Clutch smell V8 Vantage

Clutch smell V8 Vantage

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Discussion

focusman53

Original Poster:

75 posts

114 months

Monday 17th November 2014
quotequote all
Hi all.Had my new baby about two months now. We went out for a drive with our old TVR chums. During the drive we both noticed a smell of clutch when pulling away a few times. Now I'm no drag start driver. This was when moving off normally. The car had a clutch around 5K ago, and I have only driven about 600 miles since buying the car. Can anyone tell me if this is a growing problem that will get worse,or is it something I have to live with ?
Thanks Dave.

VEIGHT

2,362 posts

227 months

Monday 17th November 2014
quotequote all
I was worried about the same on a recent tunnel run. Turns out it was the TVR in front of me…!

Has it kept smelling?

focusman53

Original Poster:

75 posts

114 months

Monday 17th November 2014
quotequote all
VEIGHT said:
I was worried about the same on a recent tunnel run. Turns out it was the TVR in front of me…!

Has it kept smelling?
haha. Very funny. Didn't notice it on the motorway on our way home on our own.

NormanD

3,208 posts

227 months

Monday 17th November 2014
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When I was looking to make a manual conversion on a Jaguar XKR I spoke to parts @ Walton regarding flywheels etc and was told they always stocked them

They told me thet the clutches were always burning out so had a good stock of clutches and flywheels

Deano84

812 posts

191 months

Wednesday 19th November 2014
quotequote all
focusman53 said:
Hi all.Had my new baby about two months now. We went out for a drive with our old TVR chums. During the drive we both noticed a smell of clutch when pulling away a few times. Now I'm no drag start driver. This was when moving off normally. The car had a clutch around 5K ago, and I have only driven about 600 miles since buying the car. Can anyone tell me if this is a growing problem that will get worse,or is it something I have to live with ?
Thanks Dave.
Did you reverse at all before pulling off? Every time I used to reserve my Manual Vantage V8 off the drive (or reverse it at all infact) I could always smell a strong clutch burning smell which would go once I started driving......

Moonhawk

10,730 posts

218 months

Wednesday 19th November 2014
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Mine smells if I let the clutch slip too much - especially in reverse.

Whichever muppet at Aston decided that reverse gear needed to be set at the same ratio as fourth (exaggeration for comedic effect) needs a f#cking slap.

Unless you are routinely doing 40mph J turns - reverse gear in a manual V8 Vantage is a joke - especially on a hill.

snuffy

9,660 posts

283 months

Thursday 20th November 2014
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Mine used to stink to high heaven, especially if reversing up hill.

roughrider

975 posts

185 months

Thursday 20th November 2014
quotequote all
Moonhawk said:
Mine smells if I let the clutch slip too much - especially in reverse.

Whichever muppet at Aston decided that reverse gear needed to be set at the same ratio as fourth (exaggeration for comedic effect) needs a f#cking slap.

Unless you are routinely doing 40mph J turns - reverse gear in a manual V8 Vantage is a joke - especially on a hill.
Try reversing a Ferrari or Maserati!! It is based on a racing gearbox [designed to take 900bhp i've been told!] from Graziano, that several car manufacturers use. Reverse gear was only meant for reversing out of a gravel trap! silly
When reversing, you have to be confident, and use as little steering lock [equals resistance] as possible.

mikey k

13,011 posts

215 months

Thursday 20th November 2014
quotequote all
Moonhawk said:
Mine smells if I let the clutch slip too much - especially in reverse.

Whichever muppet at Aston decided that reverse gear needed to be set at the same ratio as fourth (exaggeration for comedic effect) needs a f#cking slap.

