Burning smell? should i continue???

Sorry this a bit to read but i divided the reading if you dont want to know the story and just the technical stuff.

STORY:
Every year the Greek Life on our campus has a competition called TUG (same thing as tug-of-war) and every fraternity and sorority practice all year for the match that is in April.

This is my third year doing this and my team has always used my truck to tug against for practice. Tied the 100 foot rope to my bumper and let the guys pull it for practice.
I usually engage the hand brake (use a little foot brake as well) and have the team pull my truck along the dirt. Every once and a while throw it in reverse and pull the guys for good practice!



Last night was the first night that I wanted to try a new way to practice....



ISSUE:
I have the truck tied up at the front to a bunch of guys so the truck wont move... I have the truck in reverse and hold the throttle for a good minute or two at a time without moving more than an inch or two at a time. After the second go around i started to smell a burning. It smells just like burning plastic. (almost identical) i cut it off and i m tryin to think wtf it could be.

i pop the hood look under the truck. nothing is leaking. i cant locate exactly where the burning smell is coming from. The smell only occurs when i am going in reverse and not moving.

these are all the questions going through my head...
is this bad for the truck? torque converter? transmission? too much strain on the drive shaft?

anyone have any input?

 

transmission was unable to engage buddy. check tranny fluid levels, that'll be the easiest.

 

No, the transmission engaed correctly.

I was pulling a group of guys on a rope and they felt the power of the truck in reverse.

 

imagine a truck (in reverse) pulling guys like this...

 

whatever it is, its obviously not good on the truck.

 

yea figured... but i dont know if its something to be worried about.

i mean we need to practice somehow.

 

Maybe the brakes heating up.

 

Hmmmmm

 

Tie a stretch cord around a tree with their tug rope tied to that. The more they pull it the tighter the stretch cord will get and at some point when they get tired it will pull them back towards the tree. As they get closer the tension will relax and the cycle will start over again. This is good for practice and feels realistic ( as opposed to just having a solid rope around the tree with no movement )
That way you do not have to risk messing up your truck.

As for your question, i have no idea what you are smelling, but it might not be worth burning a clutch or messing up your transmission for this. I have messed up a transmission trying to help a buddy pull out his b-pillar on his car after he got t- boned. Not worth it.

 

It's an auto.

Anytime you are not moving but still giving it gas, you are shearing transmission fluid. It gets very hot, very fast. It's not good for the trans. You're better off with a weighted drag, ie tractor pull sled.

 

that's a good way to kill your automatic trans. you could have cooked your fluid, torque convertor, or clutches.

 

Or hot cats no air flow sitting still under load.

 

i considered the Cats at one point. i went under the truck to smell one of em and i really couldn't figure out where it was coming from just because it was so potent everywhere. ill check my fluids tomorrow.

i really appreciate all the feedback though guys.

thanks

i suppose we will have to figure out an alternative way to practice.

 

or just go back to giving it brakes and no reverse pulls with the truck

 

we've thought about making a machine to lift a barrel at one point but costs were to high. i think we may have to go back to the original way of practice and just use the E-brake and brake pedals...

agreed on the not worth it part 100%

good point. thats something to consider since a buddy actually has a tractor. but its a bit of a drive...

all those things were going through my head at the time. just couldnt pin point it.




obviously its bad motions to be putting my truck through.