I haven't read the book, but in the film the problem was the Red October was using the caterpillar-drive https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetohydrodynamic_drive (and not a propeller/impeller) but a chance detection by Dallas' sonar along with the ingenuity of Dallas' sonar operator, who figured out how to detect and track Sean Connery's boat. Nothing to do with gravity or gyroscopes at all.