So here is the end of the end of the clutch cover removal saga. Karl Malone removed it, replaced the shaft and lever, and buttoned it back up, but never replaced any of the fluids I had drained out despite my having given the oil and filters to do so. And of course they had not tested it to see how it shifted.
When I saw that, I was not happy and they agreed to take it back in and finish the fluid add (Oil and antifreeze). They did and started it, but it wouldn't shift. After taking it all apart again, they determined there was a problem in the transmission and the engine would have to be dismantled to finish diagnosing and fixing the problem. I said no, just give it back. I picked it up and no it wouldn't shift plus the oil and the coolant was low but I just wanted to get it out of there. There is a lot I am not writing here but let me just say it was a total mess. The only thing good I have to say is that the mechanic did get the cover off and did get the new shaft installed, but everything went downhill from there.
When I get the Spyder home, the first thing I checked was the oil, yes- low. I don't know where all the oil I gave them went. It was 5 qts. The Spyder was 1 and a half qts low, so I filled that. Next, I looked at the shift lever indexing. It was a quarter of an arc off from the dot on the end of the shaft. I removed the lever, reindexed it to the dot, hooked all the linkage back up, and went for a ride. The Spyder shifted just like it was supposed to, not a problem in sight. Obviously there was no internal problem, as I knew there wouldn't be. Once fully warmed up, I rechecked the oil. It was still a little low, so I completely filled it.
The next job was to top off the coolant. I could not see the level in the overflow tank, so I called Karl Malone to see what they had put in there. They told me it was the BRP orange type. This is not the right type for my Spyder, an older V-Twin which takes the BRP green type. At this point I don't care, the orange will have to do. I got some orange from the local Ski-doo dealer and will put it in today, put on all the plastic, and go for a ride, then enjoy the BYU/Cincinnati game (go Cougars).
A final note: I can see why many dealers will no longer work on the older V-Twins. The mechanic who worked on my Spyder was touted as their best. Maybe so, but he knows nothing about V-Twins. He did not know about the indexing, He did not know V-Twins wont shift without the right amount of oil, and he did not know the right coolant for my year Spyder. The dealer said they could work on V-Twins. Maybe so, but not very well. I can't imagine that it is any better at other dealerships. BTW, Karl Malone informed me that they would cease to be a Can Am Spyder dealer on January 1, 2026. So we will lose 2, possibly three Spyder dealers in Utah.
The final outcome is that the bad shift shaft/clutch shaft is now replaced, the Spyder shifts properly, and I can trust it to not leave me stranded out in nowhere unable to shift. Will I go back to long distance riding again? I don't know, my health and stamina have deteriorated in the 2 years that I have been dealing with this last 'no shifting' episode. I would like to. Saving for fuel costs, I could take maybe one or two trips loading the Spyder into the trailer, hauling it to a destination, and then riding in the area. Time will tell. In the meantime, I am happy to be in the wind locally once again.
