ZFQ Transaxle failure

Hi guys

I have had a response from Quaife saying that they will be looking into a upgraded tail housing during the next couple of months for the older units. This would need fitment by an Authorized dealer.

regards

Chris

Audi @ Le mans RETROSPECTIVE>>AUDI AT LE MANS 1999 - Speedhunters

Chris

Any further word on the replacement tail housings?

I heard that Olthoff also experienced an identical failure here in the states, and that there have been several failures overseas.

I also heard that there are no further plans to produce any more of these boxes. What does that mean in terms of support in the future?
 
what is happening to solve the problems????
are the starting numbers respected or there are some new restrictions born on the way?
 
What problems?:), nobody has actually really complained on here yet, the guy who did advertise his in bits after one broke did not seem to concerned, just went & bought an RBT instead.....must be a 'secret squirrel' club that you can only join by breaking one..
 

Ron Earp

Admin
75, ZFQ have been sold to date and they are specifyed in our Component Sign off agreement with R T Quaife Ltd as rated at 600Bhp and 550Ftlbs of Torque,

A brief reading on this forum of proposed power plants being mated to these transaxles will lead you to believe that many of the engines are over the Quaife rating of the gearboxes. Failures might should be expected if the manufacture's guidelines are not followed.
 
I understand from Chris Melia and Mike Quaife that the maximum power figures are considerably lower than those quoted above, check with Chris
 
Frank

that is not what I said, so dont quote me.
You said your ZFQ was performing well behind your strong Weslake Motor.
I called you to let you know the new billet tail housings were going to be available next week. They are 60% stronger than the cast items.
Contact Quaife direct if you want one.
There are some factory refurbished units with the thrust bearing Mod don that are available from the factory on a special deal for road cars.
 
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The remains of the broken box are still for sale if anyone wants spare gear sets, bellhousing case, output shafts, Quaife differential, you never know when you might need spares.
 

Seymour Snerd

Lifetime Supporter
I remember Wanni caught some serious flak for asking about the development process on this 'box.

If Wanni is going to gloat over this remark (as he does above) then I'm going to have to correct it. I've read the thread and simply asking a question is not why Wanni caught serious flak. He caught serioius flak because between some language barrier issues and the appearance of having an agenda of his own that corrupted the thread, he came off sounding like kind of a dick and generally raining on Chris Melia's parade in a way that was not at all productive.
 

Russ Noble

GT40s Supporter
Lifetime Supporter
That's true, but if everyone was a little less precious about the way he presents himself, we may have been able to get some further insight into the intricacies of gearbox design...... Maybe..... Certainly worth cutting him a little slack in the hope that we might learn something. This forum is mainly about the tech. Isn't it?
 

Jim Rosenthal

Supporter
Russ, you're having a logic attack, as we call it up here. Mind you, I agree with you, so that's two of us having logic attacks. Must be contagious, even over all these miles....
 

Seymour Snerd

Lifetime Supporter
That's true, but if everyone was a little less precious about the way he presents himself, we may have been able to get some further insight into the intricacies of gearbox design...... Maybe..... Certainly worth cutting him a little slack in the hope that we might learn something. This forum is mainly about the tech. Isn't it?

If you're not getting what you want from Wanni, I suggest you take that up with Wanni.
 

Russ Noble

GT40s Supporter
Lifetime Supporter
If you're not getting what you want from Wanni, I suggest you take that up with Wanni.

That's a good point and I have exchanged messages with him in the past, but this doesn't benefit any other forum members who may also have an interest in the technical discussion.

That's why I thought it was better to try and ameliorate the behaviour of those that tend to give him a hard time on this forum. If he goes away, all of us lose any chance of learning anything further from him.
 

Seymour Snerd

Lifetime Supporter
That's a good point and I have exchanged messages with him in the past, but this doesn't benefit any other forum members who may also have an interest in the technical discussion.

That's why I thought it was better to try and ameliorate the behaviour of those that tend to give him a hard time on this forum. If he goes away, all of us lose any chance of learning anything further from him.


