The PCS Blogosphere
Screaming Reels!
Question: The problem I have at the moment is driving me crazy! I am having a bit of bother with one of my Penn 525 mags. It's the original one that I have had for a good few years but has been well looked after and serviced by myself. Basically the last 2 trips out it has started screaming intermittantly through the cast! Some casts not at all and other casts it will start halfway through as it starts to drop out of the sky. It's sounded like the ratchet vibrating on or engaging. At first as when I fiddled with the ratchet button mid cast it would stop the screaming. Problem solved I thought ! I sanded the ratchet pawl down to nothing so that it cannot engage but next trip out exactly the same. I am using braid on this reel and I know It does not come off as smooth as mono so this may well be making things worse ? However I used it all last year with no bother at all with the same line so it's not the only cause. Bearings are fine and everything else looks to be Ok so what could it be? It can't be anything bad like a bent spindle or else it would do it all of the time. Could the bearing inners be turning on the spindle maybe? Could it be the nylon bearing retaining clip/ratchet cog catching on something?
Question: The problem I have at the moment is driving me crazy! I am having a bit of bother with one of my Penn 525 mags. It's the original one that I have had for a good few years but has been well looked after and serviced by myself. Basically the last 2 trips out it has started screaming intermittantly through the cast! Some casts not at all and other casts it will start halfway through as it starts to drop out of the sky. It's sounded like the ratchet vibrating on or engaging. At first as when I fiddled with the ratchet button mid cast it would stop the screaming. Problem solved I thought ! I sanded the ratchet pawl down to nothing so that it cannot engage but next trip out exactly the same. I am using braid on this reel and I know It does not come off as smooth as mono so this may well be making things worse ? However I used it all last year with no bother at all with the same line so it's not the only cause. Bearings are fine and everything else looks to be Ok so what could it be? It can't be anything bad like a bent spindle or else it would do it all of the time. Could the bearing inners be turning on the spindle maybe? Could it be the nylon bearing retaining clip/ratchet cog catching on something?
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20 Pound Reels!
One of the most common line weights used in Northern California is 20 pound test. For inshore fishing on the day boats out of any local Norcal port, it's pretty much all you'll ever need. Match up any of these reels with a lightweight 8 foot stick and you've got a great little 20 pound outfit. We're looking for a reel that will hold 200 yards of straight 20-pound monofilament. Star drag or lever drag is fine, but no two speeds and no levelwinds for the sake of this discussion. Just so we all get to start at the same point, we will clean out the bearings or bushings and then lube them with your lube of choice. We will also upgrade the drags to greased carbon fiber. That means that the only differences in our list of reels will be gear ratio, retrieve rate and price.
One of the most common line weights used in Northern California is 20 pound test. For inshore fishing on the day boats out of any local Norcal port, it's pretty much all you'll ever need. Match up any of these reels with a lightweight 8 foot stick and you've got a great little 20 pound outfit. We're looking for a reel that will hold 200 yards of straight 20-pound monofilament. Star drag or lever drag is fine, but no two speeds and no levelwinds for the sake of this discussion. Just so we all get to start at the same point, we will clean out the bearings or bushings and then lube them with your lube of choice. We will also upgrade the drags to greased carbon fiber. That means that the only differences in our list of reels will be gear ratio, retrieve rate and price.
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My Progear Albacore Special Is Noisy
Question: My reel is making loud clicking noises during casting. For some reason, the noise goes away when I flip the reel upside down. I think the pinion gear is either worn down and/or the bearings are bad. I'm planning to get new bearings and pinion gear to fix the problem. My reel doesn't have a model number machined on the housing, but it looks like its a 545 model. The parts inside are mostly the same as other 5xx models, so it shouldn't make a difference.
I think the company is no longer in business, but does anybody know where I can buy replacement parts for these reels? Are they using same parts from other manufacturers that I can swap out? The inside looks a lot like Shimano reels. If anybody can help, I appreciate it. Thanks.
Answer: Upside down? I could understand left or right, but upside down? I wonder if it's the...
