Originally Posted by kerry edwards

I too have towed stick tranny cars on 4 wheels. However, I have heard of this problem occurring before and I know I have read somewhere that MB's with standard transmissions shouldn't be towed. I believe there is a problem with a bearing not getting lubrication if the transmission is in neutral. I can't remember where I read it but I was reading a lot on this topic earlier in the year when I was trying to figure out what to tow behind my motorhome. I ended up getting a 4wd Suzuki Sidekick but I was considering a manual transmission 123 until I came across the info.

Originally Posted by R Leo

This has all been discussed before...
I've pulled several 4-speeds and a 5-speed w/back wheels on the ground for 200+ miles and had no problems with the gearboxes. If you look at a cross section of the transmission the gearing in the rear of the case will splash plenty of lubricant when being turned by the driveshaft.

I suspect that the failure mentioned above was brought on by a low lubricant level or some other non-towing related issue.