fsts2k

All,

Picking up a new to me GT3 on Saturday morning. Going to be trailer-ing it back, about 710 miles. Have MAC tow kit for wheels with Fleece liners to secure car to the 4 D-rings. I have quite a bit of experience towing so not worried about that but with limited GT3 experience I do have a question about leaving the car in neutral with the car off.

Is it as simple as moving gear lever to N, turning off car? Does the key stay in ignition when it is in neutral? I know this is super simple but I have never had a PDK transmission car before. All mine have been manual tranmission and the automatics I have had don't usually let you turn car fully off and pull out key when the car is not in Park.

Regarding tie downs; I understand the different views on tying down via wheels or by the tow points like the Rennline. Since I am not going to be trailer-ing the car that much I am going to be super careful about cleaning wheels to remove brake dust and simply go through the wheel.

Plan to cross the two front straps to opposite D-ring and do straight on rear.

Thanks

reidry

Pull car into trailer, place in park, secure to D-rings.

I use rennline chassis mounts for the front and some custom mounts to the rear subframe in the rear.

Ryan

fsts2k

thanks, have always trailered cars in neutral, not park. This one is different?

reidry

For trailering PDK is more like an auto transmission. In park a locking dog engages in the gear train.

If the car were a manual you would tow in neutral.

Ryan

Todd B

The PDK is a bit different then an regular automatic. With an automatic, placing it in park, engages the pawl lock on the fly wheel to prevent movement. But in the PDK this is not possible since the clutches are not engaged. Porsche implemented a local mechanism on the pinion shaft that gets locked. As long as the rear brakes are cool, I would also engage the parking brake.

reidry

I couldn't remember where exactly it was located, found the following detail.

http://www.caranddriver.com/features...-pdk-tech-dept

It's on the output shaft, at the above link look at the second picture on the output shaft there is a straight cut sprocket, this is part of the locking mechanism which is engaged by a prawl.

Ryan

Seth Thomas

Are there any documents talking about towing it in P?

I am asking because I get the purpose of the straight cut sprocket but I would still tow it in neutral and the parking brake engaged. The car, no matter how good it is strapped down, will rock back and forth slightly as the straps are made to flex slightly. I would worry the little rocking would cause wear to the sprocket or the lock pin even with P engaged.

fsts2k

Thanks for info.

Seth, I looked in a 991 GT3 manual I found online, doesn't say anything about where to place gear shift lever when on auto transport. Interestingly the manual does state to strap car down by wheels and not to use tow points. The towing section is on page 221 of the GT3 manual. The manual discusses towing on all four wheels or on one axle and that Neutral (pretty obvious) should be used. Nothing about what happens when it is on the flatbed, only strapping information.

Seth Thomas

Same here. I looked before I typed the message but couldn't find anything stating what should be done when towing on a flatbed or a trailer with all 4 wheels. My practice has to always be place the car in neutral even with an automatic and the parking brake on. I feel the parking brake pads are made to absorb some of the movement of the car over the hauling better than anything mechanical inside the transmission. Plus these are a lot easier to replace than something internal in the transmission.

To be honest I think the locking dog that does engage when in Park I feel is more designed for a stationary situation in a parking spot than for towing. The diagram you shared shows it but it looks like it can be a little fragile. If you find anything on this please share it with the group as it would be helpful since there doesn't seem to be much documentation online detailing what the procedure should be.

reidry

When I picked up our first PDK car at the collection, a 981 Cayman R, I was told to put it in Park. I had always towed manuals so I put the car in neutral after securing it. When the gear lever is in any position other than Park, the ignition key cannot be removed and the electronics are not fully off. It was a relatively short trip, so I left the transmission in neutral and traveled home.

When I picked up my GT3 I was again told to put it in Park and have done so since then.

I've trailered my GT3 all over the southeast in Park without an issue.

I too would appreciate seeing something in writing from PAG or PCNA if someone finds something.

As for wheels vs chassis, I hate to run straps through wheels, when the straps are crossed to control side movement it puts all side to side load into the steering and toe control members. Transporters use over the wheel straps to prevent those loads, most of our consumer trailers aren't configured with track to support over the wheel straps. I much prefer chassis points with a reasonably long lead on the strap so the car's suspension can still move up and down a little but side to side and fore/aft is well controlled.

Ryan

reidry

I knew this had been discussed before, here is another thread with two respondents who tow PDK GT3 in park. No evidence of anything in writing from PCNA or PAG though.

https://rennlist.com/forums/991-gt3-...ur-gt3-rs.html

Ryan

fsts2k

Thanks Ryan, good input. Park it is although I will probably set the e-brake.

I am going to stick with wheel straps and probably won't cross them. Will be checking the first 50 miles a few times to ensure no movement. Leaving Friday around 5PM, looking forward to starting the GT3 journey, will be my first Porsche.

Kevin.

reidry

Here are some pictures of the chassis mounts I use.

These are just a quick fab from some plate stainless steel I had laying around the shop. The rear sub frame bolt near the swaybar mounts has plenty of threads to spare. Add a dab of Loctite when you reinstall.





These are Rennline front trailering plates, they have a small steel plate that gets inserted into the chassis tie down point just aft of the front wheels then the plate bolts into it, there are small angles on the back of the plates that register to the tie down pocket to prevent rotation.



I leave both the front plates and the rear tabs installed all the time for street use. For the track I take the front plates off so full ground clearance is maintained. It helps to have a magnetic retriever tool or other short magnet to get that little steel plate out of the tie down pocket.

Ryan

rodney2

I always leave the vehicle in neutral until it was strapped or chained down. That way the car was able to move a little without putting tension on pins in the transmission or be pulling against the brakes. After tiedown get back in the vehicle and set the emergency brake first. Then placed it in park or put it in gear. Since there is no bind on the transmission it will easily come out of park when you go to unload. Those tiedown plates Reidry discussed above are the way to go.

fsts2k

Towed car ~700 miles home on Saturday, was a solid 32 hours total (down and back was ~1400 miles). Pulled car into trailer, put in park and set e-brake, turned off, strapped front and rear wheels. Did not cross straps up front or rear. Checked car after first 20 miles and bumps, had not moved but tightened straps one click.

Got it home, all is fine.. Took it for first full drive on Sunday in 45 degree damp weather, new GT3 owner now... loving it. Now where is spring?

Will do new thread at some point detailing the drive up, back, and ownership. Currently obsessing over the Suncoast website.