DeTomaso Mailing List: September 97, Message #26
     



From: MikeLDrew@aol.com

Subject: Re:crunching synchros/pulling gearboxes

Date: Mon, 1 Sep 1997 15:45:37 -0400 (EDT)



Capt Mike Drew

150 Westgate Dr.

San Francisco, CA  94127



Home:   (415) 334-7860



E-mail:  MikeLDrew@aol.com



Ray,



An extensive discussion of this very topic was covered on The List several

months ago; check the archives.  Synchros are fairly cheap (under $150 I

think) but it's expensive to have them replaced.  Continuing driving with a

bad synchro can cause extensive damage to other components inside the

gearbox, which quickly adds up to MAJOR $$$ to repair.  If you can't use

second gear without crunching, and want to continue driving the car, then

just skip second and go 1-3.  Lee Scales did that for years before finally

sucking it up and getting his gearbox fixed (actually, exchanged his broken

one for a rebuilt one plus $$$)



Basically, though, DO NOT have your mechanically-inclined friends try to fix

your gearbox.  For a variety of reasons which I won't go into here (again,

check the archives) these boxes can ONLY safely be worked on by the pros.

 Lots of special parts, tools required, etc.  Amateurs can sometimes fix them

okay, but more often than not, the thing gets buggered up and you have to pay

to fix it TWICE.  (Dennis Quella once told me that almost 50% of his ZF

repair work is in the form of gearboxes that had been inexpertly repaired by

others, in many cases causing further damage.)



To fix the gearbox (regardless who does it) it must come out of the car.

 Jack DeRyke once wrote a tech article on how to pull the ZF with the engine

in the car, he said it only required a LITTLE chassis cutting!  I think you

can loosen the engine mounts, tilt the engine forward a bit and sneak the

gearbox out, but it's probably MUCH easier to just yank the engine/gearbox

combo as a unit, then deal with the gearbox separately.



I met Roy Butfoy recently (he is THE sole parts source for Pantera gearboxes

now; ZF doesn't even make or stock them anymore) and he warned about the use

of cheap, aftermarket parts.  I myself have a few cheap aftermarket parts in

my ZF and am waiting with baited breath for the result.  Roy says they often

don't last more than one or two thousand miles.



Anyway, the only places I can recall off the top of my head that really can

do good ZF work are Roy Butfoy in Santa Ana, CA, Dennis Quella in Colorado,

Cory Gehling in Wisconsin, and that's about it.  Wilkinson and Hall both work

on them too, and although I haven't heard any specific complaints, I don't

think either of them have the tools or experience with them (and I know Hall

doesn't have much by way of parts, since apparently Roy won't sell them to

him!)



Best thing to do, however, is check the archives.  If you don't know how,

send a message to Majordomo@wgate.com saying 'help DeTomaso'



Mike









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