Rotella T6 causing clutch drag and hard shifting?

[bwv]

Thank you guys for the advice.

I'm gonna think on it and ride it a while, do some more research before i act on it.

I can do the work for a clutch soak... have the tools and skillset (and FSM), and a nice place to do it properly... but I'm not in love with the idea of having to take my 13000 dollar brand new bike apart to fix something thats not right.

 

[LAF]

Thank you guys for the advice.
I'm gonna think on it and ride it a while, do some more research before i act on it.

I can do the work for a clutch soak... have the tools and skillset (and FSM), and a nice place to do it properly... but I'm not in love with the idea of having to take my 13000 dollar brand new bike apart to fix something thats not right.

I was not happy either but the dealer is going to do the same thing if you can convince them. I refused to let them touch a 0 mile bike after it was delivered. I did it with a broken neck, 3 broken ribs, broken left wrist, and a broken left ankel. I did have a 48" wide bike lift though so it was nice to set it at a height that I could work on it.

It is not a big task and takes very little time to do. I would rather do it then a shop but that is just me.

 

[lnewlf]

So if your clutch is not sticking and you need some Rotella T6 to make it drag, Advance has a good deal on it- $17.99 with rebate...

 

[El Toro Joe]

Bla,Bla,Bla...no problem here with the T6

 

[bwv]

I can't bring myself to allow a dealership to do anything that I can do myself...wetting the clutch is not a hard job at all.

If this was a warranty issue, and involved expenisve parts.. i'd probably let them install the parts..then check their work... i don't trust anyone... it's a sickness i have.

(I think it's called..um.. let me think... um.. life experience?)

It's definetly sticky.. if i pull it in when im pulling into my garage, and open the throttle.. it moves forward a bit then realeases.. stupid...

Again.. not saying its the Rotella... just sharing my observations. (and opinions)

 

[LAF]

I can't bring myself to allow a dealership to do anything that I can do myself...wetting the clutch is not a hard job at all.
If this was a warranty issue, and involved expenisve parts.. i'd probably let them install the parts..then check their work... i don't trust anyone... it's a sickness i have.

(I think it's called..um.. let me think... um.. life experience?)

It's definetly sticky.. if i pull it in when im pulling into my garage, and open the throttle.. it moves forward a bit then realeases.. stupid...

Again.. not saying its the Rotella... just sharing my observations. (and opinions)

I would say 100% not the oil. Do the soak. It pissed me off too on a 0 mile bike but I did it. Well sorta I did have the plates soaking but then then I wanted the Barnett Pac and spring. What the hell I was there. The oem plates are still soaking in a heavy duty bag in my parts box.

You are right it is not right on a new bike, but who do you trust more, you or "them".

It is not hard and takes little effort to do. But it is the principle. And God forbid you tell them you know what the issue is and read it on a "Forum".

You will be done and happy in very little time and effort so go ahead and just do it. As I said I used a goose neck oil can to wet them as I put each one in after the 30 minuet soak Barnett said to do, not 24 hours, and have never had it lurch again.

Life experience after 56 years has shown me I am disappointed in most others work compared to mine, so since you also know this, do the soak and let us know.

 

[bwv]

started at 1130.. almost done ( half hour lunch...)

You wont belive the **** i found in there...

someone spilled 25 YEAR OLD STICK DIRTY AXLE GREASE ON MY CLUTCH DISCS !!! ..maybe even mixed with glue...

I took pics.

I still dont think its the oil... but maybe some assembly goo or something?

I had to clean every steel and zfric with brake parts cleaner to get it off..

Should i make a new thread and describe my actions ? or stick to this one?

Might be a useful view for some...

 

[mcatrophy]

started at 1130.. almost done ( half hour lunch...)
You wont belive the **** i found in there...

someone spilled 25 YEAR OLD STICK DIRTY AXLE GREASE ON MY CLUTCH DISCS !!! ..maybe even mixed with glue...

I took pics.

I still dont think its the oil... but maybe some assembly goo or something?

I had to clean every steel and zfric with brake parts cleaner to get it off..

Should i make a new thread and describe my actions ? or stick to this one?

Might be a useful view for some...

It's been found before. Presumed to be a protective coating not cleaned off properly before assembly, then gets burnt on hard during clutch use.

Soak the friction plates in (any motorcycle) oil, then reassemble. All will be good .

 

[bwv]

hehhee...It's been found before.

I think its uncured friction modified clutch glue

I had honestly begun to think it was me... it was that bad.

Soak the friction plates in (any motorcycle) oil, then reassemble. All will be good

.

Job done... they got almost an hour soak while i ate and spent time cleaning the steels better.

I massaged the oil in, and put em in really wet.

 

[RossKean]

Post your pictures when you can. Also, you should share the photos with your dealer. (Wait until you make sure its going to run alright first)

 

[bwv]

Will do.

Just took it for a ride.. no runs drips or errors.

It now shifts like it should.

I went from "what the hell did i buy" to "this is how i expected a 13000$ motorcycle to behave"

Thank you MCAtrophy for your pictoral, Thank you LAF for telling me to get off my ass and do something about it. Thank you to the rest of you for your advice, and to the OP..sorry, I'm feelin like i jacked on ya...

I do not think switching oils would have fixed this.

TEST DRIVE.... i'm off to a track meet (my kid.. i'm too fat and old) 80 miles away... Ill let you know how the next 160 miles went, and post up some tasty goo pics tonight.

 

[LAF]

Will do.
Just took it for a ride.. no runs drips or errors.

It now shifts like it should.