Question: My reel is making loud clicking noises during casting. For some reason, the noise goes away when I flip the reel upside down. I think the pinion gear is either worn down and/or the bearings are bad. I'm planning to get new bearings and pinion gear to fix the problem. My reel doesn't have a model number machined on the housing, but it looks like its a 545 model. The parts inside are mostly the same as other 5xx models, so it shouldn't make a difference.
I think the company is no longer in business, but does anybody know where I can buy replacement parts for these reels? Are they using same parts from other manufacturers that I can swap out? The inside looks a lot like Shimano reels. If anybody can help, I appreciate it. Thanks.
Answer: Upside down? I could understand left or right, but upside down? I wonder if it's the...
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Power or Speed Handle Position
Question: Which reel handle setting do you prefer in your star drags, the one in the power position or the one in the speed position? All my Daiwas have come from the factory in the speed position and I have just left them there. I am going to try them in the power position soon just to see how that position feels. The following photo will show the reel in the speed position and the slot not used on the handle is the power position.
Answer: Most people will be fine with the...
Question: Which reel handle setting do you prefer in your star drags, the one in the power position or the one in the speed position? All my Daiwas have come from the factory in the speed position and I have just left them there. I am going to try them in the power position soon just to see how that position feels. The following photo will show the reel in the speed position and the slot not used on the handle is the power position.
Answer: Most people will be fine with the...
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Question: Does anyone have an idea about how to get more life out of the pinion bearings on Avet reels?
Oct. 26 2010, 1:34 AM - 0 Comments
Oct. 26 2010, 1:34 AM - 0 Comments
Question: Does anyone have an idea about how to get more life out of the pinion bearings on Avet reels?
The short answer is to grease the bearing and stay within specs.
In my own personal (albiet limited) experience with Avet reels, I would have to agree with you that the right main side plate bearing is the first to go. I have found that to be the case in all lever drag reels, be it Penn, Daiwa, Shimano or Okuma. In decreasing order of failure frequency, I would have to say that the right main side plate (rmsp) bearing is the most prone to failure, followed by the left spool bearing, then less but equally prone to failure would be the right spool bearing and pressure plate bearings together. Depending on the configuration of the reel, you may have one or two handle drive shaft bearings. The outer one will typically fail before the inner one, and the frequency of failure for the outer drive shaft will be something less than the right main side plate bearing. I believe that your experience is not unique and your question is quite valid.
I believe that there are two causes. The first is...
The short answer is to grease the bearing and stay within specs.
In my own personal (albiet limited) experience with Avet reels, I would have to agree with you that the right main side plate bearing is the first to go. I have found that to be the case in all lever drag reels, be it Penn, Daiwa, Shimano or Okuma. In decreasing order of failure frequency, I would have to say that the right main side plate (rmsp) bearing is the most prone to failure, followed by the left spool bearing, then less but equally prone to failure would be the right spool bearing and pressure plate bearings together. Depending on the configuration of the reel, you may have one or two handle drive shaft bearings. The outer one will typically fail before the inner one, and the frequency of failure for the outer drive shaft will be something less than the right main side plate bearing. I believe that your experience is not unique and your question is quite valid.
I believe that there are two causes. The first is...
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When do you really need a 2-speed reel?
In the hunt for big fish, most everyone will agree that a two-speed reel is essential. The question will commonly arise, however, at what point do you really need a 2-speed? Big fish, obviously, but someone will invarialbly chime in, "Hey, I can land one of those without a 2-speed!" OK, fair enough. Remember the guy at that cocktail party? Yeah, him. The one with the fish tie, now your wife's EX-boss. Well, that's fine. Maybe he can land a big fish with a single-speed reel because he can bench press 300 pounds. But fishermen, like fish, come in all shapes and sizes. Meet my good friend, Ed Watson.
In the hunt for big fish, most everyone will agree that a two-speed reel is essential. The question will commonly arise, however, at what point do you really need a 2-speed? Big fish, obviously, but someone will invarialbly chime in, "Hey, I can land one of those without a 2-speed!" OK, fair enough. Remember the guy at that cocktail party? Yeah, him. The one with the fish tie, now your wife's EX-boss. Well, that's fine. Maybe he can land a big fish with a single-speed reel because he can bench press 300 pounds. But fishermen, like fish, come in all shapes and sizes. Meet my good friend, Ed Watson.
