| Bruce |
Sun May 07, 2023 3:08 am |
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MTT3107 wrote: Would there be an issue towing it wheel the rear wheels on the ground, front wheels on the dolly ?
Other than the weight on the dolly ?
Shouldn't be a problem with the transmission in neutral , right ?
Trans in neutral is all you need.
But by then, why not just hook up a tow bar and eliminate the risk of the dolly? |
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| pmriverrat |
Sun May 07, 2023 4:11 pm |
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| Time to put this to bed. I bought the car in October 2021. I towed it from Wabash IN to Muskegon MI on a dolly.. The body was great but it was barely drive able and almost non existant brakes. Loaded it backwards because I was uncertain of the axles and transmission. Towed fine but I did wind almost 200 miles off the odometer. It is a pure mechanical device and if you turn it backwards it works backwards. I built a 1641 this winter and at 83 am no longer laying on my back and working on engines. Taking it to the guy who did my machine work to do the engine swap. Had to remove the cable from the speedometer to get to some wiring. That is what prompted the question. Appreciate the feedback both useful, and maybe not so much. |
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| ashman40 |
Sun May 07, 2023 5:20 pm |
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MTT3107 wrote: Would there be an issue towing it wheel the rear wheels on the ground, front wheels on the dolly ?
Other than the weight on the dolly ?
Shouldn't be a problem with the transmission in neutral , right ?
In the past I would have said towing a Beetle from the front with the rear tires on the ground and the transmission in neutral should be fine, but then I saw this YouTube video and now I have second thoughts??
The Beetle ACVW transmission is similar:
The input shaft from the engine is the upper shaft in the pic above. The gears on this shaft are constantly engaged with the lower output shaft gears. So even when in neutral with the engine running and clutch pedal out, the lower gears will spin and splash gear oil everywhere.
But with the engine OFF and the lower shaft in neutral none of the lower gears will spin. Less oil circulation to the output shaft. Maybe the lower shaft bearings will be bathed in gear oil just based on the oil level in the case? But with the transmission in neutral and the rear wheels spinning as it is pulled down the road, the differential pinion gear will cause the lower shaft to spin. In neutral this shaft will not cause the gears to spin so they don't pick up and oil and sling it around. This is not a problem for short tows.
The OP spoke of towing their car 300 miles. That is a long distance with less than normal oil circulation through the gear pack. I guess I'm asking if anyone very familiar with ACVW transmissions would chime in on the risks of towing a car with 4-wheels (or just the rear 2-wheels) on the ground?? |
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| MTT3107 |
Sun May 07, 2023 5:31 pm |
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Quote: Trans in neutral is all you need.
But by then, why not just hook up a tow bar and eliminate the risk of the dolly?
I asked because my car will be towed to the paint shop tomorrow, some 60 miles.
We will be doing it with a dolly rented from UHaul.
I just read the previous post about the lubrication of the gears during towing with the transmission in neutral, so that got me thinking...
Found an online version of my '73 owners manual, all it says that it can be towed, with the transmission in neutral, no limits given for miles towed. |
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| Bruce |
Sun May 07, 2023 5:50 pm |
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MTT3107 wrote: Quote: Trans in neutral is all you need.
But by then, why not just hook up a tow bar and eliminate the risk of the dolly?
I asked because my car will be towed to the paint shop tomorrow, some 60 miles.
We will be doing it with a dolly rented from UHaul.
I just read the previous post about the lubrication of the gears during towing with the transmission in neutral, so that got me thinking...
Found an online version of my '73 owners manual, all it says that it can be towed, with the transmission in neutral, no limits given for miles towed.
For the cost of the rental from U-haul, you can own a tow bar. Then when you pick the car up from the paint shop, the tow is free.
The info in the previous message is incorrect. The pic is a 1950s split case trans. A full synchro trans has 3rd and 4th fixed to the pinion shaft, so when the car moves, those two gears throw oil everywhere.
My uncle towed his Beetle from Vancouver Canada to Mazatlan Mexico. And back. Nine years in a row. |
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| MTT3107 |
Sun May 07, 2023 5:55 pm |
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Quote: For the cost of the rental from U-haul, you can own a tow bar. Then when you pick the car up from the paint shop, the tow is free.
Maybe so, but my everyday car doesn't have a trailer hitch, so I have to rent some kind of truck anyways.
Or having a trailer hitch installed, which I would not use again ever, most probably.
And owning a towbar is not so important to me, I don't anticipate towing that beetle around at all. |
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| Bruce |
Sun May 07, 2023 6:12 pm |
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ashman40 wrote: .....I saw this YouTube video and now I have second thoughts??
[youtube]https://youtube.com/shorts/....[/youtube]
You should delete this link. It is 100% completely irrelevant.
ashman40 wrote: The OP spoke of towing their car 300 miles.
My previously mentioned uncle estimated that in total he towed his Beetle all 4 down between 50 and 60k miles.
ashman40 wrote: That is a long distance with less than normal oil circulation through the gear pack.
The oil splashing during towing is EXACTLY the same as if you were driving. The only difference is that there's no load on any of the gear teeth, so miles towing are much less than miles driving.
ashman40 wrote: I guess I'm asking if anyone very familiar with ACVW transmissions would chime in on the risks of towing a car with 4-wheels (or just the rear 2-wheels) on the ground??
I've built plenty of VW transmissions.
Car in neutral
E-brake off
Key in ignition, turn it on to release the steering lock, then turn it off, leaving the key in.
Don't try to back up, it doesn't work.
Safety chain connecting the car through the tow bar to the tow vehicle. |
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