Unless you are routinely doing 40mph J turns - reverse gear in a manual V8 Vantage is a joke - especially on a hill.
Its not just the manual
ASM1 does it
ASM2 reverse ratio is similar to 1st so a lot better

focusman53

Original Poster:

75 posts

114 months

Thursday 20th November 2014
quotequote all
Deano84 said:
Did you reverse at all before pulling off? Every time I used to reserve my Manual Vantage V8 off the drive (or reverse it at all infact) I could always smell a strong clutch burning smell which would go once I started driving......
No it only did it when moving off on a slight gradient.How long ago did this smell happen to you guys? And did it get any worse ? My meaning is did you have to have any work done on the clutch?.
Dave.

BravoV8V

1,858 posts

173 months

Thursday 20th November 2014
quotequote all
focusman53 said:
No it only did it when moving off on a slight gradient.How long ago did this smell happen to you guys? And did it get any worse ? My meaning is did you have to have any work done on the clutch?.
Dave.
You are probably (unintentionally) slipping the clutch slightly as you're pulling away. Especially if it was a hill start.

Apologies for the egg sucking lesson, but try not to give it any extra throttle until the clutch is fully engaged.

focusman53

Original Poster:

75 posts

114 months

Thursday 20th November 2014
quotequote all
BravoV8V said:
You are probably (unintentionally) slipping the clutch slightly as you're pulling away. Especially if it was a hill start.

Apologies for the egg sucking lesson, but try not to give it any extra throttle until the clutch is fully engaged.
No probs with the egg sucking.Never to old to learn even at 61. From my TVR days we could always hear the car revving,so you knew the when it was engaging. But the Aston is so much quieter.So I guess I will have to keep one eye on the rev counter. Thanks for your help.
Dave.

good grief

197 posts

194 months

Thursday 20th November 2014
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focusman53 said:
No probs with the egg sucking.Never to old to learn even at 61. From my TVR days we could always hear the car revving,so you knew the when it was engaging. But the Aston is so much quieter.So I guess I will have to keep one eye on the rev counter. Thanks for your help.
Dave.
I think somebody needs to pull a fuse out smile

good grief

197 posts

194 months

Thursday 20th November 2014
quotequote all
focusman53 said:
No probs with the egg sucking.Never to old to learn even at 61. From my TVR days we could always hear the car revving,so you knew the when it was engaging. But the Aston is so much quieter.So I guess I will have to keep one eye on the rev counter. Thanks for your help.
Dave.
I think somebody needs to pull a fuse out smile

tvrbod

112 posts

180 months

Friday 21st November 2014
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Hi,
Having the same problem getting used to the clutch in my Vantage, changed to Vantage from a Tuscan.

focusman53

Original Poster:

75 posts

114 months

Friday 21st November 2014
quotequote all
good grief said:
I think somebody needs to pull a fuse out smile
The fuse was out whenn I bought the car.

focusman53

Original Poster:

75 posts

114 months

Friday 21st November 2014
quotequote all
tvrbod said:
Hi,
Having the same problem getting used to the clutch in my Vantage, changed to Vantage from a Tuscan.
Aha...not just me then

Zod

35,295 posts

257 months

Friday 21st November 2014
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snuffy said:
Mine used to stink to high heaven, especially if reversing up hill.
I have to reverse uphill into the garage or out of it. It makes me wince every time.

Neil1300r

5,487 posts

177 months

Friday 21st November 2014
quotequote all
Clutch can smell awful when you are slipping it. Had it where I was doing lots of reversing, 3 point turns, etc. Car still smelt 3 days later - thought it was about to expire, but was the smell caught in the air con and filters. Reversing as has been said is normally the worst, if not on a hill you need to learn to do it with no throttle input - its the same gear as 2nd - reputedly it will do 62MPH in reverse! Its a pacakging issue in that iteration of the Gaziano gearbox, wasn't room for another cog the same size as 1st. Don't do racing starts, get off the clutch as soon as possible in 1st, use minimal throttle.

Then its fine, lots of us have done 40k+ miles on a clutch, with a bit of care. We've even had a poll on clutch wear on here in the past.

mikey k

13,011 posts

215 months

Friday 21st November 2014
quotequote all
Neil1300r said:
We've even had a poll on clutch wear on here in the past.
yes

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...