Towing a car that has overdrive

[hook 63]

When towing a car that has a manual transmission with a Borg Warner overdrive. Should the overdrive control be push in (freewheeling mode) or pulled out (Overdrive totally disengaged)?

[Marty Roth 2,229]

Not an absolute guarantee, but

When the manual control cable/lever is pushed "IN"

and the car is pulled forward, 

the entire driveline other than the differential (and maybe the driveshaft, depending on where the Borg-Warner is installed) is disengaged.

There are stories about not backing up with the unit in Overdrive,

and some will not back up (like the one in one of my cars - installed by the late Lloyd Young) in freewheeling .

 

Better to use a trailer in any event if going any serious distane, but in an "EmergencyTow", I would just not engage O.D.

 

Again, just my relatively uninformed opinion ...

[Matt Harwood 11,092]

If you're going any kind of distance, don't flat tow any old car. Put it on a trailer. Yes, yes, I know we all did such stupid things when we were younger with no ill effcts. But so much can go wrong--a wheel bearing fails and you don't know it because you're way up in the tow vehicle and you drag it along at speed for a while until it does major damage or catches on fire. Fluid leaks out and destroys gears. Steering wanders. Brakes drag. And you don't notice any of it until something really bad happens. Pulling it around the parking lot, no big deal. But if you're towing on the road at anything above 25 MPH, get a trailer. Why risk it?

[Walt G 2,368]

Matt and Marty give sage advice. What was acceptable 35+ years ago to move a car now is not. Think of the idiots on the road you have to contend with just driving a modern car and not an older car that needs to be moved but can't under its own power. The stories I could tell...............................especially the one where I was behind the wheel of Austin Clark's 1912 Packard town car/landaulet being towed with a chain by him in the tow car - his wife's modern Toyota sedan . But we did have a car behind the 1912 Packard just in case - my 1941 Packard 120 woodie station wagon being driven by my lady friend of the time. Did I mention this was against traffic on a state road in Southampton NY ( hey we stayed in the shoulder of the road - mostly) at dusk? We had an important charity fund raising affair to attend for ARF ( Animal Relief Fund) that was run by Charles and Te Addams ( yes the same Addams who was the cartoonist) who were our good friends.

[Trulyvintage 318]

Disconnect the driveline if you insist on flat towing.

 

 

Jim

Edited September 5 by Trulyvintage (see edit history)

[Tinindian 1,591]

If you must flat tow use a tow bar, disconnect the driveshaft and the steering.

[Roger Walling 551]

 I towed a friends car from Ma. to Fla. and when we got there the rear axle gears were worn out to nothing and the car would not move.

 It was out of gear oil and we never heard it squeal all the way.

[hook 63]

WOW! What a load of pure unadulterated BS. I asked a simple question because in my 75 years I’ve owned over sixty cars/trucks from every decade from the 1920’s to the present and with the exception of some late model automatics (which don’t count) I’ve only had one with overdrive. I ended up with all your answers that had absolutely nothing to do with the question. I got my intelligent answer elsewhere. I’ll never visit this forum again. Mark Twain once said: “It's better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than open it and remove all doubt” Well Gentlemen, you have removed all doubt. Have a good day.

[Matt Harwood 11,092]