Hi There
Brad, I was more interested in the chances of damaging the box
under tow, than the actual lube, I do not generally favour the idea of using
modern oils in old design mechanical applications.....There has been much
written on this subject elsewhere in the UK "classic" press.
Damage to the gearbox when under tow......I brought this up as I wondered
what the reality was, I understood that the box had a lube pump and that it
was driven by input and not by output therefore when being towed that the
pump would not be pumping..... Logical ? Though I wondered .... Given
that the load of the box under tow would be only the resistance of it`s
internals and that those internals were toothed wheels I thought there might
be a bit of lube being splashed about, perhaps enough to lube the moving
parts ? I had thought also that if the car was moved under suspended tow
that the oil level would change somewhat......... Would this lessen or
worsen the situation ? Just left me wondering what you can do with a +8
that has broken down and can not be fixed on the spot.......... Sure you
just get a trailer or a flatbed.....In an ideal world.......What do you do
in the real world, especially if you can not answer the questions above ?
I have typed of this here, some time ago, so as long as it don`t annoy you,
I`ll type along the same lines again.
Do +8 guys who do not carry a gold card, carry a set of spanners they KNOW
WILL remove the propshaft bolts, and perhaps the means of tying the "loose"
shaft in a way that it stays connected to the gearbox in order to hold the
oil in while disconnected from the axle, to prohibit driving it`s
internals........ Or perhaps they carry a propshaft sized plastic bag and a
"plug" for the gearbox output..... The plastic bag to put the dirty shaft in
once removed, and the plug to stop the oil from coming out. Plugs of this
type are supplied with new gearboxes when bought separately.
With a suspended tow I guess there is more likelihood if the propshaft has
been removed to protect the gearbox and a "plug" has not been inserted, then
the lift may cause some/all of the oil to drain in dribs and drabs during
the tow to the garage..... By the time the Mog arrives at the garage the
possibility of a crimson trail may have diminished with the last drop of
oil somewhere "back there", So the Mechanic fixes the engine prob or
whatever, throws the propshaft back on and off you go for a mile or more
before you have a real expensive breakdown....... No of course any mechanic
worth his salt would check the gearbox oil level when the car broke down
cause the fan belt broke...........NOT !
Is it reasonable to lift and tow a Morgan +8 from the rear ?
Just thinking in type.
Cheers, George.
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