Noticed a leakage today.

[Canamandy]

Was on a 200km ride today with very variable riding. When I got home I noticed this leak in the photos. It's on the right hand side as I sit on the bike down by my right foot. Not sure if I'm leaking oil or sweating horse power. Either way I don't know what it is. Any one of ya'll had this happen to them? Can-am work shop overhauled the engine and gear box in December. Have the recipe that they checked everything and replaced all the items that usually suffer from wear and tear. It's a 2 hour ride back to can-am to get it looked at. A quick home fix is much preferred.

 

[Plarimer]

I know this is rudimentary but check your oil level.

 

[Snowbelt Spyder]

Hey Andy. So, that round black thing that says ROTAX on it is the cover for the hydraulic piston of your clutch. Looks like oil is leaking down from that, or from that oil hose fitting that is underneath that. It's called a banjo fitting and it should have two gaskets as seen in the attached picture. And I think they are little metal washer type gaskets. Oil in that line is under high pressure every time you shift and could be spraying up and out of the body panel. The parts diagram does NOT show any gasket underneath the black cover. And, there shouldn't be oil there, anyway. The hydraulic oil line pressurizes the opposite side of the piston away from the cover. So, you could check that the cover bolts are tight and on correctly, and you could check the tightness of the banjo fitting and see if both gaskets are there. Otherwise, there could be a problem with the piston seal that is allowing oil pressure to get past the piston and into the cover area. That seal has to go into the piston a certain way. There's a front and back to it and it would leak if that was reversed. And that is all internal and would be an issue for the shop to look into. It could be something they put back together incorrectly.

So, you might be able to get a better idea of the leak location by removing that black body panel so that you can see more of the cover and banjo fitting. And you might find that the leak is actually coming from somewhere else.

PS - I was in Norway once on a trip between Bergen and Oslo and back. Late 1960's. Boat trip / train trip. Absolutely gorgeous. But, it was the off season for tourists. Most of the meals were fish sticks.

 

[Canamandy]

Hey Andy. So, that round black thing that says ROTAX on it is the cover for the hydraulic piston of your clutch. Looks like oil is leaking down from that, or from that oil hose fitting that is underneath that. It's called a banjo fitting and it should have two gaskets as seen in the attached picture. And I think they are little metal washer type gaskets. Oil in that line is under high pressure every time you shift and could be spraying up and out of the body panel. The parts diagram does NOT show any gasket underneath the black cover. And, there shouldn't be oil there, anyway. The hydraulic oil line pressurizes the opposite side of the piston away from the cover. So, you could check that the cover bolts are tight and on correctly, and you could check the tightness of the banjo fitting and see if both gaskets are there. Otherwise, there could be a problem with the piston seal that is allowing oil pressure to get past the piston and into the cover area. That seal has to go into the piston a certain way. There's a front and back to it and it would leak if that was reversed. And that is all internal and would be an issue for the shop to look into. It could be something they put back together incorrectly.

So, you might be able to get a better idea of the leak location by removing that black body panel so that you can see more of the cover and banjo fitting. And you might find that the leak is actually coming from somewhere else.

PS - I was in Norway once on a trip between Bergen and Oslo and back. Late 1960's. Boat trip / train trip. Absolutely gorgeous. But, it was the off season for tourists. Most of the meals were fish sticks.

Thank you very much for your informative reply. Sounds a bit like I'll be ringing the workshop who serviced everything in December. Don't want the gear box to empty out of oil. I'm sure all the work they did is under guaranty.
I'm saddened to hear you were fed fish sticks on your trip to Norway. I apologise on behalf of everyone and everything that has Norway to do with. We eat so much good food here and are particularly proud of the freshness and quality of our fish.

 

[Snowbelt Spyder]

Andy. The sheer beauty of your country more than made up for fish sticks. Which, by the way, were still better than what we got in the states. That was a product of touring with a group, in the off season, on a budget. Not a Norway issue at all. And I recall now that the trip between Bergen and Oslo was by tour bus. Those mountain roads were pretty hairy for a full size coach back then. Great driver. Actually, I’d love to come back.

Now, just so you know, the Spyder has a common oil system. The gearbox, clutch, and engine oil are all connected. So, keep an eye on your oil level and check it the way the manual directs. Ride safe.

 

[Canamandy]

Andy. The sheer beauty of your country more than made up for fish sticks. Which, by the way, were still better than what we got in the states. That was a product of touring with a group, in the off season, on a budget. Not a Norway issue at all. And I recall now that the trip between Bergen and Oslo was by tour bus. Those mountain roads were pretty hairy for a full size coach back then. Great driver. Actually, I’d love to come back.

Now, just so you know, the Spyder has a common oil system. The gearbox, clutch, and engine oil are all connected. So, keep an eye on your oil level and check it the way the manual directs. Ride safe.

Oh I did not know that. Just to make sure I understand correctly. The engine oil is the same oil for the gear box and clutch. As long as the oil level is within the correct recommend level it should be safe to ride with the leak. I was scared the gear box would empty and I'd destroy the gear box. Will be much easier to ride it to the can-am workshop. I don't have a flatbed trailer and the nearest place to rent one would add a couple more hours on to my trip. Riding the spyder to them would half the time.

