Spridgets and Tow Bar

[Jim_Gruber]

Remind me please. If a Spridget is Flat towed with wheels on the ground = Transmission destruction if D.S. not disconnected. Did I remember that correctly?

 

[Deleted member 8987]

Pretty much, unless it's just to get it down the road a short piece.

 

[Trevor Jessie]

Jim must be preparing to drag home a bugeye.

 

[lbc_newbie]

I've towed mine all over. Drive shaft needs to stay in, or the oil will leak out. Just put it in neutral with the steering wheel unlocked (if it applies) and all will be fine.

 

[Jim_Gruber]

Shhhhhhh! Don't say that loud. Wife might overhear. Pics I got show a towbar coming with Sprite. Might not even be for sale. Starting some investigation on feasibility.

 

[spritenut]

PLEASE disconnect the drive shaft from the rear end.
I picked up 2 Midgets where the drive shaft was left in place and the car left in neutral.
Well either one of the gremlins put it in gear or it magically put itself in gear at freeway speeds and the drive shaft, tunnel, transmission and engine back plate were scrap metal.
Which worked for me because I got that one cheap.
The 2nd Midget was my own fault, a short tow, about 5 miles, and again the gremlins or spirits or Cecil Kimber's ghost put that car in gear somehow and the result was a busted tranny tail shaft and a severely mutilated tunnel.
And I never went over 40 mph. But I did hear it happen.

 

[James_the_elder]

Jim;
I say, disconnect the drive shaft at the rear universal joint. A couple of years ago I towed my BE from Chicago to Vermont without doing so and when I got there I had destroyed a perfectly good ribcase transmission. In all fairness, I should say that my friend Pat McDonald flat towed his car on the same journey with an identical car (BE, 1275, ribcase) and suffered no damage at all. Cursed, jinxed, bad mojo, who can say? For peace of mind, just undo four bolts at the rear universal and use a hunk of bailing wire to keep the drive shaft from flopping around and you are laughing.

 

[lbc_newbie]

What distance are we talkin' about? Maybe I've had better luck than most with the Datsun transmission. Sounds like the safe bet is to disconnect the rear end....

 

[Jim_Gruber]

OK my memory did not fail me then. If I do get an opportunity to bid on this BE I found I'll take the fact that there is a towbar attached to the car into consideration. Will be curious to see if Drive shaft is indeed attached if I get to look at it and make an offer. Told that they put car in gear and tried to see if engine would turn over and engine is frozen. Again something to affect an offer. Now I hope I can put that spare 1275 and Ribcase in the back of my garage to a good use. Just don't tell the wife....

 

[Deleted member 8987]

What happens is the nose on the mainshaft has a bearing to the inside of the input gear.
There is not enough oil to allow that bearing (and surfaces) to survive a long 60MPH jaunt in neutral.

It used to be, when folks had manual transmissions, if you were taught at all, you were taught NEVER to put the transmission into neutral and coast down a long mountain grade.

On the two that destroyed the tunnel and such....

If that bearing seized, it is no longer in neutral, rather 4th gear, and you can destroy everything else.

Just because someone got away with it once, doesn't mean you will.

Someone might get away with a zing up to 90MPH once, but you try it, you get pulled over.
You know how that works.

 

[bthompson]

If the engine isn't turning, the layshaft at the bottom of the case isn't turning, so the gears on the mainshaft aren't turning in their bushings.

The layshaft runs in oil, and the engine spinning the layshaft throws oil on the mainshaft.

When the car is being towed, the diff is spinning the mainshaft and synchros, but the gears aren't turning at all. No oil is reaching the mainshaft...and ugly things can happen. Things start welding.

 

[Silverghost]

Just don't tell the wife....

Tell her what??

Move along, there is nothing to see here......

This is not the LBC enthusiast you are looking for........

 

[jlaird]

I think Tony said it best.

Never tell the wife no and she will not tell you no. Hmmm, covers so much ground.

 

[GeeBee1]

Jack you just sent shaminickers down my spine.

Bill thanks for explaining.

Pat

 

[jlaird]

Yea, prob think of him several times a day.

 

[Jim_Gruber]

Well so far I haven't had to tell the wife no and she definitely tolerates my LBC hobby. Now if I can work out some details like price...and if he really wants to sell...We'll see. A '59 in storage since '80. But all of the parts are there. Keep your fingers crossed for me.