ZF-6 Truck Questions
#16
10-29-2018, 09:57 PM
Do your best to ensure it does not have clutch chatter or hot spots on the flywheel. You can attempt to do this by backing up an incline after the truck is good and warm. You will sometimes see it in low gear (not 1st) going forward, but it is a very easily identifiable when backing up a hill or a load.
Here is a video of clutch chatter that I was experiencing without know what it was called until the fellas here helped me out.
Moving our 2011 Montana High Country at a campground...
https://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&video_id=9asHJ4ggT_8
Here is the video of the parts that were bad and worn, then some of the new parts that were installed.
https://youtu.be/uqQY5g4KrGo
When I first bought my truck, I knew nothing about a ZF6 (other than I wanted one) and how to drive it. The guy I bought it from knew this and told me the truck bucked like that because the torque was so high. I later learned he was a liar, but I got the truck for a great deal and in great condition, so I let it be water under the bridge.
See if it clunks or grinds going into the gears. There should be a firm click or confident feeling when going into gear, but not a push back or hard push of the lever to get into gear.
If you do get the truck, check the fill plug on the side of the case before you empty the case. Some of us fill from the top at the shifter anyway, but it is nice to know the fill plug is not seized up, like mine was...
I have used all sorts of fluids and settled on Redline High Temp ATF. It is a very smooth performing fluid in the transmission and I have zero roll over noise. It is pricey, but I have complete confidence in the fluid.
As for starting out in reverse, 1st and low, the fellas have you on the right track. Zero, I mean no throttle input until your foot is free from the clutch pedal. If you are on an incline and have the urge to use the throttle to keep yourself from rolling, use the brake instead of the throttle. The brake will hold you in place until the clutch is fully engaged and you are headed the direction you want to go. It takes a bit of practice and I didn't believe it, but now I do and my truck is much happier since the FTE educated me.
Keep the questions or concerns coming, we like to help and would rather have you ask before making a mistake than ask afterward and learning the hard way.
One last thing, the ZF6 is a beast of a transmission and when mated to the 7.3 it is even better...
Here is a video of clutch chatter that I was experiencing without know what it was called until the fellas here helped me out.
Moving our 2011 Montana High Country at a campground...
https://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&video_id=9asHJ4ggT_8
Here is the video of the parts that were bad and worn, then some of the new parts that were installed.
https://youtu.be/uqQY5g4KrGo
When I first bought my truck, I knew nothing about a ZF6 (other than I wanted one) and how to drive it. The guy I bought it from knew this and told me the truck bucked like that because the torque was so high. I later learned he was a liar, but I got the truck for a great deal and in great condition, so I let it be water under the bridge.
See if it clunks or grinds going into the gears. There should be a firm click or confident feeling when going into gear, but not a push back or hard push of the lever to get into gear.
If you do get the truck, check the fill plug on the side of the case before you empty the case. Some of us fill from the top at the shifter anyway, but it is nice to know the fill plug is not seized up, like mine was...
I have used all sorts of fluids and settled on Redline High Temp ATF. It is a very smooth performing fluid in the transmission and I have zero roll over noise. It is pricey, but I have complete confidence in the fluid.
As for starting out in reverse, 1st and low, the fellas have you on the right track. Zero, I mean no throttle input until your foot is free from the clutch pedal. If you are on an incline and have the urge to use the throttle to keep yourself from rolling, use the brake instead of the throttle. The brake will hold you in place until the clutch is fully engaged and you are headed the direction you want to go. It takes a bit of practice and I didn't believe it, but now I do and my truck is much happier since the FTE educated me.
Keep the questions or concerns coming, we like to help and would rather have you ask before making a mistake than ask afterward and learning the hard way.
One last thing, the ZF6 is a beast of a transmission and when mated to the 7.3 it is even better...
#17
10-29-2018, 10:02 PM
Thank for the tip! My friend recently had the same issue with his '06 and was a mess to get the system all flushed out. Is the fill port just a square plug?
The issue with taking it to a mechanic is that this truck is 3 hours from home and out in a rural area that I'm not all that familiar with. I may do some research and see if I can find a mechanic near by it. I also have a bit of experience wrenching on these and what to look for from the experience of searching for my other two trucks, and I will definitely be going over the checklist of what to look for.
The issue with taking it to a mechanic is that this truck is 3 hours from home and out in a rural area that I'm not all that familiar with. I may do some research and see if I can find a mechanic near by it. I also have a bit of experience wrenching on these and what to look for from the experience of searching for my other two trucks, and I will definitely be going over the checklist of what to look for.
