Pretty close! I just read an article that mentions even microscopic dust you can't see getting in between the splines can lead to wear and failure. IMO, this red dust problem is a much greater engineering challenge than you guys want to give it credit for. I wouldn't be surprised if the ultimate solution is planned obsolescence, i.e., replace the sprocket every so many miles.
In the past, here on Spyderlovers I have posted references to a very good engineering document regarding fretting of splines and what is required to prevent it. Many replies it seems scoffed at it, but whatever.
When the NHTSA recall was issued a few months ago, and after reading the intended plan, to those folks on some FB groups I suggested the owners, if skills, tools and materials allowed, accomplish their own inspections, and with that reassemble wet with moly paste.
BRP / Can Am truly botched the pulley / sprocket fretting issue in the grandest way. Rather than go through what is happening now, they should have notified owners and dealers that the pulley / sprocket required routine maintenance, of remove, inspect and reassemble wet at prescribed mileage intervals.
Adding to the severity, the Kluberpaste specified to use for lubricating the splines seems inadequate in regards to performance over time.
Regardless of how few pulleys are not passing the inspections, as per what some owners and shops are stating, if all pulleys were put onto a maintenance program and not expected to last forever, this situation would be accomplished for those that had their Spyder inspected.
The AZprince it seems also worked on helicopters / aircraft, and with that, like myself, as I have stated many times, spline inspections are a continuing inspection item. Disassembled, cleaned, inspected, lubricated and reassembled until the next inspection. It will be interesting if BRP / Rotax / Can Am do find a permanent fix that lasts the life of the vehicle, but my guess is they will not. And if the do come out with a new design pulley, what new problems will that cause?
So far it seems they have had worn pulley splines, two piece bolt / washer setup superseded to the one piece style, pulleys that whistle and whine, pulley flanges separating from the pulley body, snapped gearbox output shafts where the pulley installs, they even increased the retaining bolt torque spec, and maybe even more.
Long before the pulley issues became as they are today, years ago, I removed the oem pulley from our 2014 RTS. Cleaned and inspected the pulley and gearbox shaft splines. Found no red dust or wear. Then reassembled the pulley onto the shaft, wet with moly paste. Just to be certain the retaining bolt was not loosening as some folks here suggested, I went ahead and drilled the new one piece bolts head, installed it to the then current torque spec, and safety wired the bolt.
Absolutely not concerned or worried about our pulley. Two reasons. First off, if is not part of the pulley bulletins, second, I will decide when to accomplish the removal, inspection, lube and reinstall for the next time. Likely each 10,000 miles which is every other oil change for us.
If you do a search & a bit of reading, there are more than 'just a couple' of others out there who've got Spyders that failed the 'pulley rotation test', but their dealers did what the Recall Doc said, and applied the Interim Fix for them, so they're out there ryding as I type!! :lecturef_smilie:
