I am picking up a '50 Pontiac with a straight eight engine an a hydromatic transmission . The car is on new tires but isn't a running drîving car yet. I need to get the car to the shop which is about 20 country blacktop miles. Can a hydromatic trans car be flat towed ?
Drop the drive shaft, and there should be NO problem. The old Hydro's had a front AND rear pump; a rear pump enables a car to be push started, and if left connected to the drive shaft, would be "energized" when flat towing, and you'd even feel that when towing, even if left in neutral. You'd probably be surprised at just how much you can actually feel a rear pump engage when it "pumps up", and "pulls" the tow car down. Butch/56sedandelivery.
Back in the 1980s, bought a 1953 olds with the hydramatic that was not running. Towed it home 18 mile. To be safe, I did disconnected the drive shaft from the rear end and trans. Leaked some trans fluid, but did not mess up the inner of the trans. Good Luck and be Safe..
You don't need to drop the drive shaft. As others have pointed out the Hydramatic, like other early automatics had a rear pump driven off the driveshaft. This will lubricate the trans while towing in neutral. 20 miles on a country road isn't much towing even for a car without a rear pump.
Clamp on tow bar. I have a car hauling trailer but my pickup truck (96 Chev) isn't set up for electric brakes yet. I've flat towed a stock model A but was concerned with the autotransmission. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
IMO,drop the shaft. Nuked the hydramatic in my 51 by towing it. Lesson learned,when in doubt pull it out! Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
we just pop the drive shaft at the axle and tie off to the side so the trans won't leak out the fluid , and tow 10 under the posted limit to be safe . or take back roads and drive 25 mph ,
The hysro has a rear pump and would pull just fine if it were not for the fact that when the car is in neutral and there is no fluid pressure the parking pawl drops into place. Your rear wheels will be locked if the transmission is working properly. When you start the car and put it in gear the fluid pressure disengauges the parking pawl. So you are going to have to drop the drive shaft is the tranny is working properly.
Any pics Tad? I've pulled my 55 and trailer without trailer brakes, just give yourself some time to stop and don't have it in overdrive.
I unfortunitaly have been pushed through an intersection in a tractor pulling an overloaded grain wagon before, don't want to do that again. I would rather have a 4,000 lb vehicle flat towing behind me without brakes than to have 4,000lbs plus the weight of a 16ft car hauler without brakes.
The parking pawl on the early hydros is in the reverse position, not neutral! You can tow the car, but keep the speed down to 35 mph or less. 20 miles should not hurt the transmission if your speed is down. If it makes you feel better, drop the rear of the driveshaft and tie to leaf spring. This will allow towing without losing transmission fluid and not hurting transmission in any way.
Drop the driveshaft. Back in the 70's I screwed up the tranny in a '49 Cadillac by towing it without dropping the shaft. I'm still pissed about it.
Using common sense you won't be pushed through an intersection. Getting pushed through is the result of going to fast for the braking you have. When approaching the intersection besides slowing down early, downshift and use the gearing to slow besides the brakes. A 16 ft car hauler isn't going to add that much more weight. More than once I've driven a few miles with no brakes as a result of a line bursting, back before dual chamber masters. Why not use this as an excuse to get the trailer brake set-up for the truck now?
I used my electric brake trailer on a truck not wired for it. Just ran a wire up to a hand held switch (remote starter switch) in case I needed the brakes.
+1. Just go backroads without many hills and plan your stops. As for the electric brake control, if you have one you can wire it in and operate it by hand with it laying on your leg or next to it. I've towed my sailboat that way for years. The truck has to stop the weight of the car without electric brakes when you flat tow it so the weight of the trailer shouldn't matter much if you take it easy.
one thing to check before you tow anything is the rear brake adjustment of the towing vehicle , most newer O/t trucks the rear brakes are never really in adjustment ( as the drums adjust up when backing up and applying the e brake or pedal ) , as murphys law of anything thats self doing isn't , and self adjusting brakes fall into this catagory and if you have a GM with 13" drum brakes you know what I mean . take a few minutes and tighten them up . as most of the braking in a pick up is done by the front axle and most of the time the truck is run empty which the front is capable of handling . once you add the weight you then find out the backs aren't doing squat but making grinding noise ..
I elected to hold off getting the car and will work on wiring the brake controller this week. Bill, here are a few pictures: Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
I towed a number of times with a trailer with no brakes. With a half-ton truck you had to go slow and plan your stops. If you made the run at say 4, 5 am, you'd be fine. Only once did the trailer push me and that was when I had 5500 lbs on it, I was doing like 10-15 and a light dropped in front of me. It pushed me maybe 5 feet. If your truck is a 1-ton, it won't even know the trailer is there.
Can't believe the misinformation in this thread. Cardinal rule, REAR PUMP: DISCONNECT. Period. There was a story in the San Jose Mercury news (1958) about a woman and her children who rode in the towed Oldsmobile (driveshaft connected) The transmission overheated and caught fire...Tow operator didn't know the towed Oldsmobile was afire, finally pulled over when other 'motorists' were honking and waving arms, etc. Woman and kids were badly burned. My son towed his father-in-law's Jag XJ6 about 40 miles, Dad said "Don't take the driveline down, not necessary." Son pleaded, (I had recommended disconnect) An hour later, hot tranny set it afire, too. Jag burned to the ground, CA. fire dep't right across the street. (out of Jurisdiction) These are 'isolated' cases, so never mind disconnecting...
I believe you have the cardinal rule backwards; you do not flat tow transmissions without a rear pump. And Oldsmobile owner manuals say that you CAN tow the vehicle, if you tow in neutral, 25mph, and no more than 20-30 miles. I towed my Hudson Superjet with a tow dolly and never had a problem with a tow of about 15 miles @ 25mph.
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