mylesm260

08' SV240 6.2 Black scorpion (old school gen 2 SBC) rear engine / V-drive Winterized the motor as I always have, drained the manifolds and lower water pump, reinstalled the plugs, and filled with antifreeze from the T-stat housing.... This year, on it's first run of the year, noticed it was leaking a LOT of water out of the bellhousing. I must have had a frost plug come out behind the flywheel. Right now, it's Schrodinger's cat... it could be dead or it could be alive, but either way, I need to pull the engine to find out. (makes good power, no water in oil, fingers crossed it's just the frost plug) I've pulled motors in mercruiser alpha / bravo setups before, but never with a V-drive. I'm *hoping* I could unbolt the engine from the V-drive, slide it forward (towards the back of the boat) and lift it up and out. Is that possible? The main engine mounts look like big single studs, not sure how it would be able to slide away from the V-drive. Is there a how to somewhere? A video? a post with pictures? I have a forklift, and man power.... but I really don't want to have to mess around with the V-drive if I can avoid it...

it is a good point. I guess you would have to read the fine print in your insurance policy, or call your broker and ask them.

No... the tahoe can do it, it just needs a distro hitch, hence the post in the first place.

Yeah, the title is click bait for sure. but here's some quotes if you want em...... "The differences between weight-carrying and weight-distributing hitch setups are worlds apart when it comes to maximum towing capacity: While weight-carrying limits range between 5,000 and 8,500 pounds for heavy duty pickups, weight-distributing ratings can top 18,000 pounds." "Towing without regard to the properly-equipped limitations instantly makes the driver face the “Law of Negligence” charge in the eyes of an astute attorney and opens the door wide for a lawsuit." "The negligence issue gets back to the tow vehicle being “properly equipped.”" "A properly-equipped vehicle has everything the manufacturer deems necessary to tow up to the maximum towing capacity: the specified engine and transmission; the right bed and cab configuration; the exact axle ratio; and the correct hitch setup." "The hitch is what determines immediately if a pickup can tow a little or a lot. For example, all Ford, Dodge and GM ½-ton pickups are limited to 5,000-pound trailered weights using a conventional hitch setup, while pre-2010 GM heavy-duty pickups are limited to 7,500 pounds. (The 2010-newer GM HD pickups have higher tow rating.)" "Ignore the vehicle’s maximum tow ratings, and words such as “properly-equipped,” “weight-carrying,” and “weight-distributing,” then you assume all responsibility for whatever happens down the towing road. – PT" It's pretty clear..........

Did you read the article I linked entitled "Know Your Limits: Towing more than 5k pounds with a half-ton pickup is against the law" http://www.equipmentworld.com/know-your-limits-towing-more-than-5k-pounds-with-a-half-ton-pickup-is-against-the-law/ or the other one entitled " Towing Liability: Pickup Tow Ratings Explained" http://www.hardworkingtrucks.com/pickup-trucks-tow-ratings-and-liability/

Well... yeah... brakes on a gimmie... NOBODY thinks you can tow 6K without brakes.....

did you factor in the tongue weight too, or should we be mentally doing ~600lbs to those figures?

First you need to understand the concept of how a distro hitch actually works. In a regular "weight carrying" situation, your truck / suv is like a titer-totter. The pivot point is your rear axle. As you add weight to the hitch, you're subtracting weight from the front axle. Now, in a static position, when both the truck and trailer are parked, the math is pretty simple. Distance to rear axle defines the ratio. So let's say that static, 600 lbs on the tongue subtracts 120lbs from the front wheels. Make sense? Now, your going down the road, and poohs bouncing all over the place. Your boat is "surging" 2500 lbs on the tongue. That means your front axle is "surging" -1000 lbs. (we've all felt it while towing) The lack of weight on the front axle significantly reduces traction, which reduces steering and breaking. now in 99% of situations, I'm sure it's fine. I've never really contested the actual "safety" of towing 6K without a distro on a half-ton. The issue is the NTSB and the lawyers. They looked at the math and simply said that 5K is the limit. any more, and you either need a 3/4 or a 1 ton, or you need a distro hitch to put some of the weight back on the front axle. if you read the articles I've posted, it basically says that for all practical purposes, your insurance is void. If you don't believe me, call up your broker, it's their job to answer those questions.

no, but according to the articles I've linked, your insurance company could straight up elect not to pay you or anyone else out in the event of a claim. And even if the accident wasn't your fault, the "other guy's" insurance could also use the fact that you were towing illegally as a means of trying to wiggle their way out of paying you. Titan's owners manual will say distro required for over 5K, if your towing over 5K without a distro and there's an accident.......... Mind you though... this is all in theory..... shawndoggy does have a point, there doesn't seem to be too many examples of people getting denied their claims... but. insurance companies are cut-throat, and if they can wiggle their way out of liability, they usually will... Don't shoot the messenger, I'm just asking if anyone's ever setup a distro on an enzo trailer. If your really not sure what the issue is with your insurance, call up your broker (like i did) and say "Hey, if my owners manual says I need a specific hitch to tow a specific amount, and I don't have said hitch, what would happen if I was in an accident while towing?" and listen to what they say.....

