Hey guys, I am in desperate need of your help!

I will make this as short as possible, but unfortunately it's become it's own saga from hell.

I just recently bought a 96 7.3 with a 5spd, and I've never been happier.
Drove to work on Donner Summit here in the California Tahoe area last Saturday. The truck was working just fine, no unusual problems, happy as a clam. Got off work, and it wouldn't start (was about 5 degrees, and I don't have a heater cord yet) so I got it towed. They took it to their yard on a flat bed and had another AAA company tow it back to my house around 70 miles in total the next day, Sunday. I received the the truck late at night, and they did the tow with my truck behind a loaded flatbed, rear wheels on the ground, and they did not drop the driveline.

Monday morning I turned her on and she was making terrible grinding noises, so I took her to my shop (who I have no relationship with as my regular mechanic won't work on diesels) I get a call a day later saying that my tranny is blown. It makes noises when in N-3 gears (unless the clutch is in), quiet on 4th and 5th.

This all strikes me as really odd. So I talk to a friends dad who runs a local tow company and ask him if a long distance two like that with my driveline connected could torch a transmission and he said absolutely, he would never do a long distance tow with the driveline connected, and he seemed to think that the company was at fault, told me to file claims etc etc

Naturally the tow company denies it sand said it was a by the book tow, and my new and now much unappreciated mechanic is all of the sudden saying that he doesn't think it is their fault either.

Which leaves me to the question as to who is right and how a trucks tranny goes from perfect to blown between two starts and a tow.

Please help me straighten this out! You guys are the experts on these trucks. I am inclined the believe the person I know, but maybe he is the one that is wrong?

Cheers, and thanks a million.

-Julian

 

I don't see how towing a truck with a manual transmission in neutral could hurt anything. A manual transmission is splash lubed by the shafts and gears slingin oil around. Did they leave it in gear? Even that shouldn't hurt it. And yes you could tow it and not notice it was in gear... you would think that it would be noticeable BUT when you have a powerful tow rig, it really ain't. I got my F-250 stuck in a ditch, got the tractor (1948 Allis Chalmers WD!) and pulled it out. When I looked back after I had pulled it out, I wondered why there were 2 skid marks behind the truck... well turns out I left the truck in park. Tractor didn't care one bit.

 

I still believe that the driveline should have been disconnected. 70 miles is to far with the rear wheels in ground. 7 miles would been fine. I think the tow company or the tow person has that new American attitude I hear from lifers at my job as it goes like this, " It'll be alright, someone else's problem".

I just just my Ford manual. It states Max speed 35 mph w/Max distance 50 miles. If speed of 35 mph has to be Exceeded-Disconnect driveshaft. That also applies for 50+ miles. If either condition applies to you, file a claim with Towing company.

 

Well there you go. It's in writing from the manufacturer that the truck shall not be towed the distance (and speed) that the tow company towed it. File a claim.

Still don't see how it could hurt a manual tranny, but I sure don't claim to know everything either. Note to self: don't flat-tow a manual tranny for any appreciable distance.

 

check you owners manual mine says any distance over 30-40 miles should disconect the driveline

 

That tow company owes you a transmission IMO, even if the trans is put in neutral to begin with it's possible it could fall into a gear from being bounced around, hence the reason the manufacturer says not to tow it with the drive line on the ground. Tow companies won't move a 4wd truck up here anymore without lifting all wheels off the ground.. which means a flatbed is used where possible or dolly wheels under one end with the other lifted by a conventional tow truck. If this is a 2wd truck then the tow operator is to blame no question, even the dimmest operator should know you always lift the drive wheels off the ground no matter how far you're towing it.

 

That's the way they do it here. When my starter went out they sent a normal truck out. Once they realized it was 4WD and the Dolly's would not like my wide tires, they had a flat bed come out.

File a claim, they owe you a transmission.

 

Alright guys, downloaded an owners manual, and the clause about max speed and distance is listed under the 2wd section, would this still apply to my 4wd truck when not locked into 4wd?

