Took Rosie my 69 Vdub for a spin today and while i was waiting at a set of lights I could smell something burning. I had friends in a car behind me and when we got to our destination my friend said it smelt of burning oil.

I checked the engine housing and all seemed fine and didnt smell it after that. On arrival home i decided to check over the car what i found was oil in the back of the rear left drum and wheel. I had been told that i had a possibly leaky left wheel axle seal which I can now confirm.

What i am thinking is some of the oil go onto the hot drum and caused the smell, does that seem like a reasonable explanation?

looks like i'll be booking rosie in soon for some new rear axles seals.

It seams very likely, it could also be and overfilled air cleaner if you have the oil bath one, it happened to me, filled it too much and was driven round town and could smell burning oil so next time i stopped had a little look, and could see the intake of the air filter was wet with oil and was dropping straight onto the tinware.

Thanks I checked the oil filled air filter and it did have some signs of oil but nothing on the manifold etc, I am still thinking its the rear axle but will keep an eye on the filter as you suggested

Car is already in the hands of Adam and Mick from RAW

Raw Auto Werks

Should be back in a few days with new rear axle seals and a repaired bonnet hinge

youll know if its an axle seal cos tranny oil stinks big time
but i doubt very much it would get hot enough to smell like burny oil

the engine could be leaking oil onto something hot somewhere
single port oil coolers leak down onto the barrels which gives a nice burny smell but isnt really visable till it starts dripping out the bottom

Well the rear left axle seal was leaking pretty bad and running down the tyre so either way it was well due for repair

leaking oil in/on a hot drum will smell.

If it has leaked inside (usually does) then you will need to replace the brake shoes, and both sides should be done so the wear is the same.

thanks Craig hopefully the brakes are ok as they were only replaced recently before I bought the car

If you have that much oil coming out then I doubt they will be OK.............brake shoes are cheap and are easy and quick to replace, so $$ shouldn't be that much.

Thanks Lee, Adam (Polski) has the car already i dropped it over to him tonight and he had a look and definitely leaking gearbox fluid.

He did say last month when i bought it that it had shown signs of leaking and I would have to replace them however with all the driving i have been doing it got worse. I had planned to do them so Adam will do it this week as well as welding the bonnet hinge that has broken

I am sure if the brake shoes require replacing, Mick and Adam from RAW will do the right thing. I assume unless the oil was just burning on the rear of the drum then the pads will need replacing.

I'll let you know how it all pans out

Three things that are critical safety points that you just don't skimp on, STEERING, SUSPENSION, and BRAKES. These things keep you alive each day on the roads (and other road users). As a mechanic I have seen what Lee suggested and have seen what happens when the brakes warm up and the oil that was supposedly washed off, comes back to the surface and the result is like the shoes aquaplane across the surface.

Yep, not replacing is a BIG no no............brake cleaner is for cleaning brake parts, not shoes.