smelly clutch problem

So recently i got stuck in a snow storm in my 2wd 4 banger. Since i have an open diff, one wheel was doing nothing but spinning on ice and the other rear wheel wasnt moving at all. A buddy of mine was pushing from the front while i had it in reverse, but since he weights about 120lbs i thought it would be better for me to push and have him drive. We both drive stick very well but since it was his first time driving my truck, he cooked my clutch like you wouldnt believe. He was rev'ing like crazy and never fully took his foot off the clutch pedel. Once i smelled that horrible burning smell i told him to get the hell out. I was finally able to get out of the snow but i think i might have an even bigger problem now. For some reason ever since then, i smell burning clutch every time i drive. Not as bad as that night he cooked it, but it always smells. even a quick 10 minute drive. Im never rough on my truck and like i said before, i know how to drive a manual very well. what the hell could it be? is it damaged? and if yes, what has gone bad?

 

Wish I could help you; but, I don't know why it would continue to smell. I had a 1988 Isuzu Trooper where I could occasionally smell that awful clutch burning smell when semi-stuck in the snow. However, the smell did not occur again until I would get semi stuck in the snow again. I eventually wore out the clutch to the point of replacing it.

 

could be one of the oils, that wouldnt be out of the questions the way you described trying to get outta the snow!

 

It sounds like it's slipping a bit...causing it to stink. Try putting it in 4 or 5 gear at a fairly low speed and pushing the gas pedal to the floor. If the rpm rises but the truck doesn't respond as it should...then it's slipping and you're on borrowed time.

 

That sounds like an idea but how fast or slow should i be going if i throw it in 4th or 5th? Wouldnt that stress the engine?

 

Be lucky that this didn't happen.

I had some snow fun in an empty parking lot last week, and was hitting the rev limiter pretty hard from 1st to 2nd, and smelled a burning clutch.I wasn't riding it, but i suppose shifting while the engine's revving so hard and the tires are slipping is definitely not a good idea.

Stopped smelling after that night, though, so maybe yours is going out, or is a weak low quality clutch? I don't know, but mine is supposedly brand new, according to the previous owner, and I drive my truck pretty hard.

 

I only have 27k on the truck and its still the stock clutch. Its suprising that it would happen only after that one time of abuse. Im still not sure if its going bad because other then the smell it drives fine, but of course the smell is a warning sign. Only time will tell i guess. F#@* !!!!

 

This video pretty much sums up what he did exept i was on ice, not a drag strip and i didnt have a whole crowd with me to make him feel stupid.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quTeXhdfoA4&feature=fvw

 

You won't hurt the engine. Just experiment some....try 5th gear at about 35 mph and see what happens.

 

X2. People dog the sh!t outta there engines and they hold up just fine. Just dont bounce off the rev limiter like crazy or even do it once imo, even though its there to protect your engine its better not to. I have never bounced off the limiter in my truck and dont plan to either.

 

Just get going about 35 MPH in 5th, floor it and then give the clutch a quick jab (while keeping the gas floored). If the revs go up and then come right back down as the truck continues to accelerate, you're fine. If the revs go up and stay up - or increase (clutch slipping) you're probably going to be buying a new clutch fairly soon. If the revs go up before you even give the clutch a jab, then it's slipping badly and you'll be buying a new one very soon.

I used to drive a '99 Nissan Altima with a 5-speed - and at about 100K miles I could make the clutch slip by doing the above procedure, but it did not slip in normal driving. I drove it for several YEARS like that and just handed it down to my daughter when I bought my Tacoma. She learned to drive stick on it (hard on a clutch) and has been driving it about 10 months. It finally started slipping in normal driving (when accelerating mildly with the clutch out) recently and I finally put a new clutch in it this past week - at 160K miles.

Bottom line... Your buddy definitely shortened the life of your clutch, but there's no way to know how much. Unless it's slipping noticeably in normal driving, you're OK for now. The smell will go away eventually. It might last another 10K miles or 100K+... just depends on how much friction material he burned off and how you drive it from here on out.

 

Wow... that's painful to watch! What an idiot.

 

i know, it hurt to watch and the smell almost made me tear

 

Just keep driving your truck, the friction pads on the clutch are probably worn uneven from your buddy burning it, and once they burn the high spots off your clutch will stop smelling. The same thing happened to mine and I've put 20k on it with no problem.