Thank you for all the input, it will probably save me $4k

 

I checked the 4x4 section, and doesn't matter much either way. It shouldn't have been towed as such. If it states more caution for 2wd, why would the tow company use even LESS caution with a 4x4. They should have had a flat bed or dollied it for 70 miles cause I doubt the tow driver drive 35mph for 50 miles. When you received the truck Sunday night, how many miles from where they towed it. Long story short, it was crap thinking on the tow driver as he gets paid mo matter what. The driver should have towed your truck with the flatbed and not trying to do 2 tow jobs at the same time. He was racing to get done, and I bet he'll dispute it till hell freezes. It'll be your word against his.

 

So after a much more extensive look at the owners manual this afternoon, I think I have figured out exactly what happened. Please let me know if this makes sense to you guys.

So, direct from the owners manual for my model year:

Towing Four-Wheel Drive Vehicles With a
Lever-Operated Transfer Case
❑Place transmission gearshift (automatic or
manual) in N (Neutral).
❑Lock steering wheel straight ahead if vehicle
is to be towed with rear wheels off the
ground.
❑Set manual locking hubs in FREE position or
disengage the automatic locking hubs by
shifting the transfer case to 2H and drive the
vehicle in the opposite direction for a
minimum of 10 feet (3 meters) in a straight
line.
NOTE: Confirm by observation that the front
driveshaft is not rotating prior to
towing with the rear wheels off the
ground.
❑Place transfer case in N (Neutral).

The driver DID NOT place my transfer case in Neutral. I know this because after turning the truck on I just put it in gear and was able to move it--without putting the truck in 2H. So that means that the driver towed my truck for 70+ miles with an average speed of over 65mph in 2H.

So, the next entry in the manual talks about electronic transfer cases and it says:

Towing Four-Wheel Drive Vehicles With
Touch Drive Electric Shift Transfer Case
❑Place transmission gearshift (automatic or
manual) in N (Neutral).
❑Place transfer case in 2H.
❑Lock steering wheel straight ahead if vehicle
is to be towed with rear wheels off the
ground.
❑When towing your vehicle with the rear
wheels on the ground or all four wheels on
the ground and the driveshafts connected, do
not exceed 35 mph (56 km/h) or
transmission damage could result. If a
distance of 50 miles (80 km) is exceeded,
disengage the automatic locking hubs and
disconnect the rear driveshaft from the axle
and secure. (Max speed 55 mph [88 km/h]
with driveshafts disconnected.)

So those instructions tell you to shift your truck into 2H, and also says specifically that if you exceed the speed or distance "transmission damage could result"

The inference seems pretty obvious to me. The dude forgot to shift my transfer case into neutral, and as a result damaged my transmission.

Is there anything else I am missing or overlooking? I just need to build a solid case so that the towing company can't back out of it, and if they do try to, I need enough to stand on to take legal action.

Thanks again guys, you are all life savers.

 

What you posted, is exactly what it says in my Ford Manual, word for word.

 

Even the old NP435's needed to have the driveshaft disconnected if the rear wheels (in the case of 2wd) were to be on the road, or they could weld the 3rd gear bore up.

Initially you wouldn't think it was any different to driving downhill..........but coasting in gear, has the clusters engaged differently to coasting (or towing) in neutral, with oil not being distributed properly through the transmission.

 

When the engine is not running, nothing is spinning except the output shaft. All the gears are stationary, so there's no oil being splashed on the needle bearings between the gears and the output shaft. When coasting in neutral with the engine running, the input shaft spins all the gears by way of the counter shaft, giving the necessary splash lubrication.

 

I work in the towing industry, all 4wd trucks either get a flatbed, dolly or driveshaft disconnected to go any real distance -more than 10 miles. Id have used a flatbed period. The operator either doesnt understand how to tow things or didnt care and thats very bad.

Transfer case belongs being in neutral, tranny in neutral and towing it with REAR wheels in the air-not fronts. This would ensure no issues with the driveline just to be safe.

Call AAA, if you have documentation how to tow it and you know they didnt do it that way then the shop is in a bad way right now