towing a 90?

I had to tow my sons 90 the other day(plastic crap release bearing on clutch I think.....same symptoms as I had on my 110...Grrrr!].Only towed 3miles so didn't disconnect props....I hear your supposed to as G/box has a pump...My query is how then does pump work? you would have thought that with the props turning the 'box over the pump would pump?? anyone out there who knows please?

I can't answer your question on how the pump works but I'm a recovery mechanic in the Army and we disconnect the props on all our Land Rovers prior to towing, it dosn't take long and it's always better to be safe than sorry.

If you have the transfer box in N then you should be OK as this will disconect drive to the main bpx - i have rebuilt mine 4 times now and i don't have a pump in the transfer box - the driven shaft just sits in the oil and throws it around - I guess disconecting the drive shafts reduces towing load

If you are picking the front wheels up then this is obviously a MUST to disconect the prop shaft to the axel still on the ground as it causes significant strain and wear on the center diff - There is a plate on the fuse box cover on older defenders to sell you about this, and rolling roads etc.

Perhapse the reason i have rebuilt it four times is that it should have a pump !

It's a myth.

Only an army is daft enough and has enough time to take props off Landies for towing.
I bet they wouldn't be doing that uder fire.

If all four wheels are on the ground and rolling, tow away from here to Hell and back if you like. It will come to no harm. Engaging NEUTRAL in the transfer box makes it even better.

CharlesY

As CharlesY says no need to remove any props for 4wheel towing. But the rear should definately be removed if using a suspended tow (or front if been towed backwards)

recymech said:

I can't answer your question on how the pump works but I'm a recovery mechanic in the Army and we disconnect the props on all our Land Rovers prior to towing, it dosn't take long and it's always better to be safe than sorry.

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What purpose does this serve?

I cannot for the life of me see a reason.

discomania said:

What purpose does this serve?

I cannot for the life of me see a reason.

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The same could be said for painting curb stones, running around the parade ground carrying shells etc. - it builds disipline....

Doub't this is the reason they disconect the prop shaft but would be interested to find out why this is done because when i removed mine to get the transfer box out it was a pig of a thing to do....

The army do it because its procedure. Alot do not understand the individual mechanics of every vehicle but instead do it to all to stop problems.

I once vistited my brother in Germany when he was working with the Yank army as a mechanic. He was saying that the "trained army mechanics" would swap out units instead of fixing the problems. Eexample they changed a humvee engine 6.2Litre GMC because of a water leak from the water pump. Actually they fecked that up too they had the humvee hanging from the hoist as all the fully qualified and experienced Brit mechanics laughed at them after 15 minutes one of the Brit mechanic got up off the floor from laughing and told them to undo the bell housing bolts. Simply the army (Yank) anyway train mechanics to do a job and not much else by all accounts. The British ammy are supposed to be the best and better that that described but I have had more than a few Recon gearboxes from the army that were fit for scrap only.

The Brit mechanics working for a private company keep the Yank military moving. If left to their own devices they would just feck it up big style.

There was a story of taking a tank out for a test drive in the street this was powered by a jet engine. humvees would be in front and behind as a convoy to stop anything getting too close. The humvee behind bodywork started to disform because of the heat from the exhaust so he stayed an extra few car lengths away. Some crazy german in his merc pulled in between and right up behind the tank, as it roared away the windscreen from the merc was blown out and his car was sevearly burned don't think he will be jumping any more ques in the future.

I don't thing the yanks have any engineering finesse, you only have to look at their cars to see this. "The car weighs 3 tons now we need a powerful engine to push that lump about, I know lets make it 6 litres, sorry I mean 300 odd cubic inches and 300 odd horsepower. Ah **** now it weighs even more"

Our clever engineers here in the uk can squeeze nearly that much horsepower out of a 1.8, granted it won't have the torque but it will weigh a fraction of a yanky car.

The V8 was therefore obviously not an example of this then!

CharlesY said:

It's a myth.

Only an army is daft enough and has enough time to take props off Landies for towing.
I bet they wouldn't be doing that uder fire.

If all four wheels are on the ground and rolling, tow away from here to Hell and back if you like. It will come to no harm. Engaging NEUTRAL in the transfer box makes it even better.

CharlesY

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Errr if recovery is required whilst under fire taking the prop off would be the last thing on our minds....obviously.

As Jai_landrover say's, it's procedure. The majority of vehicles recovered will be by suspend/support tow. Removing the prop is the easiest way to prevent further damage, recovery mechanics are not vehicle mechanics so don't spend time diagnosing faults, if the transfer box/gearbox has suffered damage then the easiest way to prevent further problems is to remove the prop. As I said it doesn't take long.

Gearbox's and other assembly's are not reconditioned by Army mechanics, they are done by civilians working for the Army.

jamescron

Painting curbstones and running around parade grounds carrying shells? I think you've been watching to much TV. The Armed Forces are a bit to busy for those sort of antics, don't you watch the news/read the papers.