oscarm98

I need a little help.

My son and I are trying to get the ZF Trans out so I can install the ZR51 performance shim kit and check the clutch components (vehicle is not on a lift) and I can't get it and the engine/trans to rotate down very much for the Trans to slide out.

I do NOT see anything binding on the firewall

How far down does it have to rotate? I have the instructions from ZFdoc ZR51 Performance printed out and it does not give too many details.

I have it rotated down just past the Torque "C" Channel, is that far enough? How far back does it come before complete separation?

It seems like the shift lever is still too high up yet. I don't want to unbolt the trans from Bell Housing until I know we can clear everything.

Any help would be appreciated.

Oscar

Kubs

Putting the shifter in 3rd gear helps. The shifter will stick up a bit but as you slide it back from the engine it also goes down because its tilted. The shifter will clear the opening by the time the handle moves that far. Removing the C beam completely will help give you some more room to wiggle and back it out.

vettespecial

I just did this task last summer to my 90, do remove the channel beam and trans will come out easy hope its jacked high enough, to get trans out from under car, do you still have OEM clutch and DMF ?

vettespecial

I just read your other post so it sounds like you don't have OEM clutch.
Mine was changed out before i owned it, and the trans was noisy neutral
and all thru 3rd due to the fact the DMZ was replaced. last summer i found a low mile DMZ and put in a factory clutch system in, now you can't hear the trans at all. i had clearance issues with the center force fly wheel. while its out you should have the shifter assembly modified by the Z doc he did mine and its a great improvement if needed i have a spare for sale on Ebay.

mtwoolford

Well, I've had mine in and out.

remove the shifter **** from the shifter stalk

remove the inner and outer shift boots from the transmission tunnel; slide them up and off of the shifter stalk

The C beam has to be removed

Leave the bellhousing bolted up to the engine block, remove the bolts holding the transmission to the bell housing...now I didn't have a lift either, place a roller jack under the transmission and pull the transmission (it's heavy) and jack to the rear and out of the clutch, and bellhousing.

now this is where my memory gets a little fuzzy. remove the clutch slave cylinder from the bellhousing...DO NOT disconnect the hydraulics, pull the slave to the side and tie it off.

On the clutch fork stud, if the little locking cap is is still there, and it probably isn't, unscrew it counter clockwise and expose the BIG allen bolt which is the aft end of the clutch fork stud, now screw it CLOCKWISE it moves forward until it exits the forward (inside) end of the bellhousing.

Now unbolt the bellhousing from the back of the engine block, a couple of long extensions and swivels will really help here.

presto, the clutch pressure plate and disc are now exposed and ready to be removed.

NOW ON REASSEMBLY AND TO SAVE YOURSELF A TON OF GRIEF, reassemble the flywheel. pilot bearing, pressure plate and disc, clutch fork and sud (use a couple drops of locktite on the stud) and with the pilot tool still holding the clutch disc in place, reassemble bellhousing, clutch fork and stud and remount the hydraulics. Now with clutch pilot tool still in place, have someone operate the clutch pedal and ensure that the pressure plate, is in fact, releasing the clutch disc. If you have a problem, it is much easier to deal with it now than repulling the transmission and all the extra labor that entails.


I had ZFdoc shorten and rebuild my shifter. I cannot say enough good things about his products, services, and advice.

Good Luck.

MatthewMiller

Yep, ditto everything the others said. It may not seem like it, but with the shifter in 3rd the stick will clear the tunnel as you slide the transmission back and down.

oscarm98

I found the answer.

According to the ZF drawing of the Trans that ZFDoc has on his website it has to come back 6.3 inches for the -044 transmission.

I am going out to try to figure out why it won't rotate down further today.

I'm thinking headers, or engine mount heat barriers are binding it from rotating.

Ill update when I find out.

Oscar

yd328

To help with alignment when you reinstall the trans to the bell housing buy a couple of long bolts at the hardware store and cut off the heads. They make a nice alignment tool to help wiggle the trans back in place.

Gary

oscarm98

I removed the headers ..Still can't get the engine/trans to drop down. Read the shop manual and nothing references loosening engine mounts.

Could mine be solid mounts?

I don't want to pull down and break anything.

Am I forgetting something?

Could it be the angular crossmembers that are under the engine mounts?

Thank you all for your help

Oscar

mtwoolford

each motor mount is held to the cross member by a single nut (on the underside of the cross member); try backing off these two nuts to allow some additional drop (rotation?) of the engine and rear of the transmission.

VikingTrad3r

subbed!

oscarm98

DMZ??? De-militarized zone?

oscarm98

Did you sell it on ebay? What is the benefit of the modification?

How much do you want for it?

Oscar

oscarm98

So Matt Miller helped me out. The reason it did not rotate down was a couple things were still hooked up and the motor mounts are so close to the center of mass that it would not rotate down. I subsequently disconnected the intake manifold, the supercharger intake boot, the supercharger to Intercooler boot and finally the wiring harness on the passenger side behind the engine and firewall was scrunched in there.

It now rotates down nicely.

Thank you Matt.

Oscar

oscarm98

What does it mean when someone does this?

MatthewMiller

You're very welcome. I will admit that I learned about the intake hose by forgetting it myself when I did my clutch job. But in my case, it just popped off (no supercharger, so maybe it was easier to pop loose). I've also tried to pull and engine and trans combo on a much older car with the kickdown cable still attached to the trans. That was...not successful. I feel like I'm the king of these kinds of mistakes!

"Subbed" means he subscribed to the thread so he can follow it.

oscarm98

Does this Trans input shaft look healthy? I see spalling.

What is the best way to clean it up?

VikingTrad3r

MatthewMiller

I am not qualified to answer that one. To me it looks like semi-normal surface oxidation, although I'm not sure what the white stuff in the valleys of the splines exactly is - maybe clutch disk material? If you clean it with any solvent, make sure the solvent doesn't get past that bearing collar and back to the seal. I wouldn't put anything that has lubricating properties on it, because you won't want anything to come off and get on the new disk. I think I'd just brush it off and leave alone, as long as the new disk slides over it cleanly.

oscarm98

Planning to brush it with a brass brush and use a little brake cleaner. I am installing the ZFdoc .089 spacer on this clutch to help with the rattle in the trans. I think that the clutch is still good. We'll find out this weekend when I pull the bell housing. I saw an aftermarket bell housing out there, why would I put it on vs. the stock one?

Thank you

Oscar