i tried to get a good flying start early today so i held the revs at about 2.5-3K rpm and then let the clucth out. i didn't just drop the clucth but i didn't ride it either.

anyhow yes the car flew off the line but i thought the bloody thing was on fire. all i could smell for the next mile or so was a horrid burning smell.
Now i'm gussing it was just the clucth but want to confirm that i haven't done any real damage (albiet shorten the life of my cluch by 5K miles)

burning smell has stopped now.

is it normal for the car to smell like this when launched from a standstill?

 

If you let the clutch slip too much then yes it's normal. I've done it before expecting the clutch to grip but the surface was too grippy and the clutch was the weakest point It should be ok after it has cooled down.

 

Yes and Yes Chris. I did it once or twice myself, but after a mile or so the smell goes. You should be fine as long as there is no unusual noise now. It **** me up the first time.....

Dave

 

Burning clutch.......a classic scooby launch trait

 

asked the same question about 6 months ago, even booked it in for a new clutch only to be told it is perfectly normal, even a brand new clutch can slip and smell if launched at high revs.
Since then I have manged to control the car a lot better, just getting it rolling before launching makes the difference, but if I go on a run with the guys, then I can easily get the smell back!

 

cheers guys.

guessed it was the clucth but wanted to make sure.

yeah i was a little concerned at first.
No unsual noises.
no clucth slipping durring normal driving/accelarting.

 

Lovely smell... the sign you just gave it large.
4-5k launches are more fun, but waiting for it to go bang some time.
Not that I do it much.........

 

Everything should be able to cope at 3k. The clutch and drivetrain shouldn't suffer as you aren't generating that much power/torque. Try a couple of launches at 5k rpm and just step off the clutch. The smell lasts for weeks .... (the clutch unfortunately doesn't)

 

Yep, 5k launches are the proper ones . I go through a clutch a year on avg for a reason. However I don't sidestep or do anything mental like that and I am as sympathetic as possible with the launches after many years experience of inhaling toasted clutch . Doing a full bore launch on a drag strip is one thing, at a junction etc you have to be more sensible obviously.

 

mmmm......burning clutch......

YouTube - Subaru- Drag racing - what happens when you launch in 2nd

 

and yes thats smoke from the clutch on the vid .....not the exhaust

 

2nd gear! what happened did you forget what you was doing?

 

erm.....was testing the clutch

still a 13.6s@112mph launching in 2nd gear and smoking the clutch all the way up the strip....

more importantly not losing the heads up