Transmissions: richmond vs Tremec

[WhalePirot]

Looks like I dodged a bullet by opting for the ZF, now that Keisler went Chpt. 7.

That said, the cost overrun$ suck, from the pricey rebuild parts for the (tagged) "remanufactured" ZF6, to shipping to return cost for the shipping container.

Someday, this old beast will (probably) spot a slick, short-shifted ZF6 and I may smile. At least the doc said I didn't have a stroke (yet).

 

[WhalePirot]

M-m-m-m-my Shinoda is enroute to Bill the ZF Doc for the change to the ZF6, bought from a NASCAR tranny builder in NC. He was selling it for a newly deceased pal, a former Corvette racer. I felt more confident in it, h with a REMAN tag from GM attached to the black label case, until Bill got into it to the tune of $1200+. Kinda makes one wonder about the quality of GM's remanufactured parts. It will "shift like butter" with Bill's short-throw shifter and should last or the life of the car (only slightly longer than a certain thread about the car).

I opted for the twin organic clutch system from RAM, based upon the higher quality reported by another Corvette builder/racer, versus other suppliers. Mike, at RAM has been helpful and communicative, even during the delays amid their peak season. RAM sells many fewer steel than aluminum F/Ws. My new clutch package includes the hydraulic throwout bearing,allowing the use of the stock master cylinder. The 4+3 flywheel is rather lightweight, being thinner. The replacement is thicker to achieve a proper 'stack height' for full engagement/dis of the clutch.

He, and others, agree with my choice of steel flywheel versus aluminum. As a street driver, and with a lumpy-idling, difficult to launch, but very fast, C4. The slightly quicker revving aluminum was much less important to me than the stability and increased inertia for launches from stop lights.

Shameless plug: I installed an IMI mini-starter, gear reduction, hi-torque, about 12 years ago. Having run most of the gauntlet trying to remedy hot start issues, they quickly checked my walk-in starter, did a small fix and handed it back: no charge! Amazing.
It's not that I needed a reason to support a US firm, but I got one from these guys in Whittier, CA.

 

[WhalePirot]

Report from Bill: the car weighs same as a ZR1, with near perfect F/R balance. this is with the ZF6 installed, the RAM dual organic disk with hydraulic throwout. He's made a unique tool that measures the crank offset (from line boring) for establishing the need for offset dowel pins for the bellhousing. I'd gotten no information about such on this engine, but Bill says it was out by 7/1000", the tolerance being 3/1000'. Consequently, the pilot bushing was very distorted. Improper alignment can cause tranny whine, at a minimum For some reason, the crankshaft hole was larger, so Bill gleefully hauled out his lathe and some old brass stock, making a sleeve for a U.S.-made roller bearing.

I smiled at his text, saying his LS/ZF '89 would get a stiff challenge in the quarter from my old '84

He and his long time buddy have had a ball fixing lots of little issues, to the point that I had new A/C parts shipped there; not having had A/C for about 15 years!

To say I am excited about having my Corvette back and a reliable driver, is an understatement. In response to my question about being able to drive it west from PHX, he said, "when we are finished with your car, you could drive it coast-to-coast!"

Dunno know about you folks, but the number of Corvette guys like this can be counted on one hand.

 

[xfirez51]

WP,

you'll love how good the ZF will feel. It's how the 84 should have been built in the first place. C5 brakes also belong on that car.

 

[WhalePirot]

you'll love how good the ZF will feel. It's how the 84 should have been built in the first place. C5 brakes also belong on that car.

That's an understatement, I found.

Bill did a masterful job with the ZF, his short-throw shifter and a number of other issues with the car.

I finished the long day, after flying PHX via SLC, by returning in my reworked '84 Corvette, now sporting a new, blueprinted, ZF6-40 six-speed manual trans. It is amazing; the double overdrive allows the engine to essentially idle in 6th (0.5:1 ratio) at 55 mph! While tough to keep it under 80 (1900 rpm), it bests 20 mpg cruising at at 85! Not bad for a 550HP+, 70s era, aggressively cammed engine! This was its first road trip in nearly 10 years and while I had concerns about crossing the deserts in it, for an assortment of reasons, I did it at night with problematic headlights (bad switch?) and no A/C! Hey.. go big or stay home! I kept it under 121, but could see it easily cruising long distances, well into 3 digits. The fuel burn at 85 computed lower than at 75.

Nice to see the water temp stayed around 190, this, at the hottest spot in the engine. When the OAT (outside air temp) dropped from those in the desert, the direct reading Autometer gauge indicated 184, giving me some concerns that it may be too cold. Bill remarked that the sensor is in the hottest part of the engine; up to 15-20 degrees cooler elsewhere. A bit after shutdown, the coolant indicated above 230 in the 100 degree air, but quickly dropped when restarted.

The hot start issue is history with the new ground wire going straight to the block. Bill's buddy also removed the remote solenoid that really turned out to be merely a more convenient jump start point, not a cure for the problem. The (American made) IMI mini starter is flawless.

I have a few more things to cure on the car, including the brake booster; an ABS (local) hydroboost unit that I have never been happy with, despite its high price.

Again, I marvel at the engineering in this car. The evolution of the newer drivetrains underscore that point. The 4+3 was good for the time and I got decent service and economy from it, but the final drive was akin to 5th in the ZF. The long stroke of this engine mated well, despite slight gear rattle (non-damaging, as Bill mentioned) at low RPMs.

Now, I want to drive this car a LOT.

I plan C5 brakes in time. The current ones are near new and fine for my driving. That may change!

 

[WhalePirot]

Back from the Indy 500 and I think my car should have been the pacer! Hell, I'd give Chevy some ad fodder,superb relating to their engineering quality of 30 years ago.

Our current generation, german-engineered 7-series luxo-wagon didn't cross the Mohave Desert without major assistance! Even the '55 Nash did that, twice in 4 days, courtesy of mein frau. (so it's now sporting a FMC 5.0 liter w/AOD.)

I drove past UR hoouse on my return from fueling the beast, Roy, and it was quiet there, save one lumpy idling Vette, so I figured you were at the lake.

Transiting Chicagoland traffic, on a Saturday shows the only thing LA has on them is the breadth of dense traffic; surely NOT the value of rho.

 

[WhalePirot]

I just gotta say, that my old C4 does y'all proud and I think of that all the time.... the helpful fellowship that is core to the car hobby.

Maybe some are bored by hearing, but this C$, which are more and more rare on our roads, is an absolute BLAST (dated, I know) to drive. It's like when it was new and I was checking the fridge to see I had to go get milk!

The power of this 409, the superb ZF6's ratios and performance make every gear a new source of driving fun. I wish I could find the new top end which I expect is above 185mph. the 'new' audio system delivers, even near 3-digits with the top removed. The Flowmasters truly sing at low and high RPM ... who needs some Italian exhaust note? Pffft.. not me!

Who has a calculator to estimate that, b/c any semi-formal venue I have found, has roll cage requirements that I refuse to besmirch my interior with.

I love cars that overdeliver on their visual promise!