RE: Towing a spider, SUV's and the Movie, "The Graduate". Where's the car?

[bearbvd@domain.elided (Greg Hermann)]

>Towing is not the problem.  The problem is what kind of damage you might
>be doing to your transmission while you're towing.

BINGO.
>
>If I understand the problem correctly, when you're flat or dolly towing,
>the output shaft of the transmission is rotating but the input shaft is
>not.  That *may* result in a situation in which the fluid is not flowing
>effectively inside the box, and overheating may result.  Over 3,000
>miles, you may do some damage to the internals of the box.

MAY?? Nope. What you would be doing, in effect, is turning the mainshaft of
the tranny inside the (plain) bushings between the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and
(sometimes) 5th speed gears without the benefit of any lubrication. (The
lube circulation is generated by the rotation of the countershaft
(layshaft)--which ONLY turns when the engine is turning the input shaft.

A tranny with needle bearings between ALL of the "speed" gears and the
mainshaft is somewhat more resistant to this kind of abuse than one with
plain bronze bushings--and this is why I said "sometimes" the 5th speed
gear re Alfas, they did change over from bronze to needles on 5th (late
'60's). (Needle bearings have MUCH less need for lubrication than plain
bushings do.)

Not only do you run a risk of damaging the bushings in the tranny if you
tow with the rear end down, you run a risk of seizing one of the
bushings--and, consequently, beginning to "motor"  the engine as you tow,
without knowing it. Anyone care to theorize how much engine damage could be
done in this eventuality??

And--if one got REALLY lucky--TWO of the bushings would seize up, and
effectively lock up the rear wheels of the car while towing. NOT a pretty
picture !!

Greg
>
>At a minimum, I'd change the fluid when the car arrives, it might be
>toasted.

A _VERY_ lucky minimum !!
>
>But it would be better, and safer, to disconnect the drive shaft and
>eliminate the problem altogether.
>
>bs
AMEN !!

Greg
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