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Re: Towing options

To: vancejohn@yahoo.com, triumphs@autox.team.net
Subject: Re: Towing options
From: ArthurK101@aol.com
Date: Wed, 19 Jul 2000 14:17:19 EDT
In a message dated 19-Jul-00 13:44:00 Eastern Daylight Time, 
vancejohn@yahoo.com writes:

> Has anyone got any experience of towing a TR6 or other LBC using a tow
>  dolly where only the front wheels are off the ground?? Is this even
>  viable?? I am concerned about ground clearance primarily.
>  
>  thanks

John, a word of caution.  If you tow with the front wheels off the ground the 
transmission can be damaged.  At the VTR Mid-Atlantic convention last week we 
had a class on transmissions.  From that I learned something interesting.  

If you look at the fill hole on a TR transmission you can see that the fluid 
does not fill the whole transmission case.  What happens is that the upper 
gear and shaft train is lubricated by the fluid being slung upward from the 
lower gear train.  If you tow with the rear wheels on the ground and the car 
in neutral the fluid does not go up and lubricate the top portion of the 
tranny.  The gears are moving but the upper train is not being lubricated.  
This can damage the tranny.  The class instructor said that a short trip 
would be OK but if that you planned on going a hundred miles or more it would 
be better to disconnect the drive shaft.  Makes sense to me -- let's see if 
this spurs some nays from other list members.  Cheers.

Art Kelly

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