MrVette90l98mt

I was wondering if it was possible to do a direct swap of the Throw out bearing guide tubes between a black tag and blue tag ZF6?

Will removing the ZF6 throw out bearing guide tube affect the input seal / input bearing in any way? I don't want to pull the blue tag trans apart if I don't have to as parts are impossible to find.

Reason being is I swapped in an LS3 EROD kit and have a Black tag SPEC clutch in the car now and would like to swap the black tag guide tube onto the new Blue Tag transmission. My black Tag has a terminally ill bearing and I bought a NOS Blue tag but I don't want to buy a new clutch or have to R&R clutch just for the differences in throw out bearing...just want to be able to swap a Black tag trans out and a Blue tag trans in...trying save some money and time.

Thanks in advance guys!

WVZR-1

Tag "COLOR" does NOT dictate the "guide tube". The guide tube is either one dimension or the other. There were "Black Tag" ZF's with the same spec guide tube as the later "Blue Tag" ZF.

You can use guide tube of your choice so long as it's for the appropriate ZF. L98/LT1/LT4 there are 2, for the LT5 there are also 2.

QCVette

The '94-'96 use the smaller guide tube. The '89-'93 use the larger guide tube.
The '95-'96 are blue tag. The '89-'94 are black tag.
The '94 is the odd one that is a black tag with the smaller guide tube.

So I agree with WVZR-1 that it is not simply black tag vs blue tag.

However, to try to answer your question.
I think the guide tubes simply interchange. However, I have not done that and I am guessing.

You should try calling ZFdoc ( http://www.zfdoc.com/ ) to ask that question. He has been very helpful to me and many others with good advice and technical information.

If you get a confirmed answer, please post it here so we all can learn. Thanks.

Good luck.

MatthewMiller

Wouldn't be easier to just buy a throwout bearing for the larger guide tube you already have? If you had bought an expensive NOS INA-branded bearing, then I would understand wanting to keep it. But the bearing in your SPEC clutch kit is far from that. It's a really cheap Chinese bearing. Just replace it with an equally cheap throwout bearing. Rockauto has an AC Delco bearing for $24. Or just call SPEC and see what they would charge for the bearing by itself.

ETA: the rest of the clutch kit (disk and pressure plate) are the same for either early or late.

MrVette90l98mt

I'm really after just trying to do a trans swap only. My original plan was to have a shop do it but the opportunity to buy my dads 2000 C5 FRC is too good to pass up so I'm planning on ways to swap trans myself on jack stands without pulling the engine and trans out together. I remember the alignment was enough of a PITA with the powertrain out of the car (I hate plastic clutch alignment tools!) Swapping out throw out bearings would mean I would have to do clutch alignment under the car again...not looking forward to do that. I figured swap the guide tubes would be easiest route for me...just literally pull black tag out, swap guide tube onto blue tag, install blue tag without much of an alignment issue (I hope)

I search all over the web for pics and drawing and came up with enough info to ASSUME the input seal is installed inside the guide tube and gasket is also used between a the guide tube plate and housing:

Reference pics:



ZF6 Cutaway:


Gasket:



Input seal:


O-ring: not sure where these go


ZF6 cut away:



ZR-1 guid tube



ZR-1 guide tube

mtwoolford

as I understand it, the black tag throwout bearing has a larger i.d; the blue tag a smaller i.d. and to prevent having to manufacture two completely different throwout brgs, the black tag had a nylon sleeve installed in it's i.d and presto, it is now a blue tag throwout bearing; check your throwout bearing.