new to me 2012 r-t shifting problems

[youngers]

Hello folks ! I know this has been kicked around quite a bit , about the shift problems in the :spyder2: machines , so I reached out too one of our good members and got a reply , so I will kind of fill in as I go I suppose ! so here I had been out on my 2012 having a blast , noticed the shifting was getting a bit squirrely , then it went too not shifting at all , { glad I had it in the drive way } turned off the engine , shifted into reverse cranked it up and backed in real slow ! took off the clutch reservoir , { as I have the spyder r-t with the clutch and pedal , feels better for me than a finger flip switch } well took off the cap and she was indeed dry , :yikes: { I can laugh about it now I guess :) , seems all my toys had broken down in drive way of right in front of the house thank the lord } so I do have a repair manual in disc form , and the owner manual , in readers digest large print { a dang big book when you down load and print her out , lol , so I took a look just a few minutes ago , and I do have wet lines under the right side where the copper tubes run { not a heavey drip , just kind of damp , slick look } so I am homeing in on the problem , will let every one know if I get the courage up too take skins off and start the repair ! ----> when the riding season is slower , not a fast enough leak too cause alarm , but one I know I will have too fix before next season for sure ! { I am guessing by some post that some of the spyders shift different with engine oil levels are down ? so that kind of threw me , until I took off the cap on the clutch reservoir , but any who , this is where I am at with a 2012 r-t- spyder , with only 600 miles , not complaining , just a thread link , for other folks too check into if they have similar problems ... { from one point in the repair manual , I was ,and or, thinking that the inline , into the tranny , has bushings that might be worn , or just a lose fitting , will check into that one first and try tightening fittings I see ... thanks for the read, until the wrench turns again , and finds the leak :pray: frank

[jerpinoy]

Thanks for posting and it reminds us to check out our:spyder2: before we go out riding.

[youngers]

o kay did a quick check on the clutch ! and I looked under the right side , pulled the under cover away too get a look , what I see are 3 lines , now the way they run are down from the front , along the engine case , and back up along where I suppose is the connection too tranny , now the wet or slick area is toward front , not too slick wet look too the back , so I am going to check for a pinched line , or a small very small hole in the line , { I do not think this is it though , it would shoot the fluid out faster , } so maybe a loose fitting from the clutch oil tank too a place I haven`t seen yet ... the lower cover plate , was not overly oily a good sign that this might not be an existing leak but something worked loose .... more when I crawl under it , I think I can fit with out a lift ;)

[youngers]

heyyyylllooooo folks , I am still in the search for some sort of leak , did take right side skins off , { mirror was the hardest , lamonster is bad too the bone be able too pop these off and snap them on , I need to order couple of the clips as I broke on taken it off , it still holds tight too the body , but need more , I feel I might be back under her skin again :shocked: } 138243138244138245 first photo , right side under way , second photo these are the lines I had seen before the skinning , underneath , I think brake lines , 2 of them go too a booster of some sort , a clean part , did not investigate that area , third photo is up front under the handle bar area , right between the fans , as we can see in photo , now if you folks can click on this one and go inlarge --- this is the front of the engine , not sure yet what this is haven`t looked it up in the manual , but it was more wet than the 3 lines in the 2nd photo so I am homing in on the problem , now before we all say " there is the problem " the top side of this unit was also damp , not a total wash with fluid just damp , so looks like I go up hill from this point ... { foot note : man I hate having an extra bolt left over when reskinning is complete :banghead: I did this 3 times , once the 2nd skin , tab was over the lower part , take back off reassemble , uhhhh another bolt .... take top section off found where that one goes , finally all back together no extra screws ... as we can see in photos this isn`t an abused cycle , it was really clean in the rear area where the storage bag compartment is , other than dust that is ... so what I am now thinking is the steering column area might have pinched a cable , or something along those lines ! hey if anyone has been here and had this problem please give a shout ! some times an extra could be this or that can solve problems .... thanks spydieeee folks

[youngers]

another foot noter : the bottom of the pan skins , were not too oily either , was some damp area where this front engine deal sits , so drips from the unknown leaker had a small amount there near the frame , other than that will let every one know

[Bob Denman]

If I recall correctly: BRP's maintenance protocols call for changing the clutch fluid, and a rebuild (??) every two years. (You might want to check my memory for errors! :opps:)

[Bam Bam and Pebbles]

I had the same problem with my 2012 RT SM5. I just started carrying a bottle of the brake fluid so I could top it off if needed. Have not had that yet with my 2015 RTS SM6 yet. Bob is probably right about the every two years advice.