I went from "what the hell did i buy" to "this is how i expected a 13000$ motorcycle to behave"

Thank you MCAtrophy for your pictoral, Thank you LAF for telling me to get off my ass and do something about it. Thank you to the rest of you for your advice, and to the OP..sorry, I'm feelin like i jacked on ya...

I do not think switching oils would have fixed this.

TEST DRIVE.... i'm off to a track meet (my kid.. i'm too fat and old) 80 miles away... Ill let you know how the next 160 miles went, and post up some tasty goo pics tonight.

Great news and remember a bunch of us have been through this procedure. Thank the Forum for knowing and listing this issue. I know we should not have to do this, but we do, and did, so just another learning experience.

Happy for you, you did it, and all is well with it.

Sometimes the fussing with a dealer and time it takes is not worth it. You did it and have seen now what a lot of us have seen. And more important you now it is right and you did not have to leave your bike for who knows how long.

Great news and enjoy your "new" ride.

 

[bwv]

I thank the forum and the admins every chance I get

I now thank you all again!!

Here are some pictures and my observations:

1. This was WAY too easy...

2. Time 1hr 48 minutes to do (I took my time, and had at least a half hour lunch to let them soak)

3. The pink dot was not between the arrows. I marked where it was and put the dots all back in that notch.

4. My 2012 does have the wire retainer holding in the 8th steel. A phillip screwdriver works nice to pry it out without harming it. To remove and reinstall it, you need to lightly depress the 8th steel to get the wire back in its notches.

5. The first and last plates were wet with oil, the rest were sticky... not oily.

6. The goo, had the consitency of axle grease you would find on the outside of a tie rod end boot of a 50 year old tractor left sitting in a field for thirty years, and the tackiness of it felt exactly like that of the adhesive on a "post it" note. (I smeared it in one pic.. hoping to convey the consistency)

7. The goo was also found inside of the basket, not just, but along with some loose friction material. (kinda like the centrifugal "oil filter" my 69 and 73 honda CL175's had)

8. I did not go crazy with the brake parts cleaner on the frictions, i just wiped the surface with a lint free cloth dampened with it. (in fear of it's solvent action washing the sludge further into the plates)

9. I made sure to seperate and move the friction plates around during their soak, in the hopes of keeping them as wet as possible and and maybe rinsing more crud off.

10. I need to take longer rides, there was some condensate behind the damper (thats whats its called in the FSM) on the clutch cover.

11. Tthe tools in the last pic are all that were needed... I got way too many out

12. This forum and it's members are an amazing resource.

Start time

9 screws, 2 plastic rivets, and a turn signal connector and the tupperware is off.

10 bolts, (11 if you choose not to just bend the hose retainer) and the cover is off.

No oil was spilled (it rested on the kickstand the whole time)

6 more bolts and the spring, spring retainer, and pressure plate are gone.

Notice the notch with the arrows, and where the pink dots are... I did not see any logic, so returned them to the factory space.

Too many short trips in cold weather... condensation makes me ill when i see it inside a motor.

The crud stuck to the basket. The wire clip is easily pryed out with a phillips ...just pop one out 1st.. then guide the wire out of its notches, you may need to press on the steel disc to ease it out, then guide the other end out carefully. Mine did not deform at all.

Brand new bikes shouldn't have to look like this.

The steels should all look like the one between 8 and 9, and not like the one inset. The other arrow shows the wire retainer.

This black material was not loose friction material.. it was thick sticky gunk.

Brake parts cleaner does remove this, with some scrubbing.

Lunch time !!! (they probably soaked for 40 minutes)

25 bolts, 2 plastic rivets, turn signal connector, all back in... All done.

4 and 5 mm hex sockets, 10mm regular socket, curved picks easily remove plates, FSM for torque values, knife for old rotella bottle.

Thanks all !!

 

[dcarver]

Brand new bikes shouldn't have to look like this.

I AGREE!!

 

[bwv]

422 miles later... the clutch and shifting on this bike are amazing now !

 

[900gc]

422 miles later... the clutch and shifting on this bike are amazing now !

Another satisfied customer. Too bad Yamaha doesn't sell the bike this way!

 

[FJRMGM]

I use the Rotella T syn in my 05 FJR and add four oz. of STP oil treatment for the zinc it provides.

Shifts like Buttah after 94k miles of this formula.

 

[FJR-RemingtonRider]

That is one of the clearest and straightforward "How To pictorals" seen in awhile. Thanks for sharing.

I posted about shifting issues and never thought about the oil. But as I walked into Garage, I saw the last oil I used was the T6 synthetic, I remembered that I got that one, because they were out of my usual Mobil Delvac. ....perhaps the synthetic itself cleaned all the residue of the previous oil out, maybe it's too good; don't know....not my squable.

I am going to do this clutch soak and also switch back to Mobil Delvac.

 

[bwv]

Thank you for the compliment... have a look at some of the other guys posts and threads... there is far superior information about the problem and repair process available on this forum.

After readin all that, and doing the work, This is my opinion...

This is not an oil problem... at all... and never was.

This is a "Gen 2, FJR with 800 miles or so on it" problem.

I think the timinig of it occuring is so close to the first recommended oil change, that it makes it seem as though the oil caused it.

It is completely and easily cureable with a teeny bit of time, a handful of tools, some good information(thanks again guys), and careful work.

 

[Bungie]

Glad you got it sorted out. I've used Rotellea T6 exclusively for the last 2 or 3 years now.

On another note, I spent 20 minutes a few weekends ago and popped off my shifter and lubed the pivot. The heim joints were fine. OMFG what a difference in the way it shifts now. It's now part of my yearly maintainance routine along with the rear brake pedal pivot.