Omega Owners Forum

Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: I_want_an_Omega on 29 April 2010, 08:05:14

Title: Towing - auto gearbox question
Post by: I_want_an_Omega on 29 April 2010, 08:05:14
I know its agreed that you should disconnect the propshaft prior to towing a car with auto transmision - but but could someone please advise me exactly how to do that please.

Thanks ........... Rob
Title: Re: Towing - auto gearbox question
Post by: Andy B on 29 April 2010, 08:18:08
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I know its agreed that you should disconnect the propshaft prior to towing a car with auto transmision - but but could someone please advise me exactly how to do that please.

Thanks ........... Rob

3 x M12 nut & bolts at either end of the prop shaft. When the car is up in the air, you might want to allow for being able to turn a back wheel to get at all bolts. Sod's law will say that one of them will be right at the top where you can't get to it.  :y
Title: Re: Towing - auto gearbox question
Post by: I_want_an_Omega on 29 April 2010, 08:31:44
Thanks - so I'm basically going to take the prop shaft off completely ....  :y
Title: Re: Towing - auto gearbox question
Post by: Darth Loo-knee on 29 April 2010, 08:37:02
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Thanks - so I'm basically going to take the prop shaft off completely ....  :y

No. Drop it at the diff :y
Title: Re: Towing - auto gearbox question
Post by: Andy B on 29 April 2010, 08:46:29
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Thanks - so I'm basically going to take the prop shaft off completely ....  :y

No. Drop it at the diff :y

But ......by the time you've tied the free end of the prop up, you could've undone the other 3 bolts & not have to worry if the prop will break free & fall to the ground enroute  :y
Title: Re: Towing - auto gearbox question
Post by: Darth Loo-knee on 29 April 2010, 08:50:11
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Quote
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Thanks - so I'm basically going to take the prop shaft off completely ....  :y

No. Drop it at the diff :y

But ......by the time you've tied the free end of the prop up, you could've undone the other 3 bolts & not have to worry if the prop will break free & fall to the ground enroute  :y

It won't fall to much holding it up :y
Plus it won't turn only the diff will and it wont be connected to the prop ;) ;)
Title: Re: Towing - auto gearbox question
Post by: Andy B on 29 April 2010, 08:54:36
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....
Plus it won't turn only the diff will and it wont be connected to the prop ;) ;)

That's why it's being disconnected  ;)  ;)
Title: Re: Towing - auto gearbox question
Post by: flymofred on 29 April 2010, 08:56:51
Is it worth suggesting that flanges are marked, especially if the prop-shaft is completely removed. Then refitting in the same postion will reduce the risk of out-of-balance vibrations
Title: Re: Towing - auto gearbox question
Post by: spin on 29 April 2010, 10:40:37
I recently had to tow my 2.0 litre omega auto and was advised  by auto gearbox specialist that i could tow my car at a maximum speed of 20 mph for a distance of no more than five miles without disconnecting the prop, we followed these instructions and the gearbox was fine.
Title: Re: Towing - auto gearbox question
Post by: Jimbob on 29 April 2010, 10:42:58
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I recently had to tow my 2.0 litre omega auto and was advised  by auto gearbox specialist that i could tow my car at a maximum speed of 20 mph for a distance of no more than five miles without disconnecting the prop, we followed these instructions and the gearbox was fine.



Vauxhall Book says 50mph for 60 miles  :y
Title: Re: Towing - auto gearbox question
Post by: Andy B on 29 April 2010, 10:47:19
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I recently had to tow my 2.0 litre omega auto and was advised  by auto gearbox specialist that i could tow my car at a maximum speed of 20 mph for a distance of no more than five miles without disconnecting the prop, we followed these instructions and the gearbox was fine.



Vauxhall Book says 50mph for 60 miles  :y

Well ..... they're nearly the same  ::)  ;D  ;D  ;D
Title: Re: Towing - auto gearbox question
Post by: russ b on 29 April 2010, 10:49:55
please excuse me for sounding dumb, could someone tell me why you have disconnect prop for towing. but what really confuses me is that is- isn't the prop what powers the drive. if thats disconnected whats powering the back wheels. sorry for being ignorant but if you don't ask you never find out..
Title: Re: Towing - auto gearbox question
Post by: Jimbob on 29 April 2010, 10:55:06
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please excuse me for sounding dumb, could someone tell me why you have disconnect prop for towing. but what really confuses me is that is- isn't the prop what powers the drive. if thats disconnected whats powering the back wheels. sorry for being ignorant but if you don't ask you never find out..


this is for being towed, not towing to be more precise  :y

the wheels spinning madly, driving gearbox when being towed kills the auto gearbox, so disconnect the prop, then the gearbox isnt being driven  :y
Title: Re: Towing - auto gearbox question
Post by: Andy B on 29 April 2010, 10:56:18
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please excuse me for sounding dumb, could someone tell me why you have disconnect prop for towing. but what really confuses me is that is- isn't the prop what powers the drive. if thats disconnected whats powering the back wheels. sorry for being ignorant but if you don't ask you never find out..

Yes, the prop does power the back wheels but via the gearbox via the engine. If your engine isn't running, you're not powering the back wheels  ;)
In normal running, your geabox is turned by the engine, which drives a lub pump inside the autobox to lubricate it. If you're towing it, the gearbox doesn't get lub'd ..... resulting in a dead g/box.
What's powering the back wheels of the towed car? .... The tow car up front  :y  :y
Title: Re: Towing - auto gearbox question
Post by: Andy B on 29 April 2010, 10:57:19
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Quote
please excuse me for sounding dumb, could someone tell me why you have disconnect prop for towing. but what really confuses me is that is- isn't the prop what powers the drive. if thats disconnected whats powering the back wheels. sorry for being ignorant but if you don't ask you never find out..


this is for being towed, not towing to be more precise  :y

the wheels spinning madly, driving gearbox when being towed kills the auto gearbox, so disconnect the prop, then the gearbox isnt being driven  :y

Ah! I now understand the confusion ....  ;)
Title: Re: Towing - auto gearbox question
Post by: russ b on 29 April 2010, 10:57:52
so not so much sounding dumb but actually acheiving it..
i am looking to buy caravan soon is there anything special about auto boxes when pulling/towing or not so
Title: Re: Towing - auto gearbox question
Post by: Andy B on 29 April 2010, 10:59:56
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so not so much sounding dumb but actually acheiving it..
i am looking to buy caravan soon is there anything special about auto boxes when pulling/towing or not so

An auto transmission fluid change wouldn't go amiss  :y

there's a guide in the maint section  ;)
Title: Re: Towing - auto gearbox question
Post by: Welung666 on 29 April 2010, 12:04:29
Russell, you're local to me! Just give me a shout if you want a hand doing an ATF change on your 4pot?