I believe a 3/8 drive square extension will fit in the fill plug. Good luck!
#18
10-30-2018, 06:34 AM
#19
10-30-2018, 11:16 AM
Good to know. While I typically nerd out over specialty tools... and will look into that kit... I would also say that I have had a 36" breaker bar on the trans fill port and nothing more than a 3/8" extension, with all my weight pulling on it to loosen the plug, mine has never slipped or rounded at all and I remove it at every oil change to check for coolant contamination.
#20
10-30-2018, 02:10 PM
Fleet Owner
Also, make damn sure the 3/8" wrench/pipe plug is fully seated into the plug hole. They will go in about half way and feel like they are in all the way, but when in all the way there will be a bit of a thump as it hits bottom of the plug. I rounded the drain plug off the first time I took it out, learned my lesson on that one. Of course, the fill plug was seized in place and I had to have a bolt welded to it in order to break it free and put a new plug in.
If you need to replace either the drain or fill plug (I replaced both) in the transmission, this is the best deal I could find and they work well. Another member purchased a set of these too and has had good results.
https://www.transmissionpartsdistrib...ection=product
If you need to replace either the drain or fill plug (I replaced both) in the transmission, this is the best deal I could find and they work well. Another member purchased a set of these too and has had good results.
https://www.transmissionpartsdistrib...ection=product
#21
11-12-2018, 12:21 PM
Just wanted to update this thread. I looked at the truck this weekend. I had to learn the ropes a bit on the ZF-6. The only issue I had driving it was learning the release point of the clutch in a short matter of time. The seller was pretty patient and I was honest and up front with him that I have only occasionally have driven a manual. One thing I really like is how low 'L' is, great for starting with a load on a hill. The clutch felt pretty good and the truck seemed to have very little if any gear roll over noise or chatter, he said it had clutch work done by the PO. I was able to take the fill plug off and check the level and fluid condition and it was nice and red and not milky. All in all it seems to be a really tight truck and runs really strong.
I ran the checklist on the truck and it seemed to checkout well. The only thing that is a slight concern is the condition of the coolant. It has green coolant and it had a slight tinge of darkness to it which concerns me of possible oil but it's hard to tell. I rubbed it with my fingers and it seems alright. But the coolant seemed to be really old (original?) and looks like it hasn't been changed or flushed in many moons. Does coolant get darker the older it gets? The seller is the second owner of the truck and bought it from the original owner. He bought it three years ago, and had only put around 2-3,000 miles on it since then.
Here are the pictures of the truck just to get an idea of what I'm looking at. It's a 2000 model with 181K. It's pretty much 100% bone stock.
I ran the checklist on the truck and it seemed to checkout well. The only thing that is a slight concern is the condition of the coolant. It has green coolant and it had a slight tinge of darkness to it which concerns me of possible oil but it's hard to tell. I rubbed it with my fingers and it seems alright. But the coolant seemed to be really old (original?) and looks like it hasn't been changed or flushed in many moons. Does coolant get darker the older it gets? The seller is the second owner of the truck and bought it from the original owner. He bought it three years ago, and had only put around 2-3,000 miles on it since then.
Here are the pictures of the truck just to get an idea of what I'm looking at. It's a 2000 model with 181K. It's pretty much 100% bone stock.
#22
11-12-2018, 01:54 PM
Fleet Owner
Nice looking truck and congrats on getting one with a ZF6! I love my ZF6 and love the choice I made.
If the ESOF is working and you intend to keep it that way, check out this video on how to accomplish the 2WD low modification. It is a must for a ZF6 4x4 with working ESOF that backs up with a heavy load.
Since you have a 2000 truck, you can switch over to ELC coolant and not have to worry about the green coolant being refreshed or checked. I used Rotella ELC only because I could get it cheap from Tractor Supply in concentrate bottles. Do some reading of the forums, take some notes and do some reading on the notes you have. There is a lot to learn about the truck you just bought, but it will start to make sense soon enough.
If the ESOF is working and you intend to keep it that way, check out this video on how to accomplish the 2WD low modification. It is a must for a ZF6 4x4 with working ESOF that backs up with a heavy load.
Since you have a 2000 truck, you can switch over to ELC coolant and not have to worry about the green coolant being refreshed or checked. I used Rotella ELC only because I could get it cheap from Tractor Supply in concentrate bottles. Do some reading of the forums, take some notes and do some reading on the notes you have. There is a lot to learn about the truck you just bought, but it will start to make sense soon enough.
