ZF trans question

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Sep 22, 2003 | 03:54 PM

kawboy5792

Thread Starter

Burning Brakes

Joined: May 2002

Posts: 831

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From: Iowa City IA

ZF trans question

I missed a shift into 2nd the other day, and now whenever i try to shift into that gear there is a grinding noise and vibration, but it will go in. the grinding is worse the faster you are going. Once it is in gear, everything is fine. Is this a synchro problem or what? Is this something i can fix or should i take it in?

Sep 22, 2003 | 07:06 PM

6spd

Burning Brakes

Joined: Jun 2003

Posts: 949

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From: smithtown ny

Re: ZF trans question (kawboy5792)

it does sound like a synchro problem, more then likely you will need to rebuild it. if you are going to go throught the trouble to pull out the tranny and take it apart rebuild it. it is costly $2.000-$2.500

Sep 22, 2003 | 07:11 PM

NavyVet

Drifting

Joined: Jul 2000

Posts: 1,661

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From: Phoenix, Arizona

Re: ZF trans question (kawboy5792)

Did you try double clutching the 1-2 shift? If it shifted without noise, you probably killed a synchro. Which, on a ZF, is not cheap. At least it doesn't sound like a gear. BTW, I would not force it into 2nd with the 'gridning' you describe. You will only make matters worse. Bits of loose metal inside the tranny mean more problems soon. :flag

Sep 22, 2003 | 07:14 PM

Nathan Plemons

Race Director

Joined: May 2001

Posts: 14,165

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Re: ZF trans question (kawboy5792)

Ouch. Tranny must have been hurting to begin with. I've missed second way more times than I would like to admit and the synchros still work. It had to have been on it's last legs when you did it.

Sep 23, 2003 | 01:16 AM

froggy47

Race Director

Joined: Oct 2002

Posts: 10,864

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From: Southern CA

Re: ZF trans question (Nathan Plemons)

:iagree:

One missed shift kills zf6 tranny, don't think so.

Sep 23, 2003 | 07:40 AM

Aaron71771

Le Mans Master

Joined: Jan 2000

Posts: 6,376

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From: Traverse City MI

Re: ZF trans question (kawboy5792)

No good, the trans must have been ready to pop. I would take it easy until you are ready to have the trans rebuilt. Give zfdoc a call or email. www.zfdoc.com

Sep 23, 2003 | 08:54 AM

larryfs

Safety Car

Joined: May 2002

Posts: 4,010

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From: Somewhere nowhere

Re: ZF trans question

sorry to say 1 missed shift will damage a ZF :eek:
my 20,000 mile ZF is whining in 4th due to 1 missed shift. It was perfectly quiet before that 1 miss. It still works fine, but I definately ruined a syncro.

how many people on this forum complain of noisey ZF's???
every single owner. and that is because of a blown shift resulting in a hanging syncro.

Then I had another blown shift due to CAGS, just once, and now 1st gear isn't 100% perfect anymore.

me personally, I won't fix it till it completely stops working.

Sep 23, 2003 | 08:59 AM

bogus

Team Owner

Joined: Aug 2000

Posts: 40,156

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From: San Pedro CA

Re: ZF trans question (larryfs)

Larry - your 96 has a different version of the ZF6. GM actually made them here... the earlier ones were made in Germany, by ZF.

In 1994, GM tried to "quiet" the gear whine. That in effect weakened the gearbox.

If you have a late model ZF6, replace it with a pre-94 ZF6 and you will be fine... the original, 89-91's are the best, 92-93's are very good, but after that, they are above average, but not as great.