Any ideas/help to find/fix this “Disappearing” fluid from the manual clutch reservoir - 2017 F3-S

[BCNewell]

Looking for some help from those of you who have/had a manual shift Spyder. My ‘17 F3-S Daytona has been losing its manual clutch DOT4 fluid somewhere. I can find no sign of a leak. Park it on a concrete floor and nary a drop is seen under it. No leak at the reservoir lid. It will go anywhere from 500 to 1,500 miles or so before it is empty or near-empty. This has been going on for almost 2 years/~9K miles. I would like to find it myself and repair it, if it's not terribly involved or expensive. I DO still have remaining B.E.S.T. warranty on it through May of ‘27, but I'm not sure of the competency of our local dealer - especially on a rare 10-year-old SM6. Thx in advance for any help.

 

[Knizar]

Looking for some help from those of you who have/had a manual shift Spyder. My ‘17 F3-S Daytona has been losing its manual clutch DOT4 fluid somewhere. I can find no sign of a leak. Park it on a concrete floor and nary a drop is seen under it. No leak at the reservoir lid. It will go anywhere from 500 to 1,500 miles or so before it is empty or near-empty. This has been going on for almost 2 years/~9K miles. I would like to find it myself and repair it, if it's not terribly involved or expensive. I DO still have remaining B.E.S.T. warranty on it through May of ‘27, but I'm not sure of the competency of our local dealer - especially on a rare 10-year-old SM6. Thx in advance for any help.

I believe your brake fluid leak is going internal, that's not good!
Where did you buy a B.E.S.T. warranty that lasted 10 years?

 

[BCNewell]

Easy - I bought the 2017 new and untitled w/ only 82 miles on it in 2022.

 

[Little Blue]

I have worked on trucks that had a slave cylinder for the clutch. I have Not worked on a motorcycle with a hydraulic/slave clutch system. But it is
interesting.

So now for the questions - Is everything on the outside? By that, I mean you can get to everything and see if you have a leak anywhere?

Basically, you have 3 or maybe 4 areas for your leak. The main reservoir; the hoses or metal tubing; and the slave cylinder/actuator.
So somewhere in the system is a leak.

Unfortunately, I don't have a Service Manual for your Spyder. By the way, do you have a Service Manual?
I find it difficult to repair something like this without having a SM. If you can understand the system and it's hardware, that is a big help.

I need more information from you.

One wild guess is that the slave unit is in the transmission and you cannot see it. So you need to be able to check it and see.

Over to you.

 

[Snowbelt Spyder]

Looking for some help from those of you who have/had a manual shift Spyder. My ‘17 F3-S Daytona has been losing its manual clutch DOT4 fluid somewhere. I can find no sign of a leak. Park it on a concrete floor and nary a drop is seen under it. No leak at the reservoir lid. It will go anywhere from 500 to 1,500 miles or so before it is empty or near-empty. This has been going on for almost 2 years/~9K miles. I would like to find it myself and repair it, if it's not terribly involved or expensive. I DO still have remaining B.E.S.T. warranty on it through May of ‘27, but I'm not sure of the competency of our local dealer - especially on a rare 10-year-old SM6. Thx in advance for any help.

The good news is that it can't get inside. The bad news is that it could be expensive. Follow the hydraulic line down to the slave cylinder to where it bolts to the left side of the case. When you actuate the clutch lever, the slave piston moves towards the case and pushes on the Clutch Release Rod shown in the pic. There's a seal where the rod comes out through the support plate. Thus it can't get inside. Instead, the leaking fluid that comes out from around the slave piston seal, will drain out by gravity through the Telltale Drain. It's a slow leak, usually only leaks under pressure as you actuate the clutch. The fluid is getting blown in a thin film all over the engine and frame as you ride. To get to all of this easily - key word easily - you need to remove the front pulley. The seal is not available separately and the slave cylinder is pricey for a new one. So, if you really do have a BEST warranty in force, I suggest you use it. You can go to any dealer. Good Luck.

 

[BCNewell]

Ok - thx for the replies. I do have an online service manual. I will get the machine up off the ground a little and see if I can find some wet fluid signs and access the slave cylinder. Will report back with my findings.

 

[BajaRon]

I'd say the leak is at the slave cylinder or the hydraulic hose connection there. If they didn't get it tightened properly at the factory, or the connection components are damaged, or it could even been a loose bleeder screw causing a slow leak. The fluid will get caught in the splash tray and evaporate before enough fluid builds up to show a leak on the floor.

This is a pretty simple operation. Follow Snowbelt Spyder's advice and follow the hydraulic line down to where the slave cylinder is attached. This is where you'll find your leak. If you're lucky, just a bit of tightening on the connection will solve your problem. If not, at least you'll know where to go from there.