That's also a good point, but also highlights the fact we don't all have the same interest. For example, as a ZFQ owner I might be more concerned with how Chris and Quaife are treated so they can contribute to my welfare in a very direct way. And this is, after all, a thread about ZFQ failures, not a gearbox design class, and the technicalities of the failure are pretty well understood, IMO, so I'm not sure any third-party gearbox design expertise is relevant.

So maybe some of the responsibility for Wanni's behavior could rest with Wanni. We don't see Fran taking swipes at Rick Muck or Bob Putnam and vice versa. That might be a good topic for some private messages. I'm not the only one who's behavior is subject to outside pressure and I'm not comfortable with the implied double standard.

So back to the original topic, I asked Quaife recently how to obtain a billet rear cap and was referred to Dennis Olthoff. Have any Quaife owners out their attempted to have any upgrades made (by anyone), and if so, how did it go?
 
If you're not getting what you want from Wanni, I suggest you take that up with Wanni.

Some of us were getting valuable information from him until some others who did not like his message basicly ran him off. Has anybody ever proven anythinig he said bout transaxles and the business of producing them wrong?

I would think he contributed more than $35 worth to this forum in information that was not readily available anywhere else and certianly not for free. But he was not politicly correct to the supporting vendors so his welcome was worn out quickly. I certianly understand that game.
 

Seymour Snerd

Lifetime Supporter
Some of us were getting valuable information from him until some others who did not like his message basicly ran him off. Has anybody ever proven anythinig he said bout transaxles and the business of producing them wrong?

I would think he contributed more than $35 worth to this forum in information that was not readily available anywhere else and certianly not for free. But he was not politicly correct to the supporting vendors so his welcome was worn out quickly. I certianly understand that game.

This is getting a little surreal. He posted something in this thread a mere three days ago so nobody "ran him off." Also, I was just reminded that he has some deeper history with the ZFQ project that goes far beyond issues of "political correctness"; a review of the earlier threads might be in order.

In any event, now that his status as a GT40s.com national treasure has been established, could we go back to the original topic? Then in another thread his disciples can discuss whether to have him bronze plated or elected president or a human sacrifice made in his honor.
 

Seymour Snerd

Lifetime Supporter
OOOOHHH! Will she be a virgin????

Can I confirm it?!?!?

She? I was assuming they'd come after me. :lipsrsealed:

-------------------------
Back to ZFQ bashing....

There is some legitimate bashing to be done with respect to the ZFQ: and that is that the manufacturer and various resellers representatives have done absolutely nothing to keep the owners informed of the various developments Look what had to happen before Quaife made their first (indirect) post to this forum.

I've found out about the various upgrades only by accident, eg., when I contacted someone "in the know" with an issue and the "forged mainshaft screw" or "billet rear case" or "relocated thrust bearing" came up as a side issue or coincidennce.

Nobody ever contacted me about any news regarding my $13,000 transaxle.

Who knows, if the owner of the one that grenaded and started this thread had been told he could install a forged screw in a few minutes, perhaps his would not have been destroyed. Ya think?

And of course anyone who reads my other threads knows Quaife isn't the only vendor on this forum who goes into radio silence after the purchase check is cashed. I wish some of these guys would (re)read some business 101 and recall that your existing customers are your most powerful salesmen, and put just a little effort into communicating with us. Why is it a one-way street?

i'm sure they could make enough money off the upgrade sales to defray the communication cost, not to mention the additional product sales generated by we happy users making referrals to prospects.

But again, that's business 101, and you either buy that stuff or you don't. People who don't go broke a lot.
 
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Ross Nicol

GT40s Supporter
I've just reassembled my RBT/ZF after fitting a new 2nd gear synchro. Seems to me significant strength in the casing.

1/ Side flanges - made of Cast Iron
2/ Loads into each side flange spread over 10 studs
3/ Rear Cover - also made of Cast Iron
4/ Loads into rear cover spread over approx 20 studs ( as Jac Mac pointed out many more than ZFQ)

12 long studs from front diff housing through gear housing & rear cover
( mainly around case outer)
8 short studs holding rear cover to gear housing
( Mainly around shaft bearings)

I reckon ZF knew they needed strength in these areas and certainly provided it.

Cheers
Ross
 
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