod flywheel comes neutral balanced, so a weight specific to the engine must be added depending if it's going into a stock rotating assembly, aftermarket that is already neutral balanced or an external balanced setup. Since mine was going into a stock rotating assembly when I got it, I just needed the "standard Chevy balance" weight which I believe is applicable to all 1pc rear main seal SBCs (except LT4).

 

Ok...so If i get a Fidanza flywheel specicific to a 8x-96 Corvette, and add the same weights in the same spots to the flywheel as is on my flexplate that would be alright. Correct?? (Sorry guys, not trying to be a pain in the butt, just trying to make sure i won't have any problems)
Thanks

 

The flexplate and flywheel weights are pretty different in their style, so I am not sure they would transfer over well. With the flywheel, there are a series of holes in the perimeter that have weights in a few of them. The flexplate has a bar of metal welded to it that has differing depth holes drilled to remove material to achieve balance. I'd call some place that sets these things up on a regular basis (like the people you're getting it from) and see how they set them up. I seem to remember that the flywheels will require weights in the same position for most engines, while others may need a little extra "attention". When your factory service manual arrives, take a look at the section dealing with balancing the flywheel. I believe it actually says where to start adding weights, and what procedure to follow to see if it needs more weights. I'm at work at the moment, so I can't be certain.

 

I guess tomorrow im going to order a Fidnaza flywheel and try to find some where to get it balanced to the flex plate.

Just for peice of mind...this flywheel and centerforce clutch will work...right???

Also, what bolts do I need to get to attach the PP to flywheel.

 

Well... I got everything in...thanks for all of your help!!! I'm having problems with getting the car started.

To make the ECM think it was in park, I put the auto shifter back in and put it in the park position...Will that work??? Also, what wires should I jumper??? I am having a hard time finding them in the book.

Also, I pulled the codes and got H52 and H59. I broke the oil temp sending unit... I think that is H52. Any ideas where to start trouble shoothing.

 

That will work.

I can find out for you when I get home from work.

Start with the sensors on the top, rear of the block. They probably were pressed into the firewall too hard and something broke.

 

I check all the sensors. Nothing but the oil temp sensor above the oil filter adapter was broken. The motor hardly touched the wiring when I put the trans in.

I am getting nothing when I turn the key. The car turns on fine and then I go to hit the starter and nothing....I just need to find where I'm loosing the starter signal.

I tried to jumper terminal E and F on the shifter and still got nothing. That is what the book said to do.

I replaced the ingnition lock cyl so is there a test I could do to see if i'm loosing signal there.

Any thoughts???

 

Well got everything done!!! Took it for the first ride tonight. Love rowing though the gears. Got a problem though. I'm getting a lot of chattering...I'm not sure where from. Its a lot of noise when applying a load and quiet when not. Also, it will do it in neutral but stop when you press the clutch in. Do you think that this could be normal noise caused by the al flywheel?? or throw out bearing??? Does anyone have pics of the throwout bearing installed in the clutch fork to make sure mine is right. I'm pretty sure it is. It is a centerforce DF clutch w/ internal to bearing.

 

That sound of chewing ice is the trans infamous gear rattle. Who recommended the alum flywheel? It's much less noticable with a heavy flywheel.

I forgot to hook up the back-up light switch, I did that today.

 

That exactly what it sounds like...I knew I would have some but not that much. I know there is a hole in the floor (haven't put the interrior back together) but I would have never expected it to be that loud.

I took it for another ride. When applying a load it get progressively worse sounding untill 3k rpms. Then it dies off. That is really weird to me. Also, it will do it at a red light in neutral until you press in the clutch. Any thoughts??

I would really like to see a pic of a to bearing in the clutch fork because that is really what it sounds like in my car. I sounds like the to bearing is spinning and clutch fork stops it when pressing the clutch.