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ZF45 Series

By Chris, Hale Marine · 40+ years rebuilding Velvet Drive and ZF transmissions
Short answer: Chris groups the ZF45 with the ZF63: one shaft with two clutch packs, a steel piston with steel sealing rings, and much easier to work on than a Velvet Drive 5000. He calls the ZF45C essentially a copy of the 71-series direct drive; failed ones tend to go catastrophic, so call before shipping one.

We work on the ZF45 alongside the ZF63, and Chris talks about them together. In the ZF design, one shaft carries two clutch packs, so if you knock a bearing off, both clutch hubs come right off with it. They use a steel piston with steel sealing rings, and in the 25 or so years Chris has been dealing with the ZF63s and 45s, he's never had to go in there and clean them up. Compared to the Velvet Drive 5000, he says they're night and day: much easier to work on and less time-consuming.

Family names

The ZF45 line carries older Hurth names too. Distributor catalogs list the ZF45A as the replacement for the Hurth HSW450A/A2 (1.256:1, 8-degree down angle), the ZF45-1 as the HSW450H, and the ZF45C as the HSW450D. Our own store lists the ZF45C and HSW450D as one unit, in a 1.1:1 ratio. If your tag reads one of the older Hurth numbers, call us and we'll help you match it.

ZF45C / HSW450D, 1.1:1 ($2,840.00)

The ZF45C

Chris's take on the ZF45C: it's essentially a copy of the 71-series Velvet Drive direct drive. We haven't had much luck repairing them, because in most cases a ZF45C that fails goes catastrophic quickly, and parts for them are expensive. Call us before you ship one so we can talk through whether it's worth repairing.

Maintenance

On maintenance, the rule for the ZF 45 through 85 applies here: when you change the filter, make sure the cover body sits flush with the transmission housing. If it isn't flush, most times it'll suck air and neutral the transmission out, and the transmission will just stop after it heats up.

Differences between ZF63 2.5 and a Velvet Drive 200-005Differences between ZF63 2.5 and a Velvet Drive 200-005

Common questions

Is a ZF45C the same as a Hurth HSW450D?

Distributor catalogs pair the ZF45C with the older Hurth HSW450D designation, and our store lists them as one unit (HSW450D/ZF45C, 1.1:1).

Should I ship a failed ZF45C for repair?

Call us first. We haven't had much luck repairing the ZF45C: in most cases they go catastrophic quickly, and parts are expensive, so it's worth talking through whether repair makes sense before you ship it.