zf6 swap

OBStroker · Nov 30, 2011

How hard would it be to swap a zf6 into an automatic obs? I plan on doing a manual swap but im leaning towards using a 6 speed instead of a 5. Will a pcm and wiring harness from a 5 speed work with a zf6?

stroker2 · Nov 30, 2011

I dont know much about the auto to manual swap itself but i believe swapping to a zf6 on an obs truck requires slight tunnel modification because the zf6 is slightly taller

01dmax · Nov 30, 2011

I did the zf6 swap on my old truck. It also started out life as an auto. I didnt use any wiring at all for the swap. You will need the upper master cylinder for the zf5 with the slave on the zf6 the zf5 line will slide in the zf6 slave. You have to massage the tunnel a little bit to make it fit. I used the auto crossmember it gets slid back so you have to drill some new holes. There is a bolt in plate in the floor you take out so the shifter can come through. I found the wires and spliced them together to get rid of the neutral safety switch. You have to do something with the rear driveshaft. I had a custom 1 piece driveshaft made. Im not sure on the front driveshaft cause i never put one in the truck. Depending on the zf6 you might have to cut the dowels in the back of the block down some have the dowel holes all the way through some dont. I hope this helps and makes sense any other questions just ask

Bryan

FrankTheTank · Nov 30, 2011

could just cut a tunnel out of a zf5 and cut yours out and weld the new tunnel in.... do some research and i belive you can find a few threads on this exact set up that are pretty helpful. im doin the ZF6 swap when my auto goes because it will stil be cheeper then a BTS. as for the computer, it will work just fine going from auto to manual but you cant do the other way areound due to the different fueling properties. either cange out the PCM when you get a chance or just reburn a chip for a manual truck and you should be golden. i dont know how posting of threads of different fourms are around here but look around and you will find them

Chimera · Dec 1, 2011

I'll be doing this swap soon hopefully, but I've had this bookmarked from PSN. Hope it helps.

http://powerstrokenation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=45486

FrankTheTank · Dec 1, 2011

try this one out

http://www.powerstroke.org/forum/94-98-7-3l-general-powerstroke-discussion/211287-auto-e4od-sd-manual-zf6-build-thread.html

Wackerjr · Dec 1, 2011

I got a guy looking to do an auto swap from manual...if interested could swap all NEC parts.

NyCowboy87 · Dec 1, 2011

Wackerjr said:
I got a guy looking to do an auto swap from manual...if interested could swap all NEC parts.

Im looking for a pedal assy. from an obs and the tunnel.

Chimera · Dec 1, 2011

Wackerjr said:
I got a guy looking to do an auto swap from manual...if interested could swap all NEC parts.

Location?

Dieselfever · Dec 2, 2011

Cumminskiller on here did a 5 speed to 6 speed swap and didn't have to modify the tunnel any, but he made a custom crossmember for his too.

stroker2 · Dec 2, 2011

probably some driveline mods too since i think the zf6 is longer. I may be wrong

Chimera · Dec 3, 2011

stroker2 said:
probably some driveline mods too since i think the zf6 is longer. I may be wrong

You'll have to have new drivelines made/old ones modified to fit the new lengths as well as the ends changed to bolt up to the SD t-case

FrankTheTank · Dec 4, 2011

i know the rear d-shaft has to be shortened so i would imagine the front will nwwd to be longer or just rob the d shaft out of the donar truck and a conversion u-joint or have them swap yokes

97BambiBasherPSD · Dec 5, 2011

I'm curious as to what the advantage of have the zf6 over the zf5? I mean it really only seems that you only gain the extra low gear which I don't see really needing. Unless the overdrive gear drops the rpms a good amount. could someone explain? If the overdrive gear is dropping rpm a lot then I would be curious to try it myself.

Sent from my Pear phone using Tapatalk

stroker2 · Dec 5, 2011

The ratios between the two are similat. The bottom gear is a little lower on the zf6 and OD is slightly higher but mainly there are more gears in between to help find the sweet spot for towing or anything for that matter

97BambiBasherPSD · Dec 5, 2011

ok that makes sense for the gearing portion of it. now how are they to shift? i know i can shift my zf5 pretty quick. are the zf6s just as quick?

Dieselfever · Dec 5, 2011

97BambiBasherPSD said:
now how are they to shift? i know i can shift my zf5 pretty quick. are the zf6s just as quick?

Nope, they aren't even close to shifting as good as a good ZF5

-Michael

FrankTheTank · Dec 5, 2011

even with a short throw shifter???

littleredstroker · Dec 5, 2011

Seems to me I heard the input shafts are differnt from 5 to a 6.

Dieselfever · Dec 5, 2011

A short throw shifter just means you have less movement to go from one gear to the next, it doesn't affect the quality of the shift. You will still be sitting there with your hand on the lever waiting for it to go into the next gear

Yes the input shafts are different, 5 speed is 1-1/4" and 6 speed is 1-3/8". Broken 5 speed input shafts usually are a result of intentional abuse from what I've seen and experiensed.

-Michael