i have a 94 non turbo diesel two wheel drive with a zf.i might be able to get a zf and the t-case out of a 351w truck.i would like to do a 4 wheel drive conversion with these parts.can i just change the bell housing,or are the inputs shafts different?i know the gas version is lower geared,which i think is another benifit,do you agree?
thanks,craig

the ZF doesn't have a seperate bellhousing, it is part of the transmission case. you may be able to swap back housings and output shafts though, to make a diesel 4x4 trans...

the ZF doesn't have a seperate bellhousing, it is part of the transmission case. you may be able to swap back housings and output shafts though, to make a diesel 4x4 trans...
damn!i was wonder about that!
is the output shaft switch doable?

Can't tell ya straight up, but here's some pics of the ZF from a powerstroke diesel. Might be able to tell if the bellhousing looks similar.

http://www.phatxj.com/users/chris/recent/bc12.jpg

http://www.phatxj.com/users/chris/recent/bc13.jpg

That's also a 205 it's bolted to. That's only a little more work.

http://www.phatxj.com/users/chris/recent/bc14.jpg

Of course, that whole mess is getting bolted behind a 5.9 Cummins turbodiesel from a '94 dodge anyway. :flipoff2:

The ratios are different between the gas and diesel ZFs.

The Diesel ZFs are a closer ratio to operate in the diesel RPM range.

I don't think it would work very well even if the bellhousing would be compatible.

I'm pretty sure they're not.

that diesel bell looks a whole lot like the 429/460 pattern.....could they be the same?

that diesel bell looks a whole lot like the 429/460 pattern.....could they be the same?Thats what I was thinking.

Hey vetteboy, what are you doing with the t-case shift lever? Just curious if you had a simpler solution rather than cutting and extending it to clear the trans for neutral and 4 lo.

Hey vetteboy, what are you doing with the t-case shift lever? Just curious if you had a simpler solution rather than cutting and extending it to clear the trans for neutral and 4 lo.

Nope, 'fraid not. Stuff is just gonna get hacked, grinded, cut, and welded until it works. When I get it working I'll post pics.

82F100SWB would know, but the diesel and 385 series (429/460) bellhousings are pretty close... I _think_ you can get them to work but I am not 100% since I don't own a big block or diesel.

You can make the diesel bellhousing work on a 460, but you have to redrill 2 (?) holes and change the location of the alignment dowel. A friend of mine made it work, but then swapped out the case for a bb case because of some clutch difficulties. The bb case is relatively cheap if you have all the innards. I think about $200 jobber.
Seems like you could change the main shafts out of the 2 different zf's (and gears) and make a diesel 4x4 tranny with little problem. Assuming you know how to work on a zf or have a buddy.

well,i have never had a zf apart,i havn't even barely seen it,as i've never done the clutch or anything on the truck.but i have switched the mainshaft in my t-18 that was in my 351 powed toyota.are they as simple as the t-18?if so,not a problem!
i don't even know what fluid the zf takes,but i've been wanting to change it,does anyone know?

i don't even know what fluid the zf takes,but i've been wanting to change it,does anyone know?

Fairly certain it's ATF, like Dex/Merc III. That's what came out of the one in the above pic when I opened it.

thank you!

had a few of the zf's apart(and back together too!).they arent that difficult,but very different from most other trannys.the guts actually stay together as the housing is pulled off,and there are shafts that are retained by the press fit inner races for bearings.take the case half bolts out,stand the trans on it's tail,and lift the front half of the housing off.there will be a few bolts on the center bulkhead holding it to the tail housing,take these out and you can pull the guts out and lay the whole set of innards on the bench.pop out a few roll pins on the shift forks,pull the rails,and from there if you cant figure it out,you shouldnt have gone this far to start with.good luck.

and,yes....they take dex/merc III.

had a few of the zf's apart(and back together too!).they arent that difficult,but very different from most other trannys.the guts actually stay together as the housing is pulled off,and there are shafts that are retained by the press fit inner races for bearings.take the case half bolts out,stand the trans on it's tail,and lift the front half of the housing off.there will be a few bolts on the center bulkhead holding it to the tail housing,take these out and you can pull the guts out and lay the whole set of innards on the bench.pop out a few roll pins on the shift forks,pull the rails,and from there if you cant figure it out,you shouldnt have gone this far to start with.good luck.

and,yes....they take dex/merc III.
so,do you think the tail shafts are compatible between the diesel and the gasser then?

if they are both zf five speeds used in ford trucks,then yes,they are.