F350 Towing question

[Gerald G]

I have a 2004 F350 work truck with a 6 speed manual transmission, Can i tow it behind my tractor and dirt pan from job to job? It would obviously be at low speed being towed behind a tractor, about 15-17 mph. Would I need to leave the engine running to keep the transmission lubed? Or you would it be ok without the engine running?

[RifleBowPistol]

If it's 4X4, put the transfer case in neutral. If not just put the transmission in neutral. Definitely make sure the transmission is not in gear. Years ago, the dealership wrecker driver picked up a F350 with a ZF 5 spd and a 460. By the time the truck got to the dealership, the engine was toast. The wrecker driver left the transmission in gear. Then with the front end of the truck way up in the air, I guess the oil pump was not picking up any oil. So it wiped out a five month old engine.

You can flat tow most any manual transmission vehicle with the transmission in neutral. The SF M650 in your truck has a cooler pump, and a transmission cooler. I would avoid towing it with the front end quite a bit higher than the rear of the truck. That would cause the transmission fluid to to to the rear of the transmission. So the gears would not be in fluid while they were spinning. The bearings in a manual transmission get lube, but the gears being in the fluid and slinging the fluid up onto everything

[Gerald G]

Thanks, it’s a 2wd and all the tires will be on the ground, pulling with a tow bar.

[RifleBowPistol]

You'll be fine.

[D4H]

My dad worked for the county for many years. He graded roads all over the county. He had a tow bar on his county truck and towed it behind his grader so he would have a way back to the county yard in the evening. His county truck was a 2WD, 6 cylinder with a manual four speed. He would put it into neutral and tow where he needed to go. He never had a problem. This was done for many years by him and the other old county guys. They would tow their trucks with graders, front end loaders, etc.

Side Note:

That was in the days when county commissioners were elected on the basis to save money. Now there is a crew of 10+ with millions of dollars of new equipment and a new truck for each guy on a simple job and still can't get the job done the way a few old guys did with aged equipment. Hats off to the older generation. They spent county tax money like it was their money and tried to save the taxpayers as much as possible.

Put everything in neutral and tow away if it's a manual transmission.

[Gerald G]

Thanks for the info.