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Hey Guys,

I need some input please. I am in Northern CA where trolling valves are a must for salmon fishing. I had a conversation with a diesel mechanic over the weekend about my repower while he was working on the boat in the next slip. He made the comment that if he were looking at new transmissions with trolling valves, he would give Twin Disc "Quick Shift" transmissions a serious look because "the trolling valves are built into the transmission and use electrical current instead of manual adjustment to determine the amount of slip." He stated that you cannot blow a Twin Disc Quick Shift tranny by forgetting to disengage the trolling valves.

He also said that the Twin Disk Quick Shift gears have a conversion box that allows the use of my manual Telflex Morse shifters.

Can anyone shed some light on the differences between the ZF220A w/trolling valves and Twin Disc Quick Shift w/trolling valves? Does ZF have a trolling valve that has some type of safety mechanism to prevent damage in the event the throttles are advanced with the trolling valves engaged? This is one of those areas that is like a big black hole to me. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

John Vietor

Maybe I should start this with a more basic question:

Are Twin Disc transmissions generally considered to be on the same quality level as ZF transmissions?

I am only familiar with the zf product.

There is a switch that you can use to turn on a light when the valves are engaged. And I believe you can go to 1100rpm with the valves engaged if needed, but I am not aware of an electronic over ride with the 220a

Hope this helps a little

John I have the 220A with trolling valve, As a party boat salmon trolling I use mine every day. Takes a little bit to get it dialed in but now I just do it by sound. I am very careful not to get excited and forget to disengage. Two very bright red lights help remind me. There are lights on the bridge and in the cabin. So far mine seem great. I have put over 300 hours on the trolling valves this summer.

I can see how the electronic set up would be very nice. Most of the commercial boats I have worked on in the past all run Twin Disk.

Ian

Thanks Ian. I should have more information and a quote from Palmer Johnson in Hayward today. I'll let everyone know what I find out.

Ian,

Did you buy your ZF's through Trans Pacific in Fairfield? It looks like the Twin Disc option will not work for me as the guy I spoke with did not understand that I was buying the 6BTA 5.9 rather than the QSB 5.9. You cannot use an electronically controlled transmission with a mechanical throttle. Therefore the only trolling valves that will work will be mechanical. That being the case and given the fact that I've never heard anyone complain about ZF transmissions, I'm not going to swim upstream and be the only B31 without ZF's.

Just curious, are you in the SF Bay Area?

Thanks,

John Vietor

Here is the Twin Disc quote. Now I know why everyone has ZF gears. This is with manual trolling valves, not the electronic ones.