[youngers]

If I recall correctly: BRP's maintenance protocols call for changing the clutch fluid, and a rebuild (??) every two years. (You might want to check my memory for errors! :opps:) will look into this , thanks bob !

[youngers]

I had the same problem with my 2012 RT SM5. I just started carrying a bottle of the brake fluid so I could top it off if needed. Have not had that yet with my 2015 RTS SM6 yet. Bob is probably right about the every two years advice. thanks bam , pebbles ! did you ever find the source of the leak ? and wonder what do we rebuild ? the reservoir tank ?

[Willard]

My 2012 did the same thing when I was in Ruidoso last week. Filled it up and drove 625 miles home. Flushed the clutch with new Dot 4 fluid and could find no leak... Sifts fine now.. I would recommend just changeling the fluid and keep riding!!!

[Bob Denman]

:opps: It's not a re-build every two years...
It just says to replace the clutch fluid every two years.
Sorry for the confusion.

[youngers]

thank every one on the replys I took her out today , shifted good , drove about 15 miles or so , will go out and check the level ... { hope it hasn`t dropped }

[youngers]

I looked into the clutch reservoir today , the dot 4 oil dirty , wasn't really low , soo I dabbed out the oil once more , careful not too drip on the cycle , { cleaned any that will or have dripped , quickly } and I looked at the frame area that I had cleaned previously , { in photo number 3 where the frame is under what looks like the front of engine } there is a small pool so I do have something leaking , I will check out the brake fluid level , under the seat area ... { do not think this would be it though, as I have had the clutch reservoir empty once before ... the reason I started this thread :helpsmilie:... so what my next step will be is too start skinning again , most likely that left side off this time , and the steering column where the clutch cable runs ... this cable is a hose type rubber , not a hard line , but I suspect there might be a place where rubber hose connects too steel tube , either threw a junction type booster , or just mated this way ... some folks might be wondering why I haven`t shipped it too the repair shop , well truth of the matter is it isn`t a warranty service so it will be out of my pocket expense so I best get use too getting to know my way around this cool little ride ... so I will take more photo`s and keep up on the details ... shoot might even get a job from this hahahaha replace and repair !

[Bam Bam and Pebbles]

thanks bam , pebbles ! did you ever find the source of the leak ? and wonder what do we rebuild ? the reservoir tank ?

I never found any leaking, although there must have been some. Did this the entire 16 months I had The Beast. I ended up upgrading to a 2015 RTS SM6 this past February and have not had the problem with Cocaine. Bigger engine, better handling, plus I got a pretty good deal and it didn't really cost me too much more.

[youngers]

hello , for those in the search ! been something like 4 or 5 days since I posted on the leak, so far here is what I have been doing , now before I really started too panic about having a huge bill , I took off the clutch reservoir cover , made sure it looked clean , not dirty black , this is for the test I am about to do , now I took a dip stick sort of instrument , dip into the brake fluid level of the clutch tank , and had a machinist steel tape at the ready , so dipped the stick , or screw driver or what ever one wishes too use , dip it into the fluid , use this as a measure against the ruler , mine read at 1 " and 20 too 22 32nds { the machinist ruller takes the numbers down this far and then some } so now I have a bench mark to go by , now I took my :ani29: out for about a 25 mile ride let it cool , looked at the area in the number 3 photo , wasn`t real wet , so this next test I took a degreaser solution sprayed this area , rinsed well , now today too the :ani29: out for a much longer ride , something in range of 50 miles or so , took another look in the reservoir , not seeing the level line that is in the tank , so not really losing much if any at all , for here , and just to make sure , did a dry towel { paper towel test , using lond needle nose piles and dabbed in the area of photo 3 not much of any oil but just a trace , so looks like I will be good too go for this season , and will get down and dirty with un-skinning and follow the trail ! so will keep every one up dated as news unfolds

[safecracker]

I have a 2011 RTS, SM5. I have to add brake fluid once a year. If you look.at the reservoir gasket it does have a little vent slit in it. My clutch works.great, just have to check it a couple of times a season.

