Ralph D. Edelbach wrote:
>I too need advice about towing. I need to get an Alfa 2000 Spider
>project car from my garage in New Jersey to my son's in northern
>Virginia, about 200 miles. I'd like to tow it behind my 1990 3.3 L
>Plymouth Minivan. It would be easiest to "flat tow" it with all four
>wheels of the Spider on the ground -- at least most of the time when I'm
>not drifting the minivan through high speed turn on I-95. I used to flat
>tow my MGA "Deluxe" behind the '69 Volvo wagon but I was younger and
>crazier then. Also, the longest distance tow then was about 50 miles.
According to the "classic" advice, 200 miles is about the limit. On an
Alfa Spider, the tranny will be in a mode where the output shaft is
spinning inside of gearwheels that are not moving. This creates the
danger of toasting the bearings inside the gearwheels due to lack of oil.
It's the moving gears that normally circulate the oil. If you can see
your way clear to removing the driveshaft, do so. Make sure to mark the
flanges for proper reassembly if they aren't already. Alternatively, you
can stop at the 100 mile mark and start the motor, if it's able. I would
drain and refil the diff afterwards. If you don't pull the driveshaft,
drain and refill the tranny too.
|