theBurlyone

I think I need to replace the clutch on my 1985 xtra cab SR5 but I'm not sure. I just recently replaced my clutch master cylinder because it was leaking all over my floor so that's not the problem. What's happening is I have noticed a pretty big decrease in power lately and can't figure it out, it also smells like burning clutch when I get out of my truck after driving it. I just want to get someone elses opinion before I dish out a couple hundred bucks on a new clutch. If I do have to replace it I was thinking of getting the downey super clutch. Any thoughts?

the_supernerd

If the clutch is bad, it will slip. The engine will rev, but the truck will not go any faster. If it is slipping bad enough to burn and smell, you should definitely be hearing the engine rev when it shouldn't. If the clutch is not slipping, then you are smelling something else burning. Can you describe the smell in more detail?

83

Oh boy...describing smells...that's got to be a hard one. After time you'll learn the difference between burning brakes and burning clutch, but to try to describe the difference between the two? Can be done I'm sure, but it's hard. You could have a stuck brake cylinder, which would mean the brakes are always grabbing, sapping power and then they'd smell. But it could be the clutch also. I agree, if they clutch is slipping enough to smell, you'd notice it slipping.

theBurlyone

I'm pretty familiar with clutches so I can say that I'm 99% positive that is what I'm smelling. But the other 1% is me thinking that I messed my rear brakes up when I "accidently" submerged my rear axle in water. But I didn't really notice it until I revved my truck up to 5,000 rpm's and dumped the clutch in my drive way to annoy my neighbor(I have a very long driveway). I did this like 5 or 6 times since I've had the truck so I'm thinking I toasted the clutch. Don't worry I haven't damaged the truck(so I don't get yelled at for thrashing a classic yota) it still meets factory compression and runs fine. I baby it over trails and everything.

83

If you really submerged the axle and don't have extended axle breathers I'd change the gear oil very soon.

Yeah, can't hurt to rule out a seized brake cylinder.

theBurlyone

yeah I'm going to put my truck up on the lift in a couple of hours and try rotating the tires to see if they rotate freely. But I will change my axle oil pretty soon then.

Wardamneagle

I put the LCEngineering Pro-street clutch in my 85 4Runner and couldn't be happier with it. The clutch pedal is no stiffer than OEM but it has 2X the holding power.

racingcameron66

war eagle!!!!!!!

theBurlyone

thanks guys but I'm pretty sure I've discovered the problem. I think I need to replace my fuel filter. I just compression tested my truck and it go the following:

#1 175psi no leaks
#2 170psi no leaks
#3 175psi no leaks
#4 175psi no leaks
(243,000 miles on original motor)

The reason I compression tested it was beacsue it was also loosing coolant rather quickly but it wasn't leaking on the ground, so I thought maybe I had a cracked head. But I was lucky and that is not the case, but thanks for your advice guys. I also changed the gear oil in both of my axles yesterday so that's fixed. Still don't know what's causing my coolant leak though. Any ideas on that?

83

I wouldn't think the fuel filter would cause the smell though..
What's rather quickly? If it's not ending up on the ground, and it's not in your oil, you're burning it. So..head gasket? Something leaky in the head (I know there's a place for coolant to leak in there but I'm not sure where...)Heater core? Is the floor or your cab wet? Smell coolant?

the_supernerd

Both of my trucks have been leaking coolant from the head gasket on the exhaust side of the engine. You can see where it is coming out, but it does not seem to drip. It looks like it dries up on the way down the block. Neither one has any other symptoms of a blown head gasket. This is not my thread, but it has pics of a similar leak:
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f116...e-pics-116036/

83

Yeah I've got a leak or two that sometimes does, sometimes doesn't make it to the ground, but leaves a dried green streak on the side of my block. I don't notice it "consuming" coolant though, certainly not anything I'd call "rather quickly". Seems like if it's actually going through coolant there will either be a puddle, or it's being burned.

theBurlyone

The only problem is that I'm not getting white smoke out my tailpipe and it's not leaking on the ground, there's also nothing leaking down the block. I wonder if When I filled it the level was so low that it simply sucked it back into the block and I just need to add more. But for now I need to go to a job interview so I can hurry up and get home to install my fuel filter. Also maybe I'm just letting the clutch slip while I'm driving and that's why I'm smelling burning clutch.

83

Yeah...if it was really low, you've got to keep adding. With the engine COLD, check the overflow reservoir level. Add to around full. Drive it. Check it again with the engine cold. Keep filling until it stays level. If after a few of times you're still adding it, then you're definitely losing it somewhere. You're sure it's not in your oil? I'm guessing you'd know because I can't imagine it would run well, but it's another place to check.

theBurlyone

yeah its due for an oil change in about 800 miles so I'll find out then. But the last time I changed it it wasn't like a milk shake at all it was perfectly pure oil, dirty but pure. So I think my coolant level was just really low.

83

Good. By the way, waiting until an oil change to check for coolant in your oil is not the way to go. You'll see it on the dipstick if it's really leaking into there, and if it's really leaking into there your engine would be pretty much destroying itself. Because of that I'm guessing that this isn't your problem, but just saying, if your problem is coolant in your oil, it's not something to "wait until the next oil change" to check. It's a "oh s*#t my I've got coolant in my oil and if my engine isn't already destroyed it's well on it's way!!".