Funny smell, could it be clutch?

   / Funny smell, could it be clutch? #1  

BeezFun

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 1, 2009
Messages
2,480
Location
IL
Tractor
Kubota B2710
I was pulling a very heavy trailer through the pasture with my B2710 and there was a smell that I've never noticed. I don't think it was the clutch burning because I've smelled car clutches before and it didn't smell quite like that. The engine RPMs did not increase and stayed appropriate for the speed I was travelling, not what I would expect if the clutch was slipping. Is it possible the hydraulic fluid got so hot it smelled? I touched the HST filter and one of the hydraulic pipes on the transmission and they were too hot to hold my hand on, but they were not hotter than I'd expect.
 
   / Funny smell, could it be clutch? #2  
not sure why you're thinking clutch... with HST, I suspect you don't have one.

could be engine and/or HST got a little hotter than usual... maybe just the carbon burning out of the muffler.

Pete
 
   / Funny smell, could it be clutch? #3  
could have pushed a bit of antifreeze out of the overflow onto the engine....smells sweet! I'd check radiator.
 
   / Funny smell, could it be clutch? #4  
Is your engine temp gauge working? Your first worry is engine overheating... radiator core can get clogged with fine clippings from mowing, for example, or maybe one of the usual cooling issues with engines... thermostat, low coolant, leaking head gasket, etc. If all of that is OK, the next is the HST system... fluid low or old or dirty. Any leaks? Could be a brake that's either dragging or inadvertently set. Check rear wheel and axle for heat, maybe jack up the rear wheels a bit so they can turn and check for any drag. If all that is good, another possiblity is the tires are slipping on the rims... check tire inflation. By the way, were you pulling in low range?
 
   / Funny smell, could it be clutch? #5  
not sure why you're thinking clutch... with HST, I suspect you don't have one.

could be engine and/or HST got a little hotter than usual... maybe just the carbon burning out of the muffler.

Pete
B2710 and similar tractors all have a clutch. Later models of this size tractors do not have a clutch.
 
   / Funny smell, could it be clutch?
  • Thread Starter
#6  
Is your engine temp gauge working? Your first worry is engine overheating... radiator core can get clogged with fine clippings from mowing, for example, or maybe one of the usual cooling issues with engines... thermostat, low coolant, leaking head gasket, etc.
Gauge works, that's the first thing I checked. I wasn't mowing and radiator screen is clean. Coolants right up to level but I'll check for small leaks.

If all of that is OK, the next is the HST system... fluid low or old or dirty. Any leaks?
Fluids coming up for a change soon, but it's not low or dirty and I've never seen a leak.

Could be a brake that's either dragging or inadvertently set. Check rear wheel and axle for heat, maybe jack up the rear wheels a bit so they can turn and check for any drag. If all that is good, another possiblity is the tires are slipping on the rims... check tire inflation.
Tractor rolls freely on even a slight incline, so don't think it's brakes, I felt everything back there and nothing seemed hot except the hydraulic lines, which I'd expect. I just checked tires because I was using the loader that day.

By the way, were you pulling in low range?
yes
 
Last edited:
   / Funny smell, could it be clutch?
  • Thread Starter
#7  
After reviewing some old posts, I think what I'm smelling is the vented gas from hydraulic system. Several folks have mentioned smelling this, particularly when backing up. I guess the wind has to be blowing just right, or maybe not blowing, and you get a whiff of the hot hydraulic fluid.
 
   / Funny smell, could it be clutch? #9  
After reviewing some old posts, I think what I'm smelling is the vented gas from hydraulic system. Several folks have mentioned smelling this, particularly when backing up. I guess the wind has to be blowing just right, or maybe not blowing, and you get a whiff of the hot hydraulic fluid.

Yes, you can get a whiff of the HST juice occasionally. On my larger tractor, it only seems to happen on a warm day when I'm using the FEL, and it's always done that. As long as it's "perfume" and not an actual leak, it's nothing to worry about.
 
   / Funny smell, could it be clutch?
  • Thread Starter
#10  
Yes, you can get a whiff of the HST juice occasionally. On my larger tractor, it only seems to happen on a warm day when I'm using the FEL, and it's always done that. As long as it's "perfume" and not an actual leak, it's nothing to worry about.

M buddy had his New Holland over today to do some work together and I smelled the same odor from his tractor after we had been working for awhile. So I think it's just something I never noticed before.
 

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