Insanely vague query - burning rubber smell

[T Y L E R]

For the last 5-7 days when I start driving the truck I notice the faintest scent of burning rubber. Sometimes I'm sure it's carried thru the air exchanging in the cab, but I can really smell it for a moment when I get out once parked. I start sniffing around and can only narrow it down to the engine area. Or perhaps the driver side bay area .. as I can always catch a scent from the DS FR well.

I've no idea where to start looking for this.



TY

 

[Riad]

Sticky brake pad(s) or unbalanced tire(s)

 

[SLOwag]

I had the same symptoms until I serviced the rear brakes and found one side was dragging. Mine didn't smell like burning brakes, smelled just like you described. I also installed a complete new exhaust system at the same time, including headers...doubt that was the problem. Similar thread in 60's tech right now.

 

[C6H12O6]

I had the same thing once after a drive up some windy roads into the mountains. It was followed by a gurgling sound somewhere in the coolant passages along the top of the engine, thus starting my head gasket panic. Luckily, nothing since and my UOA is fine, so the HG has been moved to the summer break PM list.

I was never able to pinpoint the rubber smell, but it was definitely coming from my truck and the engine compartment was as close as I could pinpoint as well. My thread after New Years didn't turn any helpful info up either, but I doubt it was a sticking pad. Maybe a tire issue, but mine was not the smell of hot tire rubber, it was very distinctly burning rubber. Kind of a hard smell to mistake for anything else.

I would (and did) check for any hoses or wires that might be coming in contact with the exhaust. I didn't find anything, but that doesn't mean you wont. PHH ok? Check for charred wires around the various sockets in the engine bay. Also look for any blown fuses. Make sure you aren't getting any weird arcing on your battery/alternator wires and that you aren't arcing a spark plug wire (engine on in the dark, watch for sparks when you move wires around).

Good luck, man. I hate mysterious crap like this. Please post up if you figure it out.

Steve

 

[T Y L E R]

Well, I will start by going back to the dollar store, and picking up a rubber mallet I saw there for $1.50 . Nothing but quality tools for this guy . Then I'll pound the parking brake pads back down into the correct positions Rick mentioned on another thread. I was playing with them, and for some reason after checking they weren't seized, I pulled the small rubber booty portion away from the tires thinking that was the neutral position for them. Now I realize it is not! Thing is, each time I hop out and sniff around I never get a rubber smell from the back of the 80, only the front ..

After that I'll do a thorough check of the engine bay. I never had this smell when I drove home from Co last month, so I doubt it's tire balancing.


TY

 

[Cruiserdrew]

Sometimes fresh grease will fling out of the drivshaft onto the exhaust and give a smell like this for a few days. If you have not greased it since Slee's, then that isn't it, but it's easy to check.

 

[T Y L E R]

I thought about that .. maybe I'll take the camera down to the garage and snap some pics of the belly. I seem to remember some wet spots but assumed they were from the work done last month, with overspray of lubes etc. (Canadian rigs suck for salt and seizing nutz)


The only other variable I can think of is the weather. It has been melting for the last week. So there has been lots of water flying off the tires. That shouldn't equate to a rubber smell though, as it hits hot stuff ..


TY

 

[T Y L E R]

Ok .. got the mallet, and wacked on the parking brakes to push the rubber boot back towards the tire. It seems the two sides are tied together, so after getting the DS into place nicely, and then doing the PS, I noticed the DS pulled out again. So I settled for a neutral balance between the sides for now.

Here's a pic. You think it's the grease being thrown up onto the muffler? I just got home now and the smell was hard to detect, so I wonder if the 80 needs to really heat up before it's noticeable. I only went a few miles this time.

 

[nickw]

I used to have a 1981 Toy Mini truck. I once had grease fly out of the drive shaft onto the muffler and start burning. I was on the highway and I pulled over. Took me awhile to find the smell.

Cheers,
Nick

Ok .. got the mallet, and wacked on the parking brakes to push the rubber boot back towards the tire. It seems the two sides are tied together, so after getting the DS into place nicely, and then doing the PS, I noticed the DS pulled out again. So I settled for a neutral balance between the sides for now.

Here's a pic. You think it's the grease being thrown up onto the muffler? I just got home now and the smell was hard to detect, so I wonder if the 80 needs to really heat up before it's noticeable. I only went a few miles this time.

 

[photogod]

Do you think the belts might be slippin a bit to get the smell? Maybe if they are getting wet they might slip a bit. Just a thought. Looks like it might be the grease from the DS as was mentioned. It will smell till the grease burns off then it will smell no more till you get it lubed again.

 

[Driley]

Same smell...

My 94 LC has the same smell. Mine had a slight antifreeze scent, but found a loose clamp on a heater hose (not PHH). It was dripping onto the exhaust shield on the top of engine PS. I though that was it, but the burnt rubber smell is still there. My DS front knuckle is wet with an occasional glob of grease hanging (front axle service on schedule). The smell dissipates within about 5 minutes of shutting engine off. Random fluid hitting exhaust is my biggest suspect. Please let us know what you find and I will do the same.

Thanks,

Riley

 

[sjcruiser]

I'm guessing it's the splattered grease on the exhaust since it still looks wet on the gas tank guard, and even on the muffler itself.

 

[landtank]

It seems the two sides are tied together, so after getting the DS into place nicely, and then doing the PS, I noticed the DS pulled out again.

this is common if the handle in the cab is not 100% pushed down. Which happens because the return mechanism is seized.

 

[Mickldo]

My guess would be engine drive belts and/or idler pulleys. Not familliar with the belt layout of a 1FZ used to diesels but same thing happened to my mates HJ60 over on Fraser Is. the other weekend. He noticed a rubber burning smell from the front of the cruiser so I popped the bonnet and found the AC idler pulley had a little runout. Removed the belt and pulley and found the the pulleys bearing was ****ed even though it didn't make any noise. The mate wasn't happy as he had to spend the rest of the weekend with no AC(middle of QLD summer).

 

[Koffer]

fore play before or maybe some lube if in a hurry