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Big Mistake!
Question:
I hope someone can help! I tried to clean the reel and ran into some problems and wound up taking it apart! Big mistake.
I've cleaned some reels in the past but never took them apart. And this one was very complicated. I think the pinion is stuck to the spool rod? Is this possible? And/or if I can't do this myself, who can? Any assistance would be greatly appreciated, as I am about to pull out my last remaining hairs!
Answer: OK, here's what you do...
Question:
I hope someone can help! I tried to clean the reel and ran into some problems and wound up taking it apart! Big mistake.
I've cleaned some reels in the past but never took them apart. And this one was very complicated. I think the pinion is stuck to the spool rod? Is this possible? And/or if I can't do this myself, who can? Any assistance would be greatly appreciated, as I am about to pull out my last remaining hairs!
Answer: OK, here's what you do...
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Salmon Fishing in Northern California
It caught most of us by surprise. Even when we were told that it was actually going to happen, I think many did not believe it. We could actually go salmon fishing again (thanks, Darryl!). It had been so long that many of us had forgotten how. There was so much to do and there was so little time. Boats needed full systems checks, downriggers needed to be rerigged, reels had to be respooled, and leaders had to be retied. And yes, much of that did not happen. We had not been salmon fishing the previous two seasons! Old salmon gear was pulled out, dusted off and thrown onto the boat with the expectation that it would work just fine. For many skippers on opening day, if it could go wrong, it did go wrong.
It caught most of us by surprise. Even when we were told that it was actually going to happen, I think many did not believe it. We could actually go salmon fishing again (thanks, Darryl!). It had been so long that many of us had forgotten how. There was so much to do and there was so little time. Boats needed full systems checks, downriggers needed to be rerigged, reels had to be respooled, and leaders had to be retied. And yes, much of that did not happen. We had not been salmon fishing the previous two seasons! Old salmon gear was pulled out, dusted off and thrown onto the boat with the expectation that it would work just fine. For many skippers on opening day, if it could go wrong, it did go wrong.
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Trouble-shooting a Daiwa SL 30SH
Question: I changed the drags on a Daiwa SL30SH (Carbontex), greased the drive shaft bearing and oiled the spool bearings. Basically did everything and used everything that you said to do in the rebuild post. I put everything back together and it all works, BUT when I turn the handle and just let it fly I start to hear a low grinding noise as soon as I let go of the handle and it continues to turn. Seems like if I crank while the reel is tilted I hear that noise again... Is something loose or the gear is bad? I have no left-over pieces.
Question: I changed the drags on a Daiwa SL30SH (Carbontex), greased the drive shaft bearing and oiled the spool bearings. Basically did everything and used everything that you said to do in the rebuild post. I put everything back together and it all works, BUT when I turn the handle and just let it fly I start to hear a low grinding noise as soon as I let go of the handle and it continues to turn. Seems like if I crank while the reel is tilted I hear that noise again... Is something loose or the gear is bad? I have no left-over pieces.
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The 2010 Fred Hall Show in Long Beach, California
The annual Fred Hall tackle show will be held again this week in Long Beach, CA, and it's one of the largest in the nation. Without a doubt, it is the most popular show on the west coast. I'll be flying down from northern California, just for the day, to attend. I've got my camera, two camera batteries, a note pad and a whole bunch of questions all ready. In particular, I will be asking about quality and service issues with fishing reels. These are issues that I deal with every day, and they have been mounting.
The annual Fred Hall tackle show will be held again this week in Long Beach, CA, and it's one of the largest in the nation. Without a doubt, it is the most popular show on the west coast. I'll be flying down from northern California, just for the day, to attend. I've got my camera, two camera batteries, a note pad and a whole bunch of questions all ready. In particular, I will be asking about quality and service issues with fishing reels. These are issues that I deal with every day, and they have been mounting.
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