[DeTomaso] Any experience of flipping the ZF with a lowered dry sump motor?

[MikeLDrew at aol.com]

In a message dated 1/22/12 21 07 34, JDeRyke at aol.com writes:


> Larry Stock of PPC-Carson City has done this for some GT-40 people that
> want to run the later, stronger, more available Pantera ZF. There's quite 
> a bit
> to it with a 5Ds-25/2 trans including moving the ring gear to the other
> side of the case and (I think) a little machining inside. Call him for the
> skinny from someone who's actually done this.
> 

>>>I think Larry has this work done by Lloyd Butfoy.   It's a fairly 
involved procedure.   I spent two full days with Lloyd in his shop about a year 
ago, as he performed this operation to a ZF that I bought for use in my 
Superformance GT40 (the $100K needed to actually buy that car has failed to 
materialize, although I keep checking my mailbox for Publishers Clearing House 
Sweepstakes envelopes...)

While there are a few people who do this kind of work, reportedly only a 
few of them have a full understanding of the subtleties needed to ensure long 
life.   Without using too many names, as he performed the various specific 
modifications, he explained what each one did, and in the same breath, 
mentioned his competitors who failed to do them, leading to starving of 
lubrication from the side bearings, rear bearings, etc. and so forth.

Lots of GT40 replicas are running ZF gearboxes, but few are running dry 
sumps, so they aren't really capitalizing upon all that the original 
orientation for the ZF has to offer (the ZF runs upside-down in a Pantera, normally, 
relative to the original design).   In order to fully see the benefits of 
GT40/Mangusta orientation, you have to run a GT40 flywheel, clutch and 
bellhousing, all of which are substantially smaller in diameter than the standard 
Ford size seen in the Pantera.

It's funny, and more than a bit sad, to see GT40 replicas with full-size 
flywheel/clutch setups with the bellhousing/flywheel hanging several inches 
below the bottom of the car, vulnerable to the slightest road imperfection.   
But using an original-style GT40 bellhousing and appropriate-sized clutch is 
not a cheap proposition--the parts are $2500-3000.   

So if you want to do this to a Pantera, besides the cost of inverting the 
gearbox (Lloyd charges $1500 for the operation, above and beyond the cost to 
actually rebuild the gearbox), count on $2500-3000 for the 
clutch/bellhousing bits, and then of course the not-inconsequential cost of the dry sump 
system...and then you need to come up with new motor and gearbox mounts too....

Mike