This stuff on Ford pilot bearings vs bushings comes up about every 5 years or so. Good thing we have the POCA Archives! Personally, I never use a rolling element bearing as a pilot nose support- in any car, since its in the end of the crank. And that is one of the MOST hostile places for a rolling element bearing: inaccessible, hot, intermittent high loads and vibration, with no chance of ever re-greasing it since you'd have to pry out the dust shields for grease access, after pulling the tranny.
For a ZF, a Chevy pilot BUSHING fits the shaft nose but needs a home-made ring-adapter to fit some Ford cranks. And with the price of copper these days, many cut-rate shops are installing those 85% steel Oilite pilot "bushings" that are hard and magnetic. Even if initially greased/oiled, they go dry pretty quickly in that position. A gone-dry steel bearing OR a gone-dry steel/bronze bushing will wear the nose of a ZF. Repairs involve pulling the ZF, disassembly, TIG welding w/stainless steel plus machining ($$$)
So I use Lakewood Industries pilot BUSHING for any ZFs I work on, to protect the ZF nose. I use a magnet to verify it's real bronze. The pilot is SUPPOSED TO BE SACRIFICIAL to support and protect the tranny nose! That means they are not supposed to last forever. YMMV...