Could worn clutch cause Burning Smell?

[rossyl]

Hi

My clutch is on its very last legs. I can't see any problems or leaks in the engine bay. There's no smoke or anything in the engine bay. But I do smell it in the engine bay. I don't get the burning smell when moving, I can smell it when stationary.

Could the worn clutch be causing the smell?

Or, is it more likely that I'm not spotting a leak?

Car is an MX-5 MK1 1.8 UK car.

Thanks

[4x4Tyke]

If it's slipping yes, the smell does linger.

[anonymous-user]

Is it definitely a clutch sort of smell? One of my mk1s was burning a lot of oil but you could only smell that when you stopped (or gave it the mega-beans and then slowed right down), quite a different smell to clutch or brakes though and mostly smelled at the rear

Have you checked to see if one front wheel is hotter than the others, maybe a stuck front caliper?

Does is smell even if you leave it running but don't drive it?

[996TT02]

4x4Tyke said:

If it's slipping yes, the smell does linger.

This. If it is not slipping then no. Don't delay too much or you may damage flywheel.

[rossyl]

Sorry for the slow response. Really struggling to work it out.

It doesn't smell like clutch. Smells more like oil. Doesn't happen all the time.

Think I'll change the clutch and get the garage to have a proper look around for this oil smell.

It's a track car, so I want to fix it as the engine gets revved the hell out of.

[cj2013]

rossyl said:

Sorry for the slow response. Really struggling to work it out.

It doesn't smell like clutch. Smells more like oil. Doesn't happen all the time.

Think I'll change the clutch and get the garage to have a proper look around for this oil smell.

It's a track car, so I want to fix it as the engine gets revved the hell out of.

Depends what you adjudge to be the symptoms of 'last legs' then.

If the main bearing seal is leaking oil onto the clutch (causing slip that is not necessarily down to wear on the friction plate) then that might fit

[rossyl]

So I finally figured out what this was.

It was the CAS O-Ring leaking oil directly into the clutch.