#23
11-12-2018, 09:42 PM
#24
11-12-2018, 09:48 PM
Fleet Owner
00t444e offers some sound advice, but I have a different opinion. I went from Amsoil ATF, to Redline MTL and now to Redline High Temp ATF and the last has been the best shifting and has zero gear roll over.
What it comes down to is each of these trucks is different. Even two identical trucks are different mechanically because they have had different pasts and uses during their time in existence. You may need to experiment a bit to find what works best for your situation.
What it comes down to is each of these trucks is different. Even two identical trucks are different mechanically because they have had different pasts and uses during their time in existence. You may need to experiment a bit to find what works best for your situation.
#26
11-13-2018, 09:18 AM
#27
11-23-2018, 12:03 PM
Nice looking truck and congrats on getting one with a ZF6! I love my ZF6 and love the choice I made.
If the ESOF is working and you intend to keep it that way, check out this video on how to accomplish the 2WD low modification. It is a must for a ZF6 4x4 with working ESOF that backs up with a heavy load.
https://youtu.be/fwcHGU_Z3CI
Since you have a 2000 truck, you can switch over to ELC coolant and not have to worry about the green coolant being refreshed or checked. I used Rotella ELC only because I could get it cheap from Tractor Supply in concentrate bottles. Do some reading of the forums, take some notes and do some reading on the notes you have. There is a lot to learn about the truck you just bought, but it will start to make sense soon enough.
If the ESOF is working and you intend to keep it that way, check out this video on how to accomplish the 2WD low modification. It is a must for a ZF6 4x4 with working ESOF that backs up with a heavy load.
https://youtu.be/fwcHGU_Z3CI
Since you have a 2000 truck, you can switch over to ELC coolant and not have to worry about the green coolant being refreshed or checked. I used Rotella ELC only because I could get it cheap from Tractor Supply in concentrate bottles. Do some reading of the forums, take some notes and do some reading on the notes you have. There is a lot to learn about the truck you just bought, but it will start to make sense soon enough.
I checked out your video, that is a great modification. Luckily this truck has a manual transfer case. I did notice on the test drive that the reverse gear ratio is quite high.
I will most likely be switching it over to ELC coolant. It will be nice not having to worry about using test strips to check it. I will definitely be doing some more reading in the meantime.
#28
12-25-2018, 02:53 PM
Merry Christmas! Time for the big update!
My dad and I drove out and picked up the truck this past week. We met up with the seller and went to the notary to get everything squared away then put the new plate on we were ready to go!
We also called the original owner who is good friend of the seller's and got all the original service records and a very detailed list that has the maintenance that was done at the specific mileage. He stored this truck in a barn for basically it's whole life. He also told me that he had given this truck the nickname of Ol' Reliable! In 2014 he sold this truck to the seller I purchased it from because he chose to upgrade to a 6.7 truck and said he really regrets it.
With only limited experiences driving manual transmission vehicles, I was a bit worried about driving it home myself. I struggled a little when I test drove it because I would put it in third gear instead of first, I didn't realize how far to the left first gear actually is. Before we hit the open road, I took about 10 minutes in on the road in front of the seller's house to learn and practice the clutch reaction point and get a feel for where the gears are. I was able to pick it up and we were ready to begin the trip home.
This is my Christmas gift to myself! I’m really stoked!
Here is a video of pulling it out of the barn before the 170 mile trip home.
My dad and I drove out and picked up the truck this past week. We met up with the seller and went to the notary to get everything squared away then put the new plate on we were ready to go!
We also called the original owner who is good friend of the seller's and got all the original service records and a very detailed list that has the maintenance that was done at the specific mileage. He stored this truck in a barn for basically it's whole life. He also told me that he had given this truck the nickname of Ol' Reliable! In 2014 he sold this truck to the seller I purchased it from because he chose to upgrade to a 6.7 truck and said he really regrets it.
With only limited experiences driving manual transmission vehicles, I was a bit worried about driving it home myself. I struggled a little when I test drove it because I would put it in third gear instead of first, I didn't realize how far to the left first gear actually is. Before we hit the open road, I took about 10 minutes in on the road in front of the seller's house to learn and practice the clutch reaction point and get a feel for where the gears are. I was able to pick it up and we were ready to begin the trip home.
This is my Christmas gift to myself! I’m really stoked!
Here is a video of pulling it out of the barn before the 170 mile trip home.
#30
12-25-2018, 04:43 PM
Fleet Owner