Strange smell after a hard snatch pull

[Patrol'n]

Howdy blokes,

Wondering if anyone has had experience with a burning smell from under the car, I just got back from a weekend away at the Yaegarup dunes, while we were there we helped a bloke in a Toyota who had lost his clutch, (his hydraulic line rubbed on the extractors and burnt through). To be fair it had a pretty impressive mustang 347ci V8 in it.

Anyhow, the sand was very soft in places, and my GQ was working very hard to get him moving. After one hard pull (and a fair bit of wheel spin), my car had a somewhat unpleasant burning smell coming from it...

I rested it overnight, and the smell wasn't as bad, and it has gotten less bad over the last couple of days, even with a bit of decent off roading. I was worried it was the clutch as I was revving it pretty hard, but it seems to perform ok on and off road, doesn't slip if I do the old compression lock into second on down change, and seems to drive ok generally. Got us all the way back from Pemberton after hundreds of k's, although there is still a little bit of a smell.

So I was thinking instead could it have just been oil in the gearbox / transfer case / diff getting very hot, and should I look at draining the oil from the diffs, gearbox and transfer case, or is clutch most likely?

Thanks all for reading, any advice would be appreciated before I start spending money. I kinda hoped to spend some cash on a winch, not replacing parts that are ok...............

[lhurley]

What did it smell like?

Hard question I know, but have a stab at it. Clutch has a very destinct smell, as does gearbox and diffs.

[Patrol'n]

What did it smell like?

Hard question I know, but have a stab at it. Clutch has a very destinct smell, as does gearbox and diffs.

It reminds me somewhat of the smell of the old oil from my diff on one of my old done up geminis about 15 years ago, I think it smelled somewhat like the oil I drained out of that diff, (and got all over my overalls)!

I can't decide whether it was more a burning sulfur or burning newspaper smell

[Dales300exc]

My money would be on a bit of clutch slip causing it. It should go away and if its not slipping then nothing to worry about.

[threedogs]

My money would be on a bit of clutch slip causing it. It should go away and if its not slipping then nothing to worry about.

X 2 on it being the clutch

[BigRAWesty]

A bit of lubricant always help the friction.

[Avo]

what days where you down there?we went down marlimup and drove along and came out of yeagerup on sunday..and did you catch any salmon?

[Patrol'n]

what days where you down there?we went down marlimup and drove along and came out of yeagerup on sunday..and did you catch any salmon?

We were there from Friday night to Monday morning, did you happen to drive down the beach as far as the end near the summertime track? If you saw a silver GQ parked with the awning out and a green tent then that was me. We came in via the warren park entry but ended up down the other end for a little more peace and quiet.

Also did a very entertaining night drive round some of the tracks in the forest, my spotlights just aren't enough, next on the list was to be a winch, but the light bar might be first now

Nope, the one thing I forgot on the trip was the fishing gear......

Stupid of me, everyone I saw was pulling in huge fish!

[Avo]

Bugger..anytime you come down give us a PM mate..live down the road..can here the waves crashing at my joint...I put some pics up on the fishing hunting thread...every salmon over 850mm..went down Saturday and came home sunday arvo...marlimup was quiet as and fish every 30 min..if you came from the warren river end we camped on the beach about 6km from the merrup river crossing

[Avo]

we had our roof top and awening set up but if you drove past during datlight hours this is all you would have seen...hi tec

[Patrol'n]

I did see that during the day, probably passed you without even knowing, I'll definitely PM you next time!

I crossed the Meerup and warren rivers, although both were very mild crossings on Saturday, was a bloody good weekend, had breakfast at the Pemberton bakery on Monday morning before we headed home. Good bacon and eggs there!

Now I have to get my clutch checked out, definitely driving a little differently than before I think, and it seems to accelerate a little less well than before and down gearing doesn't slow it down quite as effectively either, although it passed the usual tests like letting out the clutch in fourth with handbrake on, trying to be in 5th up hill, briefly locking back wheels down gearing into second etc, it's something I think I can feel. I also felt like it was slower than usual at highway speeds and on hills on the way home. Not that the RB30 is a powerhouse normally... I need every horse working to its fullest!