I sold my duramax almost a year ago and i hate everyday of it. Mine had the allison but i was considering getting a manual duramax. My question to you guys is would you prefer the allison or the zf6 if you had to do it all over again? i dont mind changing gears daily, most of my vehicles have been manual but i was just curious if there are more problems with the manual than the ally? i slipped mine a couple times and the thought of having to fork out 5 or 6 grand for a suncoast is definately not in the "play" budget. Plus i have only seen one zf6 in person and thought it would be neat to have one. So zf6 or ally? all comments are very much appreciated before i take the plunge to buying another truck that im gonna regret. thanks

I'm partial to shifting gears personally. I have two ZF6 trucks and we're building a 3rd one for my brother to pull with. My dad prefers his Ally but he doesn't like shifting. A good SBC dual disc is around $1800 so much cheaper than a built Ally :D.

I will sell ya mine

lol thanks man but im not ready to buy one quite yet just trying to get my ducks in a row. I was just wanting to talk to some guys like you that drive their zf6 everyday to make sure there were no major common problems with them. the other question i had was, compared to an ally does the zf6 do any better on fuel mileage? i would think they would but i could be wrong

In 01-02 some guys were pretty convinced the ZF's did better on fuel. I think they do if you drive carefully. I drive like I stole my trucks and get 17mpg in my 01 with right at 600hp and 15-16mpg in my 03 dually with a healthy tune. I've driven manual trans trucks since I was 5 or 6yrs old on the ranch and it's a force of habit to shift gears :D.

lol thanks man but im not ready to buy one quite yet just trying to get my ducks in a row. I was just wanting to talk to some guys like you that drive their zf6 everyday to make sure there were no major common problems with them. the other question i had was, compared to an ally does the zf6 do any better on fuel mileage? i would think they would but i could be wrong

I drive mine 60 miles a day at 75mph average to work and back and get about 20 mpg. Took it to NC 500 miles one way and averaged 22mpg at 75mph on 265/75/16s. I've only seen about three other ZFs in person in my whole life!

I drive mine pretty fast i have never seen over 14.5 on average. On the other hand tho it still gets above 11 most of the time with trailer.

The family calls me "tractor boy" which should tell you i like driving the farm equipment so I naturally really like the zf6. Driving a auto is just plain ol boring! :-p

On a 2000 mile trip, I seen a average of about 19-20 and thats on 34's with a good amount of weight in the back on my superchips programmer. I made 1 trip with a ppe programmer on the highest tune and it was less as I was constantly hashing the go pedal!! :D

well it sounds like its going to have to be zf6 for me for sure, thanks for all the comments guys. hopefully i can pick one up before summer kicks off and get the wait over with

The only problem i have with mine is the loud and grabby clutch that gets on my nerves!

The only problem i have with mine is the loud and grabby clutch that gets on my nerves!

The benefits of a dual disk clutch. I heard that sound bend does something called "strapping" that quiets them down.

i have never heard of "strapping" all i know is every where i go people ask me what is that noise and you can even hear it going down the road unless you have the radio on. I know another guy that his done the same thing. It sounds to me like you are talking about the rattle the of the disk but my problem is the noise the flywheel makes. Or at least i think thats my problem

I just put mine in recently and the clutch makes a somewhat knocking sound with engage but when I disengage the clutch, yeah, I get the really loud disk rattle.

Here's mine. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBfrYCqBXhE

Now I only read this but strapping is when they somehow strap the center flywheel disk to the main flywheel so that it don't rattle. I wish I heard about it before I ordered mine.

Holy s!!! that video is crazy... ive never heard a chatter that loud

That is why im kinda hesitant to put a south bend in mine, but i would rather hear that then havin an ally

thats about what mine sounds like Even Dan at Midwest trans couldnt beleave it made that sound. If i had a buck every time someone told my throwout bearing is bad. it would be paid for.

So how come people say they are use to the sound, are there any clutches that will hang on to some HP and not have to "get use to it"

I just put mine in recently and the clutch makes a somewhat knocking sound with engage but when I disengage the clutch, yeah, I get the really loud disk rattle.

