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Being Towed

tpickering
Posts: 119
Joined: Wed Jan 20, 2021 3:32 pm
Location: Stratham Western Australia

Being Towed

Post by tpickering »

1950 DB18 SS

Hello
If I should ever have a "failure to proceed" what is the correct method of towing to avoid damaging the gearbox please?
I also want to change the oil in the diff. and there seems to be different answers so what is the current best advice ?

Thank you

Trevor

Simon Hyslop

Re: Being Towed

Post by Simon Hyslop »

Disconnect the propshaft or have the back wheels off the ground. The gearbox has an oil pump in it and needs the input shaft to be driven to pump oil round it. Bit of a bind but there it is.

grahamemmett
Chief Geek
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Re: Being Towed

Post by grahamemmett »

Yep, absolutely correct, don't tow it without the prop disconnected or you'll need this spare gearbox I have :-)
Graham Emmett ¦ DLOC Chairman ¦ chair@dloc.co.uk ¦ 07967 109160
Northwich, Cheshire
DB18 1949 LCV522 (Yes that one with the P100s)

qantasqf1
Posts: 299
Joined: Mon Mar 07, 2016 10:13 pm

Re: Being Towed

Post by qantasqf1 »

Penrite market the oil you’re after.
https://www.penriteoil.com.au/assets/po ... %20RES.pdf

I’m not sure towing these cars is quite as fraught with danger as suggested, particularly if over a short distance. The reason I say that is that a gearbox I once stripped had been assembled previously by some idiot who saw fit to plug up the oil pump inlet passage with sealant, for God’s sake. The entire running gear had therefore been running fairly dry for over a year, but it was fine! They’re bloody good, these gearboxes, and FWIW there’s nothing in the drivers handbook about damaging the gearbox by towing the car. (BTW, the gearbox wasn’t stripped because it had an oil-related problem, before anyone asks!)

Brian-H
Very Wise Man
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Location: UK

Re: Being Towed

Post by Brian-H »

I don't recall seeing it in the owners booklet either, but it does say in the Motor Trader Service Data page v "Caution if the car is to be towed more than two or three miles, the propeller shaft must be removed". Who knows who told them that.

Stan Thomas
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Location: Penkridge. Staffs.

Re: Being Towed

Post by Stan Thomas »

I assume you are all talking about a pre-selector gearbox - in which case it is O.K. to tow the car a short distance of up to (say) a mile or so, given the gears as such are not under load and will be adequately splash-fed - but keep the speed down to no more than 25-30mph. to avoid over-spinning the planet gears.

Other than that and if the situaton warrants it, you could over-fill the gearbox as a temporary measure to tow further. Remember of course that the car must be in neutral.

tpickering
Posts: 119
Joined: Wed Jan 20, 2021 3:32 pm
Location: Stratham Western Australia

Re: Being Towed

Post by tpickering »

Thank you for the good advice and I have ordered some Penrite oil :D

frenchy
Posts: 83
Joined: Fri Feb 12, 2016 1:57 pm

Re: Being Towed

Post by frenchy »

You can not overfill he gearbox on the LA10 /11, it should be full to the top. cheers Frenchy

Peter Grant
Wise Man
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Posts: 503
Joined: Thu Mar 10, 2016 10:02 pm
Location: Sydney, Australia

Re: Being Towed

Post by Peter Grant »

Hi Trevor,
Unless you plan on towing the car yourself, just advise the towing company road assistance etc that you need a flat top.
That is what I’ve done whenever I have had a failure to proceed and needed assistance.
Cheers
Peter G

tpickering
Posts: 119
Joined: Wed Jan 20, 2021 3:32 pm
Location: Stratham Western Australia

Re: Being Towed

Post by tpickering »

Thanks Peter
Yes I have also reached that conclusion.
Just imagine what it would be like trying to crawl under the car and disconnecting the prop shaft by the side of the road :o

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