I picked up a 2wd ZF S542 for $200. I thought it was a pretty good deal.

When the guys went to load it in the back of my truck the manager pointed out that the transmission mount had broken off. He started laughing and said "I guess thats why he [I'm assuming the owner] priced it so slow, I couldn't beleive it when I read it."

It looks like someone started cutting on it to maybe try and weld another mount section onto it. I think the easiest thing for me to do would be to switch out the tail housing. I have only found one place searching google that offers the tail housing for $193.

Anyone know where I could get one for cheaper, or even a used one? Advice on where I should be looking?

Scott

 

Its not real easy to swap that housing. It requires pulling the entire transmission apart.
And depending on the transmission small block/big block, diesel/gas, ratios. It come in several different lengths and it can be hard to find the right one.
Its a bummer that it has a broke mount.

 

Welp, thats certainly not what I wanted to hear, but thanks for the info anyway. I thought I had gotten a really good deal. Maybe I will just get somebody that knows how to weld aluminum to rig up something for me then.

 

you second option is to get a core ZF that has a good case and bad innerds... Then swap over all the guts to the good ZF case. I'd try calling around to yards and salvage places... There is a online national parts search from junk yards can't remember the name or address though... But I think you'll be better off with a core case and swaping over rather than welding aluminum (never a good option).

 

That how I found the first one, using car-part.com. Not sure if its even a good trans yet, though it will shift into all gears and seems to have the right ratios. I went to every local junkyard and they laughed at me when I told them what I was looking for (they all said they hadn't seen one in years and they used to go really quick). Only found one, and the guy wanted $650 for it when I couldn't even shift it into all the gears. Maybe he will let me just by the tail housing off of it. I had forgotten about him until you mentioned that.

 

well i have always looked on crazedlist.org (like craigslist but way better!) and it's been easy enough to find them around the mid-west... there are so many guys out here parting out their old trucks and don't know what they have or what it's worth... That's how I got my zf for $90... +the price of new shift forks...