Clutch Problems F3T SM6 - creeping when lever pulled in! No Locktite on nut securing clutch basket!!

[juscuz]

I know this is old as heck but hopefully it will help some folks. It never ceases to amaze me on how I'm sure there are MANY of us with the same problem with the creeping, hard to shift into 5th gear or neutral that ended up having to pay for a repair that should have been a recall from BRP. I too had the same issue, changed the slave cylinder, gear position sensor, master cylinder, bled the system numerous times, back to dealer with no results UNTIL I accidently ran across another 6 sp gearbox owner of the same year (2015 F3S 6 speed) that mentioned the number 42 nut on the exploded view of the clutch basket backed off because BRP used the wrong loctite. It was and still is definitely a safety hazard for those continuing to have this problem. Finally got the dealer to apply the proper sealant just months ago and no issues since. Apparently, this not only applies to the 2015 model.

 

[golfR]

Posting this in case it helps someone else out in the future.

I have been noticing that it was getting difficult to get the bike into neutral pretty much since we bought it. I figured it was just an adjustment that needed to be done, possibly needed to bleed the system. Decided I would look into it the next time I serviced the bike. Then on April 29th, we were out on a ride. My wife motions for me to pull off. She was on the Spyder and I was on my Connie. When we stop, she tells me there is something wrong with the clutch and that the bike is still trying to move forward when she has the clutch lever all the way against the grip. It wasn't bad, and you wouldn't even notice it unless you released the brake. What got her attention was the location of the friction zone had changed. At this point we were a 2 hour ride from home. I told her to follow me back and try to avoid stopping as much as possible. I picked a route that would allow us to avoid almost all stops just to get it back home.

Once home, I decided to go ahead and bleed the system. There was no air in it, and bleeding it made no change in the symptoms. One thing that did concern me was the fact that when I tapped lightly on the lever with the cap off the master cylinder (a technique I have used on every other bike I own) Fluid would shoot straight up out of the master cylinder. It was as if there was a blockage somewhere in the system. At this point I decided I would utilize the warranty.

May 5th, I trailer it to the dealership where I bought it. I let them know that I have a ride planned for Memorial day weekend and request to get it back fixed before then. 2weeks later, they call me and tell me that the steels are burnt and warped. They try to tell me that is the cause of the issue. I tell them "that is the result, not the cause" The bike has not been abused. No riding the clutch, burnouts, or anything like that. I remind them that I need the bike back for a memorial day weekend trip we had planned and ask them to just get it fixed. They gave me a quote on the repair cost, but said they will still submit it to BRP to see if they will cover it under warranty. They want receipts from the Can Am oil change kit I used for the first oil change. They sent the receipt along with pictures of the rear tire to BRP. Found out about a week later that the warranty claim was denied. I tell them "fine, just install them and get the bike back to me for our ride." I couldn't believe what I heard next. They not only hadn't installed them, they hadn't even ordered the parts yet!!! I jumped all over him and told him I was now going to have to cancel the trip we had planned. I then told him the dates of the next trip I had booked, 6/18/18. I had better have it back by then!

Next call I get about a week and a half to two weeks later. Guy tells me, "I have some good new and some bad news." The good news is BRP is now covering the replacement of the steels, because the bad news is it didn't fix the problem. They had a new master cylinder and slave cylinder on order. Should arrive in 3 days. I was told they would install the day they arrive and I could pick it up any time after that. When I didn't get a call saying it was ready, I called them. The replacement master cylinder and slave cylinder didn't fix the problem. At this point, they had no clue what could be causing it. They now had their "most experienced mechanic" pulling it apart to see if he could figure out the problem.

Long story short, this went on for a few more weeks. We missed the second trip. I threatened lemon law lawsuit, then they finally figured out that BRP didn't lock tight the nut on the back of the clutch basket and it had backed off. The manual calls for green lock tight. There was none. They ended up replacing every part in the the clutch and returned the bike to me on July 14th.

If you have the same problem with yours, save yourself the headache and check that nut early in the process. It is #42 in the exploded view in the link below.

https://www.cheapcycleparts.com/oemparts/a/cam/567452f387a8660fdc44d882/clutch-sm6

Found the same issue last Spring on my '16 F3S

 

[justmike]

This thread was a big help. My new to me 2016 F3T SM6 with only 14k kms was demonstrating some kind of a clutch issue - noisy engagement of first, difficulty find Neutral, creeping when stopped, zero ability to use clutch lever positions 2, 3, or 4. I bit the bullet and disassembled it today. Nut #18 had wound itself out by three or four threads. I wouldn’t have known to check for this without this thread, so thanks a bunch! I wound the nut off by hand. Zero indication of any loctite in the threads.
Having done the disassembly myself, what do you think my chances are of having Can Am accept some responsibility for this? I think the clutch pack definitely needs to be replaced - some of the steel plates have bluing on them from excessive heat, although I haven’t checked them on a machinists granite block.
Correction: nut #18, not #42.

 

[Cobranut]

This thread was a big help. My new to me 2016 F3T SM6 with only 14k kms was demonstrating some kind of a clutch issue - noisy engagement of first, difficulty find Neutral, creeping when stopped, zero ability to use clutch lever positions 2, 3, or 4. I bit the bullet and disassembled it today. Nut #42 had wound itself out by three or four threads. I wouldn’t have known to check for this without this thread, so thanks a bunch! I wound the nut off by hand. Zero indication of any loctite in the threads.
Having done the disassembly myself, what do you think my chances are of having Can Am accept some responsibility for this? I think the clutch pack definitely needs to be replaced - some of the steel plates have bluing on them from excessive heat, although I haven’t checked them on a machinists granite block.

If there's much bluing I'd replace the steels.
Enough heat to change the color can also change the heat treatment and affect wear rates.

I haven't noticed my clutch dragging appreciably, but it will if I shorten the clutch pull at the lever.
I'll definitely have to disassemble mine and check it out this winter, hopefully before anything is damaged.

 

[Mikey]

This thread was a big help. My new to me 2016 F3T SM6 with only 14k kms was demonstrating some kind of a clutch issue - noisy engagement of first, difficulty find Neutral, creeping when stopped, zero ability to use clutch lever positions 2, 3, or 4. I bit the bullet and disassembled it today. Nut #18 had wound itself out by three or four threads. I wouldn’t have known to check for this without this thread, so thanks a bunch! I wound the nut off by hand. Zero indication of any loctite in the threads.
Having done the disassembly myself, what do you think my chances are of having Can Am accept some responsibility for this? I think the clutch pack definitely needs to be replaced - some of the steel plates have bluing on them from excessive heat, although I haven’t checked them on a machinists granite block.
Correction: nut #18, not #42.

I would say that you will be SOL to get BRP to own up to it now that you have got your hands in it unless you have a GREAT dealer who wants to work with you! Good luck!