Some WDH do work with surge brakes. They having springs capable of sliding forwards and backwards to allow the master cylinder to work. The one I linked at the beginning of this thread specifically mentions it works with surge brakes, And having researched this enough, I AM 99% certain that there are no half-tons rated for more than 5K without a WDH. Every example that's been thrown around on this thread, I've been able to find documentation that supports the 1/2ton 5,000 rule. And I agree with you about boats and trailers.... my 21' elite V was only 5,000 and but my 24' enzo with a wider beam, a bigger trailer, etc etc is only supposed to be 6,000? something doesn't add up. I haven't taken it on the scales yet, but I bet it's 6,500 at least with fuel and gear. All the more reason to have a proper distro hitch...... And distro vs non distro isn't really based on the strength of the hitch, or the load capacity of the rear axle (although in both those cases, there are minimums that need to be met), it's based on the balance of the tow vehicle. As you add more weight to the ball of a trailer, your adding weight to the rear axle, yes, but without a distro hitch, you're subtracting weight from the front axle. Too much dynamic weight bouncing around without the distro hitch, and your front tires could become light enough that you may no longer be able to steer/stop in an emergency.... I mean, it's all fine and good until something bad happens, but once it does, you might very well be in an accident with no insurance coverage....

here's another good article: http://www.hardworkingtrucks.com/pickup-trucks-tow-ratings-and-liability/ "To tow a trailer exceeding the above weights mandates the use of a weight-distributing/load-equalizing hitch. No “ifs,” “ands,” or “buts” are found anywhere in those vehicle manufacturer’s limitations." “No matter what hitch, suspension, brake, cooling, or engine upgrades you make to your pickup, its towing and load-carrying limits can’t change once it leaves the assembly line.” "And don’t think adding a heavier-duty hitch changes the limits set by the vehicle manufacturer: The only authority legally able to alter a pickup’s tow rating limits is the vehicle manufacturer." "Another often-missed towing caveat in the vehicle owner’s manual is the necessity to use a “sway-control device” on all towed loads beyond a certain weight. Again, this equates to using a weight-distributing hitch, which is a sway-control device." So yeah. according to that article, and the owners guide for your yota, you basically need a distro hitch for anything over 2,000 lbs. poohey. And have a look at fords ratings for the year the article was done. Note the weight limits for the 1/2tons.

Very frustrating. BTW, I found this about your '14 tundra. http://www.hardworkingtrucks.com/2014-toyota-tundra-towing-capacity/ For example, according to the 2013/2014 Toyota Tundra owner’s manual, all models are still required to have a weight-distributing hitch when towing trailers that have a loaded weight of more than 5,000 pounds. “If the gross trailer weight is over 5000 lb. (2268 kg), a weight distributing hitch with sufficient capacity is required,” says the owner’s manual under “Weight Limits” on page 276. The owner’s manual also says Tundras towing trailers that weigh more than 2,0oo pounds requires the use of a “sway control” device. So you would "legally?" need a sway controlling load distribution hitch to tow more than 5,000 lbs And even if you were towing a 14' aluminum boat that was 3,500 boat + trailer, you would need sway control. And this is the part of the article that I'm concerned about: Towing without the proper trailering equipment places the driver in a serious liabilitysituation should an accident occur and serious injuries (or worse) happen.

That's probably because they work on the 2500's as well. GM's own documentation for the sierra 1500 says: These charts are for use with a weight-distributing hitch. When using a weight-carrying hitch, the maximum trailer weight is 5000 lbs and a 600-lb trailer tongue weight. A weight-distributing hitch and sway control are required for trailer weights greater than 5000 lbs. http://www.gmc.com/content/dam/GMC/global/master/nscwebsite/en/home/Tools/Download_A_Brochure/01_Images/2014-gmc-trailering-guide.pdf And not to mention... did you read this? http://www.equipmentworld.com/know-your-limits-towing-more-than-5k-pounds-with-a-half-ton-pickup-is-against-the-law/

It came with a class V hitch rated for 10,000 lbs from the factory..... But it's still limited to 5000 as a load carrying hitch. someone prove me wrong, but you won't be able to find a hitch made for a 1/2 ton rated for more than 5,000 load carrying.

To tell you the truth, I think it's 5,900 max towing, 100lbs more than the stated weight of the trailer. I wasn't going to fret about he 100lbs though. The sticker even says vehicle maximum trailer rating may be less (which is certainly is). They probably just used a generic OEM gm 5,000 / 10,000 hitch on the tahoe, the same one they might use on a base model 5.3L pickup. The important thing is that it still can't tow more than 5K without a distro.....