RTee's: Reel Tips and Techniques
Many of today's anglers are indicating a much higher interest in their equipments, interest such as, servicing and tuneing, changing out bearings, and jazzing up the gear ratios. They are constantly pushing their reels to the edge of design. Connie and Tommy Kilpatrick published most of these tips and tricks some time ago and are gracious enough to allow us to use them. I am adding some of my suggestions as well. I hope you will find the following information interesting and beneficial to you in your efforts regarding your equipment.
Anti-Reverse
This part stops handle from turning backwards. It is either one of two types. The older reels have a anti-reverse dog that is mounted on a frame post and it has 2 claws and it must straddle the drive shaft ratchet. The other type is called an Instant Anti-Reverse (IAR) and it is mounted in the cranking side plate on the drive shaft.ABEC (Annular Bearing Engineering Committee)
Bearing manufacturers design and manufacture their bearings to meet this standard. The number following the ABEC the 1-3-5-7 indicates the tolerance of the bearing. The higher the number, the tighter the tolerance. Most reel manufacturers have Precision Miniature Bearings in their reels.
Bearing clip removal/installation
These are the retaining clips that hold bearings in place. Usually Octagon shaped.
Removing a clip is fairly simple. Put your forefinger or a small piece of tape over the bearing clip, use a pair of tweezers and grab the clip, slide tweezer ends toward the clip end and pull end of clip in and lift out the clip. All the while, keeping forefinger over the clip. Be careful, they sometimes take on a life of their own. Using bright colored tape helps to locate the clip (when) it takes a life of its own and flies across the room.
Installing is just as easy. Put your forefinger over bearing cavity,
using tweezers install the back of the bearing clip and one side and then
slide the tweezer up towards the free end of clip pull in and push down.
Bearing Removal
Unfold a paper clip, bend one end at a right angle about 1/8 inch from
the end. Now, you have a bearing puller. Insert right angle inside the
bearing and lift out. This may take a little effort if the bearing has
not been removed in some time.At times a heaver gauge paper clip will
make it easier because you can make into a "small" pry bar that
is still not strong enough to damage the bearing.
Bearing Installation
Position bearing over bearing cavity. Its very important to "center"
the bearing prior to pressing it into the cavity. Use your finger or thumb
to apply even pressure to seat the bearing. Never hit or use heavy force
to seat bearing. The tolerance between the outside of bearing and the
inside of the bearing cavity is close and "whacking" them will
damage the bearings.
Bearing Maintenance
It is critical that the bearing be clean. It may take more than one "washing"
to completly wash the residue off if the bearing has not been cleaned
in some time. Clean bearings in a small jar with Lighter fluid or Acetone.
Swish bearings around until clean. Air dry on a towel. Spin on end of
screwdriver to ensure they are spinning freely. Apply one drop of oil
per bearing.A properly cleaned and oiled bearing will spin for a few seconds
on the end of wooden peg or pencil.
Chemicals
Harsh chemicals such as gasoline or degreasers should never be used on
fishing reels because damage to plastic parts will occur yet may not show
up until later. Harsh chemicals can remove finishes and cause corrosion..
Use only bio-degradable cleaner and soft bristle brushes to clean reels
and parts.
Copper Insulators
Usually there are only two places these copper insulators (or spacers)
are used in baitcasting reels. They are normally located on each end of
the spool shaft and are used as a device to assist in preventing overruns
and backlashes during the cast. They are located in the palming side plate
of reel and inside the Cast Control Cap They may be round or rectangular
in shape. From time to time, they will get dented due to the tightening
of the Cast Control Cap causing the spool shaft ends to indent the insulator.
Check them and turn them over so the smooth side will be in contact with
spool shaft ends. Apply one small drop of oil to the insulator.
Curved washers
They are actually called Drag Spring Washers. These two washers should
always be mounted one curved up and one curved down. This is necessary
for compression when the star drag under the handle is tightened down.
E Clips
These clips are shaped like a rounded E. Remove by positioning your forefinger
over them. (A small piece of bright tape will help if placed over the
clip.) Insert tip of open tweezer into back of the E, pull out until able
to grab hold of the clip completely to remove it. Be sure to hold finger
over the clip until you got a good bite on it with tweezers.
Grease
How grease is applied is very important. Grease should be applied at the
base of the gear teeth so when the teeth of the gears mesh together, the
grease is being used as intended. Wiping the outside of gears with grease
will cause the grease to splatter inside of the reel and all is lost.
Grease with a good temperature rating is preferred.
Line Guide
It is the piece at front of reel with an eyelet that line is threaded
from the reel spool to the rod. The line guide travels from back and forth
on the worm gear. It holds the line guide pawl. You can check for wear
with a Q-Tip or some nylon pantyhose material. If it has sharp points
that catches on the material it may need replacing. The worm gear also
need a drop of oil now and then.
Line Guide Pawl
This small piece is mounted in the cavity on the line guide and held in
place by a cap. The pawl travels between the flattened teeth of the worm
gear. If pawl is hanging up or stopping on one side of the reel, remove
and inspect it. Examine the sides looking for scratches and nicks. The
tips will be worn and not sharply pointed. The worm gear may have burrs
or scratches on the flattened teeth. Be extra careful when removing or
installing a "pawl". There may be a "spacer' inside the
cap and the cap should never be tightened too tight because the threads
are easily stripped and the pawl will wear out faster if overtightened.
Line Slipping
Line slipping is a common problem with braided line. It will appear that
your "Star Drag" is not working because you cant seem to reel
in any line no matter how tight the drag is.
The solution to this problem is to spool at least 10-15 yards of monofilament line next to spool arbor, then tie the braided line to the monofilament.
Oil
Rocket Fuel oil is available in three viscosities. The Tournament grade
is very thin and used mostly by anglers in Casting Contests and must be
applied quite frequently. Next , is the Yellow grade and is of medium
viscosity and is used by most of us anglers. It doesn't have to be applied
as often, probably twice in a season , depending on how much reel is used.
The third grade is the Red and is the thickest and used by anglers wanting
to slow down their reel. Rocket Fuel will not evaporate, so the reel bearings
will not film over, or have the oil turn to sludge. The oil will not mix
with water, has a wide temperature range. It is not affected by any normal
temperature differences and due to its slightly adhesive qualities, it
will not easily be thrown off by high speed spinning of the spool.
ReelX
This product is made by the Corrosion Technologies folks. It is a new,
high-tech, extreme pressure lubricant that stops and prevents wear, corrosion
and rust. It contains no wax, tar, silicone, or other solids, so it can't
gum up. It outperforms all other lubricants, displaces moisture and won't
harm monofilament line
Quantum Hot Sauce (This RTee's Favorite Reel Oil)
Quantum, working with lubrication specialists, developed their own lubrication
called Quantum Hot Sauce. It has some very unique properties not found
in ordinary reel oils. Its low viscosity allows for an extremely free
rotation of the crank handle and a lightning-fast Free Spool that will
suprise you. Special additives cause the lubricant to bond moleculary
with the base metal providing superior corrosion protection and a lubrication
bond that remains---permanently.
Pinion
If the reel handle is turned before the cast is completed (the bait/lure
is at the end of the cast) damage may occur to the "pinion".
When the handle is turned (after casting), the pinion sets down on the
spool shaft and the spool beging to take up line. If the handle is turned
prior to lure landing, the pinion doesn't get a chance to seat properly
on the spool shaft. If this is done often, after a period of time, there
will be a clatter and that is the pinion trying to seat on the spool shaft.
At that point you may need a new spool shaft or pinion or both.
Reel cleaning
Cleaning a reel isn't as difficult or scary as one might think. Use a
bio-degradeable cleaner and lay out strips of tape (masking tape will
do) on table and write numbers on tape every 2 inches or so. As you remove
a part, lay it by the number. For instance, the first thing removed should
be the nut cap screw on handle nut cap. Lay the screw on number one, lay
the nut cap on number 2, lay the handle nut on 3. Continue until all parts
are removed. To re-install parts, start with the highest number and do
so until the last part mounted which is the nut cap screw laying on the
number one. It is very important to jot down on piece of paper the orientation
of part if you don't have a schematic.
If you had rather "eat" these instructions then tear down a
reel. Send it to TackleRight and let the
experts do it for you at a reasonsble cost.
Smoooooth Drag Washers
These drag washers are comprised of a high-density fiber material and silicone.
The fiber draws off the heat rapidly, and the silicone provides lubrication
to materials that reach very high temperatures. These drag washers require
no grease.
