New clutch producing a burning smell
05-31-2021, 10:13 PM
#1
Registered
Thread Starter
New clutch producing a burning smell
Hello, I've recently replaced the clutch and transmission.
I used a stock exedy clutch kit I purchased from BHR.
There were some complications along the way (as there always are!) and now I am hyper concerned about the smell of burnt clutch.
First things first: I found out on my initial test drive that I did not bleed the slave cylinder enough because smoke started seeping out from under the hood (and the smell of burnt clutch flooded the cabin). Even in neutral the clutch seemed to be partially engaged and was burning itself up.
I've since bled the system further (no more air bubbles!), but am still concerned about this happening as the smell reappeared after another test drive (no smoke, and the smell was not in the cabin, just in my garage a bit after the drive. It is worth noting my driveway is up a ~25m long). The clutch Pedal also feels rather soft compared to what I'm used to (an older vw golf). The car also creeps slightly if I attempt to put it in gear without depressing the clutch (just for a quick test ofc).
Is there supposed to be any play between the fork and the tip of the cylinder rod? As it stands they rest against each other and I can easily rotate the rod tip (no applies force as far a si can tell)
As far as I'm aware I've done everything correctly (although the bleeding was maybe a bit... unorthodox).
TL;DR: I'm worried I've messed up somehow and am burning up the clutch.
I used a stock exedy clutch kit I purchased from BHR.
There were some complications along the way (as there always are!) and now I am hyper concerned about the smell of burnt clutch.
First things first: I found out on my initial test drive that I did not bleed the slave cylinder enough because smoke started seeping out from under the hood (and the smell of burnt clutch flooded the cabin). Even in neutral the clutch seemed to be partially engaged and was burning itself up.
I've since bled the system further (no more air bubbles!), but am still concerned about this happening as the smell reappeared after another test drive (no smoke, and the smell was not in the cabin, just in my garage a bit after the drive. It is worth noting my driveway is up a ~25m long). The clutch Pedal also feels rather soft compared to what I'm used to (an older vw golf). The car also creeps slightly if I attempt to put it in gear without depressing the clutch (just for a quick test ofc).
Is there supposed to be any play between the fork and the tip of the cylinder rod? As it stands they rest against each other and I can easily rotate the rod tip (no applies force as far a si can tell)
As far as I'm aware I've done everything correctly (although the bleeding was maybe a bit... unorthodox).
TL;DR: I'm worried I've messed up somehow and am burning up the clutch.
06-01-2021, 07:07 AM
#2
If you can smell it, it's burning. It sounds like your clutch is not disengaging fully, given that the car creeps forward. Check the pedal adjustment, there is a specification for how it should be adjusted. Google or check foxed.ca for the shop manual.
06-01-2021, 09:31 AM
#3
it doesn’t even make sense; air in the hydraulic line makes the clutch engagement less effective, not more effective.
A new OE clutch has a softer feel; it becomes more stiff as the disc wears and the pressure plate compensates for that wear.
If anything it seems like it wasn’t bled at all. One the bleed screw is opened the hydraulic pressure is released and then everything compensates to the condition of when the bleed screw is closed. This would be where the slave cylinder position relaxed to once the pressure was released through the bleed screw.
The clutch pedal position adjustment shouldn’t affect it unless it was adjusted after bleeding to the extreme point it’s forcing the master cylinder to engage and put hydraulic pressure on the clutch, but in general that should reset if the system is bled afterward as explained in the prior sentences. There might be some extreme adjustments that the system can’t account for properly, but it wouldn’t be a typical scenario to account for.
Having installed quite a few of these clutches, it doesn’t really make sense unless there’s more to the story than being conveyed.
.
A new OE clutch has a softer feel; it becomes more stiff as the disc wears and the pressure plate compensates for that wear.
If anything it seems like it wasn’t bled at all. One the bleed screw is opened the hydraulic pressure is released and then everything compensates to the condition of when the bleed screw is closed. This would be where the slave cylinder position relaxed to once the pressure was released through the bleed screw.
The clutch pedal position adjustment shouldn’t affect it unless it was adjusted after bleeding to the extreme point it’s forcing the master cylinder to engage and put hydraulic pressure on the clutch, but in general that should reset if the system is bled afterward as explained in the prior sentences. There might be some extreme adjustments that the system can’t account for properly, but it wouldn’t be a typical scenario to account for.
Having installed quite a few of these clutches, it doesn’t really make sense unless there’s more to the story than being conveyed.
.
06-01-2021, 01:59 PM
#4
Registered
Thread Starter
Although the car still has a teeny tiny bit of creep if I do the aforementioned "test", so maybe a bit more fiddling is required.
it doesn’t even make sense; air in the hydraulic line makes the clutch engagement less effective, not more effective.
A new OE clutch has a softer feel; it becomes more stiff as the disc wears and the pressure plate compensates for that wear.
If anything it seems like it wasn’t bled at all. One the bleed screw is opened the hydraulic pressure is released and then everything compensates to the condition of when the bleed screw is closed. This would be where the slave cylinder position relaxed to once the pressure was released through the bleed screw.
The clutch pedal position adjustment shouldn’t affect it unless it was adjusted after bleeding to the extreme point it’s forcing the master cylinder to engage and put hydraulic pressure on the clutch, but in general that should reset if the system is bled afterward as explained in the prior sentences. There might be some extreme adjustments that the system can’t account for properly, but it wouldn’t be a typical scenario to account for.
Having installed quite a few of these clutches, it doesn’t really make sense unless there’s more to the story than being conveyed.
.
A new OE clutch has a softer feel; it becomes more stiff as the disc wears and the pressure plate compensates for that wear.
If anything it seems like it wasn’t bled at all. One the bleed screw is opened the hydraulic pressure is released and then everything compensates to the condition of when the bleed screw is closed. This would be where the slave cylinder position relaxed to once the pressure was released through the bleed screw.
The clutch pedal position adjustment shouldn’t affect it unless it was adjusted after bleeding to the extreme point it’s forcing the master cylinder to engage and put hydraulic pressure on the clutch, but in general that should reset if the system is bled afterward as explained in the prior sentences. There might be some extreme adjustments that the system can’t account for properly, but it wouldn’t be a typical scenario to account for.
Having installed quite a few of these clutches, it doesn’t really make sense unless there’s more to the story than being conveyed.
.
I believe you're right about it not being bled at all, because surprise I didn't! Pretty dumb mistake tbh. As I said when I quoted loki, left it to idle to see what happened and there was nothing that indicated it was still happening.
Went for a lil drive to get some gas and it was fine.
I fiddled with it after making this post and seemed to have more or less fixed it, but this was my first time replacing a clutch (or doing any major mechanical work really) and I was a bit paranoid.
Thank you for the replies to my rather non-issue issue :^)
06-02-2021, 06:42 PM
#6
Registered
Thread Starter
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post