Technical Pulling, Too Tired, Too small?

Anybody out there ever pull a small travel trailer with a 50s vintage Chevy three speed ? How do they hold up, or do they freeze up?

 

My truck has a flat six ,three spd in the tree with 4:10 axle I didn't tow min very far , it will but the old girl didn't like it no wind or hills here on the prairies . My trailer is around 2500 lbs , my 51 panel will be better at the job it has a 360 and 3:54 gears .


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Issue shouldn't have anything to do with the trans. as you only take off from a dead stop occasionally. My concern would be speed and distance you need to tow and the extra weight you are towing. Will the engine heat up, or do you have the extra power to sustain Hiway speeds without doing any lasting damage.
I've towed a lot of heavy trailers with manual transmissions and had no problems over the years.

 

Thanks , you are right about sustained pulling. My trailer is about the same weight as you described and I now pull it with a 1984 Ford half ton with a 300 six in line , no problem there but the temp gauge does go up and down. What I want to pull it with is a 1951 chevy coup with a 235 c.i. in line six ,and a manual three speed. Great reply., food for thought.

 

I would also be concerned with stopping the car and trailer combo!
I know that the original brakes on a 51 Chevy will stop the car with no problem, but add the weight of the trailer and well you get the idea!
Does the trailer have brakes?
KK

 

The big problem that setup is that you are going to be running in the "very slow" lane. Guys towed trailers with these vehicles with stock engines in the 50's without a second thought but they did not plan on getting in a hurry
I'd highly suggest using an equalizer hitch even with a small trailer as that that helps a lot with the car controlling t he trailer rather than the trailer dictating what the car does. I would 't even think about doing it without a good receiver style hitch on the tow rig either. Those cute old bolt to the rear crossmember bolt to the bumper hitches that they used to sell won't handle a camp trailer.

 

A 235 is certainly smaller than a 300 cu. in.
If you have a 235 with a 3 speed, it has been converted. The 235 came with the P.G. only in 1951.
Standard factory issue was a 216 with the 3 speed. No exceptions.
If the car was a 3 speed from birth, you have 4:11 gears. Now, although your upper speeds will be lower with the 4:11's, you will have good towing power at mid range speeds, thanks to the gearing and the RPM's generated by the 4:11's. Don't measure gas mileage, however. :-(
Footnote on automatics in these older rides.
It does make a difference if you are towing a trailer with a stick or P.G in these older cars.
First, the rear end gearing is different with a P.G., 3:55.
Next, towing a trailer with an early P.G. would certainly be a candidate for a "hot running" P.G., without the help of external cooling. The factory "in line tranny cooler" was not designed, with towing in mind.
Finally, depending on the year of P.G., you may not be starting off in LOW gear, with the P.G. That would be real tough on the tranny, with the trailer load.
With care on the clutch and good driving habits, being pro active to traffic situations and topography, I would believe a "smaller trailer" would tow OK, with a 235/3 speed. Not ideal, but for shorter jaunts, it should work.
Good luck !

 

I wouldn't tow with a 235. Too hard to find parts if you break something. Not that it won't do the job, if you gear it down enough, it just won't do it in a hurry.

 

The top four potential problems you may experience, in order of severity, the worst first;

1. Brakes (post #5)

2. Hitch integrity/load distribution (post #6)

3. Rear tires on your Chevy (less a problem with load distributing hitch)

4. Did I mention Brakes?

Ray

 

Being a 235 generation guy, the only parts more common to find are SBC.
235 parts are plentiful and not crazy expensive.

 

Moved from eastern Nebraska to Phoenix when I was 6. 41 Chevy 2 door pulled a 28 foot trailer no prob. Of course we were following some friends that were pulling about the same size trailer with a new 50 Study Champ all 170 CID of it. My Dad cussed the Stud all the way here,that thing was SLOW!!

 

I love those stories and am getting similar ones in parking lots more often than expected.

One other thing you have to make sure is to use GL-4 rated gear lube (easier on yellow metal parts)
Don't use GL-5 or worse the recently available 'Pennzoil Syncromesh fluid', which is way too thin and has nothing in common with our old Syncromesh transmission fluids.

Like with any ride, you have to ask yourself how much mileage you expect to get from your transmission before rebuild.
It may be several years and thousands of miles if you get it all right and don't push it so hard towing up those long steep hills.
The transmission doesn't know or care what engine size or power demands its duty.
It will or can do only what it is designed for and probably some more for quite a while..

