Black Tag VS Blue Tag....
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 1,218
Likes: 7
From: Burleson Texas
Black Tag VS Blue Tag....
Hey guys... its been a while...
I blew up my ZF earlier this year by shifting into 6th at 160mph at WOT. Bad idea.
I spent $1900 on rebuild parts... only to destroy the case putting it back together. I am not the transmission pro I thought I was going to be.
So I sold off the rebuild kit and took a hit in the life department. So here I am shopping for a cheap used ZF. I have found some. And now I am left with these questions...
(I know the ZF Doc would be best to talk to, but I am asking here first)
Black tag compared to blue tag
has a larger input shaft sleeve (yes?)
Straight cut (or more straight than blue) gears
Different shifter (I have a 96)
ZR1 black tags have a different input shaft?
Can anyone confirm this? I found a black tag in my area for cheap, and the owner says it come from a 90's L98 car, but he never saw the car. He has the flywheel to the tail shaft housing complete... So anything I can do to help identify if this will be an easy swap would be great. I cannot read his label from the tag, so I cant go by numbers.
Do any of you know if an l98 black tag will go into an lt1/lt4 car? I have my old input shaft sleeve, and he has the old TO bearing, so either way it would be as easy as swapping those parts, IF I am not mistaken on the differences.
Also I have a hurst short shifter on mine, would that be swappable to the black tag?
Thanks guys!
I blew up my ZF earlier this year by shifting into 6th at 160mph at WOT. Bad idea.
I spent $1900 on rebuild parts... only to destroy the case putting it back together. I am not the transmission pro I thought I was going to be.
So I sold off the rebuild kit and took a hit in the life department. So here I am shopping for a cheap used ZF. I have found some. And now I am left with these questions...
(I know the ZF Doc would be best to talk to, but I am asking here first)
Black tag compared to blue tag
has a larger input shaft sleeve (yes?)
Straight cut (or more straight than blue) gears
Different shifter (I have a 96)
ZR1 black tags have a different input shaft?
Can anyone confirm this? I found a black tag in my area for cheap, and the owner says it come from a 90's L98 car, but he never saw the car. He has the flywheel to the tail shaft housing complete... So anything I can do to help identify if this will be an easy swap would be great. I cannot read his label from the tag, so I cant go by numbers.
Do any of you know if an l98 black tag will go into an lt1/lt4 car? I have my old input shaft sleeve, and he has the old TO bearing, so either way it would be as easy as swapping those parts, IF I am not mistaken on the differences.
Also I have a hurst short shifter on mine, would that be swappable to the black tag?
Thanks guys!
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 25,394
Likes: 2,741
Let's try this:
ZF guide tubes are 1.375 +/- early and 1.305 +/- late I believe. These are the dimensions I see most frequently. I would have thought a metric spec here but this is what I see most frequently. Using an inexpensive vernier I get close to those numbers. You can't mistake the two.
ALL ZR-1 input shafts are the same length and longer than the L98/LT1 & LT4 - 31mm longer I believe.
Assuming you have an aftermarket shifter it will work with all of the ZF's. You sacrifice the lift-ring for the early. I missed your "Hurst comment in my first read.
Only '95 & '95 are crash-thru contrary to the opinion that all "blue tags" are. That's mentioned frequently.
There are engineered specs of the internals that distinguish between the 610 Nm and the 540 Nm.
You can swap the guide tube to accomplish the use of either release bearing.
Is there any casting information on your old parts? Are your intentions to use the one you buy "as is" or to build it while it's out and on the floor/bench? You can't ID any of the label? If it's an L98 it's certainly what you refer to as a "black tag" and a 610 Nm transmission. '92 & some '93 LT1 cars are 610 Nm also.
ZF guide tubes are 1.375 +/- early and 1.305 +/- late I believe. These are the dimensions I see most frequently. I would have thought a metric spec here but this is what I see most frequently. Using an inexpensive vernier I get close to those numbers. You can't mistake the two.
ALL ZR-1 input shafts are the same length and longer than the L98/LT1 & LT4 - 31mm longer I believe.
Assuming you have an aftermarket shifter it will work with all of the ZF's. You sacrifice the lift-ring for the early. I missed your "Hurst comment in my first read.
Only '95 & '95 are crash-thru contrary to the opinion that all "blue tags" are. That's mentioned frequently.
There are engineered specs of the internals that distinguish between the 610 Nm and the 540 Nm.
You can swap the guide tube to accomplish the use of either release bearing.
Is there any casting information on your old parts? Are your intentions to use the one you buy "as is" or to build it while it's out and on the floor/bench? You can't ID any of the label? If it's an L98 it's certainly what you refer to as a "black tag" and a 610 Nm transmission. '92 & some '93 LT1 cars are 610 Nm also.
Last edited by WVZR-1; Jan 2, 2014 at 08:37 PM.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 1,218
Likes: 7
From: Burleson Texas
You answered everything! Thank you!!
My old parts? They are all 1996 ZF stuff. Blue tag, I tore it down.
I plan to use the new one "as is". The basic intent is to get the car back on the road and possibly sold. The new trans only has 70k miles on it.... So I figure it was good for another 70k like mine.
My old parts? They are all 1996 ZF stuff. Blue tag, I tore it down.
I plan to use the new one "as is". The basic intent is to get the car back on the road and possibly sold. The new trans only has 70k miles on it.... So I figure it was good for another 70k like mine.