 

[Snowbelt Spyder]

That’s correct Andy. Yes, that also includes your clutch. So, you want to be sure that you use oil that is rated for use for a wet clutch application. Also, when your Spyder shifts gears, that action is generated by hydraulic oil pressure that uses the same oil. Bottom line, it’s all the same oil. Because you are a new owner, you will want to read through this thread if you haven’t seen it already:

https://www.spyderlovers.com/forums...t-Do-s-and-Do-Nots-quot-for-new-Spyder-owners

And in case you need an operators manual, go to this link. In the upper left hand drop-down menu, select Can Am On Road, and then just drill down to Spyder 2009. It will download a PDF manual to your computer or mobile devices.

https://www.operatorsguides.brp.com/Index.aspx?lang=E&s1=55de3294-944a-4de1-8e28-ac14eaf33382

Ask your technician a lot of questions when you get there. Ride safe. Give us photos and videos.

 

[BajaRon]

Thank you very much for your informative reply. Sounds a bit like I'll be ringing the workshop who serviced everything in December. Don't want the gear box to empty out of oil. I'm sure all the work they did is under guaranty.
I'm saddened to hear you were fed fish sticks on your trip to Norway. I apologise on behalf of everyone and everything that has Norway to do with. We eat so much good food here and are particularly proud of the freshness and quality of our fish.

I would definitely check your oil level. It is probably not too low. But the same oil lubricates everything from cams and pistons to clutch and transmission gears. You do not want to run low on oil. Also, checking your oil level will give you a better idea of just how bad the leak is.

 

[Canamandy]

Thank you so much. Feel much better about the whole situation now. I've spoken with the can-am workshop on the phone now. He was unfortunately driving a car when I rang. He said he will check up what work they did on it in December and then book me in for a check up when he gets back to the workshop. Fingers crossed it's nothing big, just a gasket or a loose banjo bolt or something. Will be back on the road in no time. Summer riding season here is very short. Don't want to loose out on smiles and miles��.

 

[WisconsinDavid]

Hope to tour your country some day. My mother's ancestors came from there and ran down far back wedding records to a church that still exists outside Aust Agder. Ship builder that knew his stuff. He left the docks there and didn't stop until he, people and his sloop arrived in New York Hope the repair is an easy one.

 

[Mikey]

If I was going to ride it to the shop I think I would at least check the tightness of that bolt on the banjo to make sure it's not getting loose, before I went! Wouldn't want it to really blow out on the way, just a thought!! Good luck!!!

 

[Canamandy]

Hope to tour your country some day. My mother's ancestors came from there and ran down far back wedding records to a church that still exists outside Aust Agder. Ship builder that knew his stuff. He left the docks there and didn't stop until he, people and his sloop arrived in New York Hope the repair is an easy one.

Sounds like you really should do it. Embrace your viking blood my friend. Would be an amazing adventure and probably an emotional one for you personally.
Back in the day there were many Norwegian people who sailed across to the states. The history is here and should be easily accessible when your here. You may even meet a long lost relative who wishes to meet you❤.

 

[Canamandy]

If I was going to ride it to the shop I think I would at least check the tightness of that bolt on the banjo to make sure it's not getting loose, before I went! Wouldn't want it to really blow out on the way, just a thought!! Good luck!!!

Thanks for the tip. I'll absolutely check that bolt. I just checked my oil level and it's right up to the full mark. I saw the bolt you mentioned through a gap in the plastic from under the bike. This weekend I'll take off the plastic on that side and check it out. Make sure everything is tight. Maybe I can find the leak that way and drop the whole trip to the dealer��

 

[Canamandy]

If I was going to ride it to the shop I think I would at least check the tightness of that bolt on the banjo to make sure it's not getting loose, before I went! Wouldn't want it to really blow out on the way, just a thought!! Good luck!!!

I took the plastic covers off my spyder today and it looks like the oil was coming from the banjo bolt. I managed to tighten it an entire full turn with out much effort at all. I then took a little ride up and down the street a few times and checked again after. No oil coming out now. Seems like that solved the problem. Thanks to your advice I've saved a trip to the dealership to have it fixed. Was an easy job. I even had time to mount the baggage holders on the bike while I had my tools out. That was a bit more of a challenge. Had to remove all the rest of the plastic on both sides, remove the seat and disconnect the back lights. It's on now at least and no oil leak. Ready for a long trip now.

 

[Canamandy]

After an hours ride I found the same oil leakage again. The bike has a guarantee, so I thought what the heck and drove it 2 hours to the dealer. They used 2 hours to change the gasket on the banjo bolt and that's it definitely fixed now. Rode it for 2 hours home again and absolutely no leakage now. They didn't charge me for the work done so I'm a happy chappy and ready for the whole season now with out any more problems.

 

[pegasus1300]

So glad to see that they fixed it and it was an easy fix. Good luck on your travels and post some pictures. We would love to see what you see.

 

[safecracker]

Glad you got your oil leak fixed.