Here's mine. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBfrYCqBXhE

Now I only read this but strapping is when they somehow strap the center flywheel disk to the main flywheel so that it don't rattle. I wish I heard about it before I ordered mine.

That's what mine sounds like when you engaged the clutch but I don't have the problem near as bad with the disk. The disk used to be a bit louder new but I don't think it was ever that loud. So mabey mine is strapped.

That's what mine sounds like when you engaged the clutch but I don't have the problem near as bad with the disk. The disk used to be a bit louder new but I don't think it was ever that loud. So mabey mine is strapped.

That disk did worry me but it seems like with age, the thing is getting a little quieter. People still tell me it sounds like its gonna blow up! :rolleyes:

Here is mine. Valair Ceramic/Kevlar single with a solid flywheel and new throw out bearing. I'm thinking of up'n the idle RPM's to 725 or 750.

jc


Audio is out of sync in video.

2005 GMC ZF6 clutch noise - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFo0tA3hLI0)

I didn't know singles could be that loud!

Bought a truck at auction in April where the gauges weren't working (found out when I got home the prev. owner had just unplugged the dash...), and the engine seemed to 'miss.' Only a one bid before I got the 2nd in, winning at $5800 Cnd. Took it to the dealer to diagnose the injector problem (bad idea kinda) turns out it was the dual flywheel set-up. Could of fixed myself, but by the time I got to the dealership they had the tranny down to confirm, told me it would be $1000 total to put it all together just for me to pull it apart. I went with the $2500 fix at GM, made it a single disc set-up Seems to be good :cool: It had 522,000 km when I bought, tonight she rolled over 555,000 km No problems yet (touch wood) :D

Upped the idle to 750rpm's. I would say it is 75% quieter. Also with the higher idle, it easer to take off from a stop too.

I didn't know singles could be that loud!I'm thinking it is not so much the clutch making the noise as the gear chatter in the transmission itself from the diesel spike at idle. I over filled it with 7qts of fluid, instead of the 6qts it calls for, and it made no difference in the chatter.

jc

I have 8qt in my latest trans :rolleyes: and it seems to shift better than ever :D. Overfilling may be helpfull. A buddy who runs Dodges told me he does it on his G56's too.



I'm thinking it is not so much the clutch making the noise as the gear chatter in the transmission itself from the diesel spike at idle. I over filled it with 7qts of fluid, instead of the 6qts it calls for, and it made no difference in the chatter.

jc

7qts was all I could get in it with using the fill hole.

jc

You could dump more either through your detent bolt hole or down the shifter area. Detent bolt hole would probably be easier if you don't have the shifter off the tranny.

Correct me if im wrong here but do all the zf6's make the chatter noise? or is it just some of the southbends that do it?

I fill it with the shifter out from the top ;).

7qts was all I could get in it with using the fill hole.

jc

Correct me if im wrong here but do all the zf6's make the chatter noise? or is it just some of the southbends that do it?


I could be wrong but i think the DMF takes the noise out when you go to any kind of solid flywheel you hear more.

I fill it with the shifter out from the top ;).


Is this worth doing? What kind of oil are you using?

The recomended GM stuff. I used some other stuff and lost a tranny that I had jut spen over $1000 in parts rebuilding :mad: :mad:

Is this worth doing? What kind of oil are you using?

The recomended GM stuff. I used some other stuff and lost a tranny that I had jut spen over $1000 in parts rebuilding :mad: :mad:

I read a couple different places that you want stuff that's TES-295. Same stuff that's approved for allisons... I got some stuff from napa (called Max Life I think....) that said it's TES-295 and had Allison on the label. Think I'm ok?

It's Caster Syn-Torque IIRC. I can get the GM P/N as I have the bottles in my shop.

You could dump more either through your detent bolt hole or down the shifter area. Detent bolt hole would probably be easier if you don't have the shifter off the tranny.

I fill it with the shifter out from the top ;).Yah I know. I only bought 7qts that day. I just may bump another qt. in later.

jc

I have 8qt in my latest trans :rolleyes: and it seems to shift better than ever :D. Overfilling may be helpfull. A buddy who runs Dodges told me he does it on his G56's too.

Kyle, I have 8qts in now and I have another quart that is about 3/4 full. See any reason why i shouldn't dump it in?