Clutch smell from F53?

[ctcamper]

I stopped at the top of the continental divide on I90 westbound and again after doing a hill climb on 93 north toward glacier and I could smell something like a clutch or brake odor. I know it's not brakes so I am figuring it is from the transmission. About 4K on the coach so far The temps on the tranny never got above 167 and the temp of the engine never went above 211 so everything was running cool enough.
I haven't smelled it after normal driving, just on long climbs.

[LVJ58]

Do you have a supplemental braking device on your toad? If so and it malfunctions and causes the toad brakes to drag that could be the source of the odor, or the pads on your coach service or brakes could be dragging. Another source could be if the parking brake isn't fully disengaging.

Since you say you only smell it on hill climbs the brake odor could be residual from braking on the downgrades. Just a thought.

Good luck on finding the source

[Mekanic]

You are probibly smelling the brakes from the vehicles going downhill while you were going uphill. if there is a lot of traffic the smell will almost be never ending.

[ctcamper]

I have only smelled it those two times after the long climbs. I seemed to smell it only when I walked around near the steps of the coach toward the center of the MH. When I stop at rest areas it is normal smells and just alot of noise from heat on the metal.. clicking but no abnormal smell.
I took a wiff around the wheels of both the MH and toad and no odor there.
Unless it's just paint that is still curing that is burning off still when it gets a little hotter on climbs,as the coach is still fairly new, but it smells alot like cluch/brake. I am using the scangauge for the temps.170 is not bad for the tranny compared to my last coach, normal tranny temps run 157 to 161 for this rig it seems.

Very strange.

Am I perhaps running to low in rpms? I have been pulling the hills in the 3K to 4500 range

[Mekanic]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LVJ58 Do you have a supplemental braking device on your toad? If so and it malfunctions and causes the toad brakes to drag that could be the source of the odor, or the pads on your coach service or brakes could be dragging. Another source could be if the parking brake isn't fully disengaging. Since you say you only smell it on hill climbs the brake odor could be residual from braking on the downgrades. Just a thought. Good luck on finding the source

Good point!! To the OP
If you have a infared temp gun check all the barkes.

[ctcamper]

I am wondering if something is burning off like overspray from the factory. I had a problem with that when I first ran the generator for an extended time and it stunk and set off the CO detector. The area that it was the strongest in just has the Catalytic converter there. The area where the transmission is and the parking brake is further forward. I would think it would have burned off by now but maybe the hill climb is making it just hot enough in that area.
I have checked at each rest area otherwise and no smell, just after those two hill climbs. I wouldn't have known about it except I stopped to walk the dogs which is why I pulled over. No smell in the coach at all.
Toad brakes are fine and working good. I have an led hooked up that feeds off the brake pedal switch so I know if the pedal is depressed in the tow and no problems there.

I'll have to get a temp gun next trip to Harbor Freight, would be good to have

Tranny fluid is nice and clear pink and no smell so it's doing it's job with ease.

[Luv2go]

Look for the coupon for the IR temp gun from Harbor Freight, they usually have them for $29 and change. I've gotten one in the mail recently, so you should be able to find one.

170F is fine for the transmission, mine has gotten to around 190 going up a 9% grade with 15MPH curves in NC (90 degree ambient temp), much better than my last coach also.

I would suspect overspray also, there are a couple of heat shields near the catalytic converter on my coach where the paint is slightly bubbled, and my basement compartments do get warm when the engine is working hard.

Have you put the Cylinder Head temp X-Gauge in your scangauge also? I use that along with coolant temp, it varies from the same as coolant temp (about 195) going down grades to 20 degrees above coolant temp climbing grades.

[mahon1993]

Were you using the dash air conditioner. The clutch on the AC compressor smells like brakes if it is slipping.
Greg

[ctcamper]

I did have the dash ac on

I will try to see if the x gauge codes for the heads work on mine. I had to have them make up a code for the transmission as the published codes didn't work. Maybe they have updated the list since.

[ctcamper]

Must have been the paint... seems to have vanished when I checked again on the return trip on the divide. PHew. Maybe there was some mingling clutch/brake odor as someone said along with the curing paint that made it smell so much like clutch.

Saw some guy on top going west with a 70's class C on a van chassis pulling a trailer with a van on it..... needless to say he had overheated.....