help! Got my clutch replaced, now my car smells of burning rubber!

[jimoss]

So i picked up my car last night after getting a new Exedy OEM clutch installed in my CL9 07 Honda Accord Euro. The clutch feels great! And has no noise at all.

However after I got home and parked the car, it started ommitting this aweful smell of burning rubber. It smelt very similar to when my clutch was slipping -it wasnt a burning oil smell it was a more dusy dark smell like burning rubber.

I am worried that the mechanic may have not correctly put my car back together.
I have driven the car on 3 small trips after getting the car back and each time, when I get out of the car it smells of this aweful burning rubber. I got someone else to drive my car to make sure it wasnt because I was riding the clutch - this guy has only ever driven manuals and has a perfect driving style with little use of clutch during changes. And it still smelt aweful afterwards.

Any ideas what it could be? I am going to call the mechanic today but I was hoping you guys could tell me what you think too. As they will probably just say - thats normal clutch wearing in, or thats probably just some oil burning off.

But surly it wouldnt be still smelling after 3 x 15-20km drives?

[hmetro24]

The clutch need to be adjusted, or it's just (break in Period). Call back the mechanic and ask him about the issue

[eg5civic]

yeah i dont think thats quite right? id definitely be calling the mechanic

When i had my orc single put in i had no funny smells or anything, just a really touchy clutch through "break in"

[bennjamin]

OP

did you experience any slipping or "hobbling" thru the clutch when driving ? Most likely when a hill start or in reverse for example.
The burning smell is the clutch disc fibres them selves - why we have to work out. It shouldnt be making any smell at all.
The following could be it
1. incorrectly machined flywheel or not machined flywheel or oil/grit on flywheel
2. overly or under torqued flywheel pressure bolts
3. pressure plate issue IE spring failure
4. clutch disc issue IE oil or gunk on disc surface

All the above can result in the clutch disc dragging or slipping and "burning" off resulting in the smell.

The euro is a heavyish car , so it may not like hill starts or stop-start traffic on a new clutch.
Personally i would call your mech - tell him about it - and continue on to drive and not overly load the clutch. Just cruise about and be easy. do 500kms and then you should be set , if it continues on (smell) or the pedal / engagement changes get to the mech asap

[jimoss]

Thanks guys for all your suggestions, much appreciated!
The mechanic is going to check it out for me tomorrow.


OP
did you experience any slipping or "hobbling" thru the clutch when driving ? Most likely when a hill start or in reverse for example.


I didnt experience any slipping at all, the clutch seemed to be perfect - much nicer than my original honda clutch. It was not making any noises while in use or stationary.



The burning smell is the clutch disc fibres them selves - why we have to work out. It shouldnt be making any smell at all.


So if it has been burning the clutch fibres while driving like this for 30-50km, could it cause any adverse effects to my new clutch? Like dramatically shorten the life of the clutch? because I dont want to have paid all this money to get it done for it to be damaged already because something was not done correctly...

[bennjamin]

I personally have never had any smell/burning on my own cars nor customers cars - the only instance i can recall is my last car clutch burnt alittle as the flywheel wasnt correctly machined. The uneven surface created burn marks in the flywheel surface !
Please go back to your mechanic and explain the situation - there should be any "smell".

[mocchi]

most likely grease/tranny oil on clutch