Reply to "ZF gears jammed upon reassembly"

Marlin

I think you are letting this get a little out of hand. The ZF is not a mysterious apparatus that could only properly be serviced by Lloyd or Dennis. Most folks with mechanical aptitude and patience could rebuild them following the manual.

I wouldn't characterize someone as stupid who reviewed the manual and felt it safe to crack the case to extract the offending part. Whether motivated by financial savings or the mechanical challenge, for many owners, their passion for the Pantera has been deepened by their succesful tackling of worn out parts on the car. Whether it be replacing suspension bushings, steering rack bushings, wheel bearings, brake seals, master cylinders,an engine rebuild or, the holy grail, the ZF. These repairs/upgrades are often our first experience doing so and they have rewarded us all with a feeling of empowerment after their succesful achievement.

Some people also told me that I was foolish initially disassembling my ZF. I have since rebuilt seven of them for Pantera and GT40 owners. All work beautifully. It is not rocket science,although setting lash and clearances are complicated.

I admire another owner brave enough to crack open the box. Now that he has ventured this far, he ought to be able to pull it apart far enough to line up the shafts and reassemble. That exercise will require no shim adjustment or splitting of the diff case. Easy peasie - my money is that he can do it and have the pride of the highest order Pantera accomplishment - ZF repair. If he should fail, he has options with the vendors and will be no further out financially then had he sent it to them initially.

Many owners derive more joy from working on the Panteras than they do from actually driving them. I suspect that I am among that group as I relish helping others restore their cars. When we ridicule those who step out to challenge themselves mechanically, perhaps we forget our own humble beginnings and how we learned by taking risks.

BTW, I also find it disappointing that people on this list do not use their real names or at least ones consistent with the POCA Forum. A lot more difficult to know who's who.

John Taphorn