Remove the ZF from the car

Rune

Supporter
When I had to get access to the clutch, I had to remove the bellhousing also had to almost remove the engine to.
Reason for this is that the 2 upper bolts between bellhousing and gearbox is on inside of bellhousing, but the 4 others bolts are on the outside. Is it safe to use two pins instead of the two upper bolts ?, so that it is possible to only loosen the 4 outside bolts and slide the zf backward.
 

Randy V

Moderator-Admin
Staff member
Admin
Lifetime Supporter
I would think that what you are proposing (making two of the bolts locating dowels) that it should be fine. Look at all the rear wheel drive cars that used only 4 bolts to hold their manual transmissions to the Bellhousing.. Seems like it should be fine, but I would encourage others to chime in with their own thoughts.
 

Ian Clark

Supporter
I became gun shy over the machining tolerances on the earliest CAV cast ZF to SBF bellhousings far back as 2004. After several expensive engine outs over dragging clutches, changes had to be made. On each subsequent build or clutch/transaxle service we cut two holes in the casting to allow 12 point metric wrench access to the top two bolts that were otherwise not accessible without removing the engine/transaxle as an assembly. Note: the two M10 bolts must be replaced with studs threadlocked into place. The bolts are too long to remove through the bellhousing. Really cuts down the R&R time and eliminates rechecking/setting the bellhousing runnout once it's been set.
 

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Ian Clark

Supporter
I should mention that the wrench access created allows you to install and tighten two metric nuts on the studs threadlocked into the transaxle. This maintains the original clamping forces securing the transaxle to the bellhousing. Cheers
 

Kelly

Lifetime Supporter
.....and do your self a favor, put a dial on your crankshaft and measure the run out to the step in your bell housing that centers your ZF/Input shaft. Mine was horrible. I installed a couple adjustable offset dowel pins and with a little tuning centered the ZF and it did wonders for ease of installation and clutch performance. Best, Kelly
 

JimmyMac

Lifetime Supporter
.....and do your self a favor, put a dial on your crankshaft and measure the run out to the step in your bell housing that centers your ZF/Input shaft. Mine was horrible. I installed a couple adjustable offset dowel pins and with a little tuning centered the ZF and it did wonders for ease of installation and clutch performance. Best, Kelly

Totally agree here.
 

Morten

Mortified GT
Supporter
Hi, here is my RBT ZF if it helps;
It splits easily enough, fiddly, but splits.

Morten
A5E53418-B142-40AC-B081-8417CAFC104B.jpeg
 

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