 

i dont think the car would be rated to tow a trailer that heavy 2500 lbs is usually a large six or a mid sized v 8. i tow my teardrop with my four banger chevy suv and it says 1500 lbs is max pull. also tow it with my 41 but its running a 350.

 

Might be OK if you are towing it, slowly, to a local show. Provided the car is in tip top shape.

They towed with them in the early fifties but in those days towing speeds were 30 - 45 MPH and much slower on hills (second gear, in extreme cases, low gear).

A heavier car like Oldsmobile with Hydramatic or Packard with overdrive would be different.

My choice for the perfect early fifties car for trailer towing, would be a 1951 - 53 Chrysler Imperial, New Yorker or Saratoga with the 180HP hemi V8 and Fluid Torque Drive. The best engine, trans, brakes and chassis available at the time.

 

I know it is OT but, these situations always remind me of the 1953 Movie with Lucille Ball & Desi Arnaz - The Long, Long Trailer - yes, very corny

 

That '53 Mercury was put to the test in that movie, but, did you know, in a scene, when the going got tough, a '53 Lincoln was used !
Worthless info in this ole head.

 

Having had a 235, it's nice to find parts right in stock as opposed to having to wait a day or two for them to be ordered in.

235 also has at best a bypass oil filter (without mods), and other antiquated design features. Again, I think it might pull it, but not very fast, and you won't stop it very well without electric brakes.

 

Ya the trailer has electric brakes I intend to use. I know it will be slow going but I am a week end warrior and I like old cars and trailers.

 

Do you love old stories? Well I learned to drive in a 1957 chevy biscane , thre on the tree. Learning to use the clutch at a stop sign on an incline with an impatient driver behind me ,with my mother freeking out in the shot gun seat ,good old days. Don't ya love old cars?
I been clutching for 53 years now

 

Love your hooptie.

 

Maybe I should be happy haling my big butt and my better half down to the local dinner.

 

Pre Biscayne days in 1957, only a 150, 210 and BelAir were available in 1957.
Biscayne arrived in 1958.

 

Trailer tow ratings???? Back then a car was a car and it did what you needed to have done. Trailer tow ratings came along way after the 50s and are for idiots.
I can remember my dad hauling logs to the mill with a '49 Chev sedan and a home-made trailer made from car frames and 2 '37 Chev front axles. He would load a cord and 1/2 on the trailer, (4500 lbs) and drive 20 miles up and down hills to the mill. Yup, he blew a rod bearing, so he pulled 3 pistons (to keep it balanced) and kept on hauling, just a bit slower, 3 speed trans never had a problem.
If you are going to try to keep up with freeway traffic, yeah, you won't have enough power to keep up, or enough brakes to panic stop with traffic, take the back roads and you'll be fine.

 

Your story sounds like mine, make do.

 

Thank you.

 

Hi. For what it's worth we are just finishing up the engine on my 46 Coupe pictured in my avitar & expect to have it running next week. It is a 57 235 bored 0.060 with a strong street cam & dual 2 barrel Weber carbs & assorted other goodies with a strong clutch & stock 3 speed standard. Every single part in or on the engine is brand new with the exception of the block, head & crank & they were rebuilt.

I just purchased a small teardrop trailer to pull behind it as I live alone & don't need a big camper anymore. Empty the trailer is under 500# but with a few things likely around 700# when loaded. I expect no problems pulling that small trailer with this new engine. I still have the 411 in it but have ordered 750R16's for the rear to better manage hwy RPM & will likely change rear to a 355 & still should still have plenty to power for the teardrop. I will be soon making a reciever hitch for this. The car will appear completely stock on the outside as well as the interior with the exception of the 2 chrome exhaust tips & the reciever hitch peeking out from under the rear bumper & the oversize rear tires.

For what it's worth I had a few 216 chevys in the past when I was 50 60 years younger & used a 46 sedan delivery to pull a small boat. That engine did not do well for me but I have to say I abused it. I also had a 49 2 door Coupe with the 216 when I was in high school & nobody could have abused it more than me & never has a problem with engine or drive train.

Let us know how this works out for you. Jimmie

 

You're welcome, just providing Chevy facts, no disrespect implied.

 

Thanks for your input. Those old stove bolts their tough. I drove a 51 chevy pu for a long time not knowing it had a cracked piston in number 6 hole , when I did replace it , it made no difference in its performance , shizam.

 

Love your input, no offense taken on my part.

 

OK, good and thanks !