[youngers]

thank for the info safe cracker , will keep an eye out on it !

[youngers]

good day every one , hope all has had a good day riding ! :yes: well I took some more look-sees at my fluid deals , now I took off the brake pedal fluid caps , { I had been thinking that the levels were good , } but the front tank was at full level , the rear tank was in fact low ... so now back too first or second photo 138578 these lines here under the motor area , these run front too back , now my quest for a leak will take me too follow these lines toward the front ... I filled the rear brake tank , and will ride again tomorrow , and Saturday that will or should show me some new ideas on my quest ... I think the front line will be made up of two lines 1 for each front tire , so I will check out the routing of these .... thanks for stopping in ! coffee is in the corner if you need a fresh pour ! :D will keep updating { AS THE FLUID RUNS } TOMORROWS EPOSIOD WILL FEATURE ME THROWING THINGS HAHAHAHAHAHA

[youngers]

hello again every one { 3 rd time too try too post this message } for those who do not know { do not click on the restore auto-saved content , you will have more crap too sort through :banghead: } sooo back too the great leak hunt , now I followed the hose no luck took off both sides of the spyder covers , so I had a buddy I ride with come over we looked over the situation , and as I depressed the clutch lever he held a light around the clutch areas where fluid would travel , and bammmm there it was , a drip from under the diaphragm cover 138887this photo is a camera view up from bottom , hard too see the drip , but it is on the bolt area near us the lower bolt in photo ... sooo we took off the cover thinking a gasket has failed , but shoot no , no gasket goes here , so we looked into the inside region of the plunger { here is where a 17 m.m. nut and a piston type thing is located , 138888 now when I took this photo , I had just cleaned the stuff from the inside ring area , { for got too take a photo of it as we went along } so this shot is after I cleaned the grease looking stuff off the inside area where 17 m.m nut is ... now as we were taking this apart , we were trying to figure out how fluid is getting out , thinking something must be just loose , as we went further into this , we did a line bleed from clutch lever reservoir , too this area in the picture , { the reason was thinking , maybe air was getting by and causing a leak in an enclosed system , as we have on the spyders } so as we studied the problem , we noticed no air bubbles or gaps in the fluid line coming out, where we were bleeding the lever reservoir, too the clutch diaphragm but now here is another bump in the road we came across just too find a leak , the lever at reservoir on the left handle bar area , was not getting any resistance when we depressed the lever , dang it , another problem :banghead: so a little coffee , and sit down time looking over the idea of what now , { we came too idea , that something dirty made its way into the lever plunger area at reservoir , using cutting torch tip cleaner , felt the openings inside the reservoir and something sure enough was blocking one port , push on the tip cleaner with a little pressure and it opened up , } so now , back to the lower diaphragm area , bleed off the line from the upper area , again , too see if anything from the reservoir clog bleeds out , all clear , and now have great resistance in the lever again , 1 problem solved , back too the leak , and we see the leak in the 17 m.m. plunger area where O-rings seem too be worn , 138891 in this photo you can see the fluid oozing out from the lower area of the plunger { previous photo shows no shadow under the 17 m.m. nut and this photo has the dark area so now we know the rest of this story , of where the leak is coming from ! } as too why the fluid was in the front section of the motor area as my first post showed, 138892 is that the lower plastic cover under the cycle is tilted where the drips were going too this area , and not dripping from right above the corner of the engine ! as far as I can tell at this time ... the bolts having fluid residue on them , might have been from wind flying around in the under carriage ? { now has any one in the forums taken the plunger and 17 m.m. nut out of the diaphragm area ? this is where we are tomorrow ... hoping it will be not a big ordeal ! } well until the next time I will watch the forums ! thanks for the time too give you a long read ! any one got winning lotto numbers ? :pray: