Working on Reels - Tips!

Here's your chance to speak directly with the TT Gear Crew. Post your questions, comments, experiences regarding tackle maintenance and super tuning
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LPFC
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Re: Working on Reels - Tips!

Post by LPFC » Thu Mar 08, 2012 10:42 pm

When I remvoe the bearing retaining clips, I use one of those Turkey baking bags. It's big enough to work in.

I also found something to help find those clips that fly and screws that screw ya, lol

The magnet that car dealers use to attach license plates to cars. Like the one's they put on cars when you take a test drive.

Also for tools, at Home Depot, Husky has little tool sets that come in case. Red bottom clear lid. There inexpensive. 1 has fine screw driver bits and a handle, one has a stuby rachet screw driver handle with bit's and a small socket set. These all cost me like $10 on sale but I think there like $5 a set. These have covered every screw and most nuts I have come across.

Note books are great to keep with the schmatic's. There was a suggestion of downloading each schmatic which is a great idea. Something to add, you can find a very cheap older laptop to keep at your repair station. No need for any special software. Just connected it to the internet one time and download all the schmatic's you need. Then disconnect it. This way your not using the computer your kids or wife is using. Your own personal data base of reels.
Then you will also always have NOTE PAD to take notes. I hate when I can't find a pen, lol

You can also find a cheap camera and take pictures as you clean/repair. Walmart sells a USB SD card reader for like $10. Load the pictures onto your computer and enlarge the pictures so you could really see all the small parts.

Hope some of these tips help.

If you need any help with what can be remove from a computer to keep it minimum post back or shoot me an IM.

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Gabriel
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Re: Working on Reels - Tips!

Post by Gabriel » Mon Jul 23, 2012 6:24 pm

I just have some simple things that haven't been mentioned for the most part.


Okuma Variable Oscillation systems on their spinning reels are very hard to work with because of an oblong oscillation drive gear. The main gear has a notch that lines up with the lowest part of the oscillation gear. Very difficult to do. Leave in while working on them. Oblong gears are sucky.

Shimano Reel Wrenches fit Daiwa reels.

Big clear tackle trays are very nice for working on reels. I put them in the slots in order of removal.

Original Super Stopper II Spinning Reel anti reverses can almost always be fixed by cleaning them. Especially on old Stradics. I run them dry, or as near dry as possible.

If a spinning reel has trouble reeling at the bottom end of the line wrapping there is almost always line wrapped inside the spool. Easy 1 minute fix.



Simple things that are good to know.
"Can I poke the fish in the eye?"
Dakota

ipoppa33
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Re: Working on Reels - Tips!

Post by ipoppa33 » Tue Jul 24, 2012 10:27 am

Great tips, thank you.

jtakeman
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Re: Working on Reels - Tips!

Post by jtakeman » Tue Aug 14, 2012 3:18 pm

Thanks for the tips. Great thread!! =D>

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ztcsmd
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Re: Working on Reels - Tips!

Post by ztcsmd » Mon Mar 04, 2013 12:45 pm

I will either down load schematics or use the one that came with reel and on a copy machine I enlarge to about 150% or enough to fill the entire page of a size 8-1/2" x 11" sheet of paper and do the same with the corresponding part number key on a separate sheet. I put both pages back to back and laminate them--easy to read without glasses and last forever, lay it on the work area when working on reels and don't have to worry about greasy fingers. Also use a green felt gun cleaning pad with rubber backing to avoid scratching reel paint surfaces and does not slide around. I utilize a 12 drawer top chest like a Proto or Craftsman in extra bedroom that I turned into a fishing room to keep all of my tools, cleaning supplies, parts and such in--also serves multi function purpose for bow hunting goodies and extra magazines, scopes and such for hunting....geez, now that I think about it--I think I may have a problem....

tosakilla
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Re: Working on Reels - Tips!

Post by tosakilla » Wed Mar 20, 2013 1:27 pm

most of the reels i work on have never been cleaned before and are pretty gross. one thing ive found is to take a tooth pick and dip it in simple green and really get into the gears, it has more force than a tooth brush with out the risk of scratching anything, and it gives you a nice fresh start.

beezy
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Re: Working on Reels - Tips!

Post by beezy » Thu Aug 01, 2013 12:48 pm

I have a question regarding Daiwa reels in general. What's the best method for removing and re-installing the clutch cam spring on these daiwa reels? I can clean the reel fine but when it comes to this piece, it totally blows my mind how hard it is to put back in sometimes. Any tips?

Lexy 123
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Re: Working on Reels - Tips!

Post by Lexy 123 » Fri Sep 20, 2013 1:33 pm

great tips guys, thanks.

mark poulson
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Re: Working on Reels - Tips!

Post by mark poulson » Sun Jun 11, 2017 5:51 am

Use your cellphone to take pictures of each step as you tear down a reel, so you'll always know what went where, and lay to parts down in order as you remove them, so you'll know the proper sequence for reassembly.
You can email the cellphone pictures to yourself, so you can have them saved onto your computer.

Ripken_240
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Re: Working on Reels - Tips!

Post by Ripken_240 » Mon Nov 26, 2018 4:59 am

Awesome tips in here. Thanks guys. I usually send my stuff out but this will save me some extra coin for sure!

doug in co
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Re: Working on Reels - Tips!

Post by doug in co » Fri Dec 07, 2018 12:56 pm

for tricky little springs etc, I usually disassemble in a shoebox. With any luck the spring will bounce off back into the box..

cellphone pics as already noted, for each step.

I have a set of Winchester gunsmith screwdrivers, also work well on reels.

work a lot on ancient gunked-up fly reels off the giant online flea market. For these, soak the parts in a small plastic tub with Finish Line Citrus Bicycle degreaser, seems to be a bit more effective and smells better than Simple Green or Purple. Scrub with toothbrush, rinse, lay out on newspaper, dry with paper towel, then use a hairdryer to warm everything up and make sure there isn't any residual moisture lurking.

most recently worked on a Heddon 320 fly reel. These have a teeny tiny little elbow spring in the latch cover, to latch the spool to the center pin. I forgot to get it out of the degreaser rinse tub.. took the tub to the utility sink, emptied, rinsed vigorously. Some time after that I looked at the parts and wondered where the spring was.. went back to the sink and it was still lying there, not down the drain. Either I should buy a lottery ticket, since the luck is clearly going my way: or hide in the basement, since I've clearly used up all my luck for the year..

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uljersey
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Re: Working on Reels - Tips!

Post by uljersey » Fri Dec 07, 2018 3:01 pm

After having to disassemble the sink trap to recover a tiny bushing I came up with this. Dollar store kitchen sink drain strainer, the lid from an electrical tape package and binder clips. All small parts go inside and can be submerged, agitated, rinsed and excess water shaken off. I've been using this thing for years now and it hasn't let me down yet.

Image

Image

CheezusCrust
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Re: Working on Reels - Tips!

Post by CheezusCrust » Fri Feb 21, 2020 10:25 am

I opened my friends abu C3 he had been fishing for over 20 years and NEVER opened and cleaned the reel.That thing was GROSS.Literally dirt fell out the minute I took of the sideplates and the plastic "C" shaped part that engages and disengages the pinion gear was grinded away I think from him getting snagged and pulling snags off with 100 lb braid.So the pinion gear formed a dirt and grease bushing around itself and thats what kep the pinion in place.

Two words:BRAKE CLEANER. I sprayed the crap out of the reel with brake cleaner and it washed away all the years of grease and dirt and braid dye.The stuff is magical.

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Bass Junkie
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Re: Working on Reels - Tips!

Post by Bass Junkie » Fri Feb 21, 2020 11:24 am

CheezusCrust wrote:
Fri Feb 21, 2020 10:25 am
I opened my friends abu C3 he had been fishing for over 20 years and NEVER opened and cleaned the reel.That thing was GROSS.Literally dirt fell out the minute I took of the sideplates and the plastic "C" shaped part that engages and disengages the pinion gear was grinded away I think from him getting snagged and pulling snags off with 100 lb braid.So the pinion gear formed a dirt and grease bushing around itself and thats what kep the pinion in place.

Two words:BRAKE CLEANER. I sprayed the crap out of the reel with brake cleaner and it washed away all the years of grease and dirt and braid dye.The stuff is magical.
Bear in mind that brake cleaner is extremely corrosive and will mess up the stock paint on a reel easily. On a C3 you have the benefit of anodized side plates, but with any other reel it pays to exercise caution when using any solvent that harsh.

CheezusCrust
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Re: Working on Reels - Tips!

Post by CheezusCrust » Fri Feb 21, 2020 1:03 pm

No i just sprayed Brake cleaner into my metanium sideplate and spool bearing and the paint and plastic parts are fine.No paint being thinned whatsoever.

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