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has any body adapted a zf-5 to a flathead my truck is a f5 1952 and I think it would work great can anybody lead me into the right direction of where I could get a adaptor plate
If you used the SBF(5.0-5.8) version of the ZF you might find an adapter to physically bolt it up......
But will the input shaft be the correct length? Pilot bushing? The ZF also uses a hydraulic throwout bearing.....no clutch fork. May need a custom clutch?
Someone out there has likely done this, hope you find them.
I'm installing a ZF S5-42 in my '52 F-2 and it will fit and can be done. The big difference in my case is that I needed a real truck transmission that could handle an extremely torquey warmed over small block. Running one behind a flathead is a little bit like driving an 18-wheeler down to the Piggly Wiggly for a gallon of milk, but to each his own!
Figuring out a mounting arrangement for the clutch master cylinder is a bit of a challenge. I settled on a master cylinder from an '85 F-150 because the bore and plumbing connection were correct for the original application of the transmission and it had a removeable reservoir that lended itself well to being remotely mounted on the firewall. The master cylinder is under the floor. In your case, I think that your best bet would be to run a flywheel, clutch, and starter for an S5-42 equipped 4.9L straight 6 because it will have zero balance like the flathead and everything will correctly match the hydraulic throw out bearing assembly and the rest of the transmission. You're going to need an adapter plate for the bell housing and an adapter ring/spacer for the flywheel as well. Unfortunately I'm not directly aware of such pieces being produced. One good source to check would be Wilcap. They make several oddball adapters of this sort.
It's not far off the mark with my setup, but I located the entire powertrain from scratch. I'm not sure where it would fall with a flathead dictating its location with the OE mounts.
I think the engine to trans adapter is going to be a challenge. Most flathead adapters on the market require using the half bell(or cast on bell for the early flatty). That isn't gonna work with the full bell on the ZF...
Speedway Motors makes a kit to adapt a C4 to a flathead.
I think the adapter plate would probably work OK to get a small block version of the S5-42 to physically bolt up to a flathead, but the starter nose cone, block plate, and flexplate are specific to an automatic and wouldn't fit. At $400 for the kit, that makes for an awfully expensive adapter plate and a bunch of useless extra parts.
Is the ZF5 a transmission you've got laying around and want to put it to use? If you need to source a transmission personally I'd look at the NV4500. Five speed with overdrive found in many Chevy and Dodge 3/4 and 1+ ton trucks. The bell housing is not integrated to the transmission case like the ZF5 and would make an easier swap. Different input shafts are available depending on application.
07-24-2017, 07:54 AM
