HELP!! SAFARI DEMON

[tuckertrucker]

Hey all need some help over here!!
Got a strange one to go over and need as much advice as I can get.

I've noticed over the last month or so that when I let the weight roll onto the handbrake with the motor still running the entire truck starts to vibrate and rattle. And it stops instantly when I release the handbrake and roll back onto the service brakes.
On top of that I've also been noticing a putrid burning smell (like burning rubber almost) when Im giving it a bit of stick. Wondering if it might be electrical because the air con, fan, right indicators and one of my head lights have all blown or stopped working, but no fuses have popped.
I've also noticed when shining a torch through the holes on the right chassis rail I can see a smokey hase flowing through it and at night you can see it wafting across the brake light. Only on the right hand side though.

Sorry about the essay here folks, but I just find it odd that all of this has started happening around the same time. The old girl is a 1992 Granroad Safari (24v, auto, turbo, silvertop). I can't figure any of it out but maybe one of you gurus can.
Cheers, Dylan

[NJV6]

Brake pad on the transmission hand brake got any lining left on it?

[mudtroll]

Somebodies plumbed the tappet cover valve into the chassis rail so your getting all the blow by hazing out of the chassis

[Crash bandicoot]

Hey all need some help over here!!
Got a strange one to go over and need as much advice as I can get.

I've noticed over the last month or so that when I let the weight roll onto the handbrake with the motor still running the entire truck starts to vibrate and rattle. And it stops instantly when I release the handbrake and roll back onto the service brakes.
On top of that I've also been noticing a putrid burning smell (like burning rubber almost) when Im giving it a bit of stick. Wondering if it might be electrical because the air con, fan, right indicators and one of my head lights have all blown or stopped working, but no fuses have popped.
I've also noticed when shining a torch through the holes on the right chassis rail I can see a smokey hase flowing through it and at night you can see it wafting across the brake light. Only on the right hand side though.

Sorry about the essay here folks, but I just find it odd that all of this has started happening around the same time. The old girl is a 1992 Granroad Safari (24v, auto, turbo, silvertop). I can't figure any of it out but maybe one of you gurus can.
Cheers, Dylan

probably a combination of things.

but 1 ensure the engine breather is not stuck in the chassi rail.
vehcial should have no forward or back motion when ingaging a transmission mounted handbrake. but is no relation to the shuddering

the shuddering is the T/C transfering drive even at idle and tends to do so to some degree even when new. it is the job of the park solenoid to engage the tail shaft or out put shaft lock when the trans is in park to stop the tail shaft roatating. shuddering with the hand brake on is simply a symptom not the cause.
also due to the diff gearing and the fact there are 4 hydraulic brakes vs one drum/handbrake the oot breaks will overcome any attempted rotation of the drive shaft by the trans. oh and i almost forgot....the putrid burning smell is your ecessivily worn trans cooking the clutch packs and fluid..think deep frier type cooking when giving it "a bit of stick"

electrical issues will be a corroded earth point or breakdown in the wiring to the right hand side of the truck headlight aircon etc could be anything, but nothing a multi meter and a little detective work won't solve

[MihiT]

My stab in the dark:

The handbrake is probably the type that wraps your prop/driveshaft with something akin to aleather belt, if this isn't operating/releasing smoothly that -could- cause something like you describe.

Changing the fluid in the box is probably worth doing anyway - and will provide diagnostics, bits of metal, shit, clutchplate, burned etc.

The electrical gremlins - if the cause of the smoke IS electrical then it sounds as though a hot wire has rubbed through and is shorting out on the chassis. The easiest way I can think of is to bung an ammeter between your main hot lead and battery terminal and watch for any current being drawn when everything is off, if yes - then possibly ground fault. pull fuses one by one entil the current goes to 0 nad you wil have IDd the circuit.

[tuckertrucker]

Cheers for all the replies guys, I think I've got a few leads to go on now. Thanks Crash, that made lots of sense about the trans cooking up. I just wasnt too sure as I have a trans temp gauge that wasnt reading very high (60-70degrees). But with crappy cooked fluid it could burn out without heating up.
Bad news though guys, had a bit of a crash today was driving through the Puketona junction and a dog or something ran across the road, instead of hitting it I swerved over the kerb through the ditch and over some bouldery things on the ground. Got the truck totally hung up on the rocks Smashed up the bash plates (and possibly the trans sump above them) and crushed one side of the handbrake drum which is now making a wierd noise with each rotation. Not sure of anything else yet as its been raining and just wanted to sit down by the time I got home.
The smokey stuff will probably be as suggested the crank breather venting into or near the chassis rail, and the electrical gremlin might just be a coincidence.
So I think I might just take it into the shop and give her a birthday. A bit of money, but will sort out the bad luck streak!