365hipo

can a 65 be safely towed 200 miles with the front wheels on a tow dolly and manual tranny in neutral?

Powershift

Absolutely.........but it's more fun with 4 wheels on the ground and under it's own power.

You could also "flat tow" with all wheels on the ground.

Restrictions on how to tow began with the automatic equipped cars and front wheel drive cars. Your Corvette is neither.

Larry

Nowhere Man

some people might remove the drive shaft in case it goes into gear while being towed. i my self would never use a tow dolly

MikeM

Please consult your owner's manual!

I THINK you're not supposed to tow a four speed car more than a few miles without the engine running because you're not lubing the back end of the transmission with the engine off.

I flat towed a four speed Nova from Atlanta to Louisville once but about every 50 miles, I started the engine and let it run while I towed it. Didn't seem to hurt a thing that way.

365hipo

Doesn't the oil run to the back end due to the front being higher?

wmf62

automatic yes, 4-speed no...
Bill

Frankie the Fink

That is my recollection as well...although this is what the C1 ST-12 manual says (and I imagine a '65 wouldn't be any different):

Powershift

Mike:

I need to see (and read) that Owners Manual.....and meet the engineer (??) that wrote it.

I have NEVER put a towing restriction on a 3-speed or 4-speed manual box car. I guess it is a given that the car be in NEUTRAL and not in gear. If I have to tell someone this level of basic instruction, then the auto world is too far gone, and I need to withdraw.

Larry

67*427

I would NOT do it. Even though the angle might be enough to get lube to the rear bearing, the only thing that moves lube to the front bearing on the mainshaft (the one in the center of the input shaft) is the rotation of the cluster gear. For that matter, the rotating cluster gear is how the rest of the gears that rotate ON the mainshaft get their lube as well. The cluster gear is driven by the input shaft so if the engine isn't running, you will have no lube to those bearings. If you MUST tow it that way, I would recommend stopping every few miles and running the engine for a few minutes. It would be MUCH safer to pull the driveshaft if you have to tow it with the rear wheels on the ground..

Steve

Rakkasan

I'm towing my '66 1,200 miles to Michigan in a few weeks, and there is no way I would tow it with any wheels on the ground. I have an enclosed featherlite but since you're only going a couple of hundred miles I'd rent a car hauler from Uhaul. Just my $0.02.

365hipo

would every 50 miles be adequate?

midyearvette

use a trailer...2oo miles is too far unless you un hook the drive shaft, you will hurt the rear bushing, bearing and maybe the yoke too!.....trailer is much safer anyway.....

MikeM

See post #4.

In the meantime, I am far too lazy to walk to the garage and look at my owner's manual as I said before.

I am merely reporting what I think I remember Chevrolet recommending. If I was in the habit of constantly towing a bunch of junk around, I could give a better answer!

Powershift

Flat towed my 1969 AMX with 390 and 4 speed from New Orleans, Louisiana to Denver, Colorado without issues........maybe those AMC cars are more hardy.

but disconnecting the driveshaft removes any real or preceived issues.

Larry

67*427

I'd hate to say "yes" and then see you have a problem. There is a lot of residual lube in the bearings so chances are that you wouldn't have a problem but if it were mine, I'd either trailer it or remove the driveshaft.

Here's another thought... if the car doesn't overheat while idling, you could just let it idle in neutral while you tow it. Then ALL the bearings are being lubricated and you can tow it as far as you like. I'd still stop often to make sure it was still running.

As was suggested, a UHaul trailer is not that much for one day and then you have no worries.

Steve

wmf62

great minds think alike, i was just going to add that...; especially with an automatic transmission..
Bill

ps: i've done exactly that

mashinter

My '65 owner's manual (p. 10, 365hipo) says to remove the driveshaft if you're going over 35 mph or over 50 miles. No mention of just for automatic trans.

I guess that makes sense for a manual. You're spinning the mainshaft and all the bearings on the mainshaft, but not the countershaft for splash lubrication...?

MikeM

Makes sense to me.

I looked in a '63 owner's manual while ago. Limted speed and miles for an automatic. No mention of towing precautions with a manual. Four speeds were different between '63-'65 but the manuals were the same.

Jims66

Beg, borrow or steal a trailer..... You'll have peace of mind. Otherwise, you'll start hearing imaginary sounds coming from your transmission everytime you drive your car....

Donny Brass

from where to where ?