My red 'un's running like a dream. But, late last week it developed a tendency to smell a bit hot when going hard (and slowly) up steep hills - of we have many here in Derbyshire. If I back off the throttle a bit on these hills the smell does go, and when going flat out a breakneck speed on the flat it's just fine. It doesn't pink at all, and I have checked the tappets and head torques (not that I suspected them, and they were fine), and I've just changed the oil and filter. The fan is good and the oil cooler is clean. There are no other symptoms whatsoever.

The only thing I can think of is that there might be a lot of crud inside the cylinder cowlings, preventing the air from the fan from doing its job properly, and I have yet to check that. Like I say, it's fine and doesn't smell at all when travelling at speed. It does seem odd though, as it didn't smell on hills either, until last Thursday.

Any ideas? Cheers.

Dump tubes to the wings ok? Heat exchangers ok? Recently cleaned the engine [with gunk or something] which might be generating the pong?

What does hot smell like

Dump tubes are present and correct. Heat exchangers are fine, and no, I've not cleaned it since I put it back on the road at the start of April.

Well, like metal getting hot. You know! It's not a burning oil smell or owt like that.

Yeh mine does it too, i've kicked the side vents out with some extended brackets ,pushed tennis balls into the lower heater holes but it still smells 'hot' under load through the little gaps and holes like the handbrake slot i suppose, there doesnt appear to be anything wrong with it though and could be down to previous oil and debris getting hot in the engine bay ,it had a breather pipe split once which coated everything nicely so maybe i didnt get all of that off.

.....if you stop near the top of the said "steep hill" , jump out quickly and look under the bonnet .....you might see where the smoke is coming from ...
May I recommend the "Winnatts Pass" .... [and dont forget your wheel chock ....unless your handbrake is loads better than mine].

Sorry Jono ..... I'm not much help am I
OK .....I'll get my coat ....

Nahhh .....seriously,my guess is that some oil has found its way onto the chassis rails when you did the tappets & filter,and a steep hill lets it trickle back onto the cross box.


hth
best regards
T.

Alas, I checked the tappets and did the oil etc. after it had started doing this.

I've checked inside the cyclinder cowlings now, and all looks good and clear.

I think the engine is the same 'hotness' as when going on the flat but you don't smell it because the air going through the engine compartment is pushing the hot smell away from the cab too quickly. When going up hills your travelling obviously a lot slower and therefore the 'smell' gets time to permeate the passenger compartment. Does that make sense well thats my theory anyway I wouldn't worry Jono if the engine aint pinking and is running fine otherwise like you said.

Yes, I'd thought that as well, Graham. I just didn't want to admit it to myself! What's odd about this smell, is that it's only just started doing it - so something somewhere must have changed. I'll be off to France in it again in a couple of weeks, so I want to make absolutely sure all's well before I set off.