TSI on the levelwind

Started by lifeofRiley, March 21, 2017, 03:30:44 PM

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exp2000

Grease ain't the word - On the Level !

I am seeing a lot of catastrophic failures in levelwind worms lately. The typical scenario goes something like this: A sizeable rock lodges itself in the worm groove. It may be alone or sometimes it may be hiding in a payload of gravel that has made it's way inside. As you crank the reel handle, the lineguide pawl pushes the boulder towards the bitter end of the worm. With nowhere to go, the pawl now climbs over the rock, gouging metal from the machined pattern in worm drive.

Once this happens, the pawl no longer tracks correctly and will attempt to climb over the damaged section on every pass. It may bind up completely, or it might hover at the end of it's travel going nowhere.

So how do you stop rocks lodging in the worm you ask?

1. Prevention: Don't use your reel as a dredge. Surprisingly, this will prevent gravel from lodging in the worm groove.

2. Maintenance: Sneak the discharge straw from a high pressure aerosol can of break cleaner inside the line guide and blast away any gravel that has accumulated around the pawl blade. Hit it again from the other side. Follow up with a light spray of Inox for lubrication.

3. Glue: Finally, don't use rock glue on the levelwind! I am talking about grease here folks. The over application of grease is almost always the prime instigator in this disaster. Instead. apply a light coat of oil to the worm on a regular basis. Better still - use a dry film bonding lubricant: rocks and gravel have little chance of lodging in the levelwind if there is no glue to hold them there.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/KimberleyRodandReel/

~

Gfish

How long'ed the levelwind system last with no lubrication, anyone know?
Gfish
Fishing tackle is an art form and all fish caught on the right tackle are"Gfish"!

oc1

#17
The last couple of reels I cleaned, TSI was put on everything, including the gears, and no  grease was used.  They sound different.  It doesn't sound bad, just different. It's too early to say whether they will be ruined or have a normal life.  

TSI doesn't seem to emulsify as readily as grease but that may be because it is so thin.  You can slosh a little naphtha on the TSI coated parts and they come clean without the need for the sonic cleaner, simple green or any of that routine.

They're small reels.  They often get very wet (inside and out) but are unlikely to ever heat up.
-steve

wfjord

I was planning on coating my level winds with TSI321 after I clean them.  So far the only thing I haven't taken apart on my bait casters are the level winds. Are there any problems in getting a level wind put back together in proper working order?

exp2000

Quote from: wfjord on March 23, 2017, 04:05:09 PM
I was planning on coating my level winds with TSI321 after I clean them.  So far the only thing I haven't taken apart on my bait casters are the level winds. Are there any problems in getting a level wind put back together in proper working order?

It's a little different for each reel. But over time you develop techniques that make the procedure a little easier.

I would suggest that you lay the parts out in order of disassembly and take a photo for reference.
~

mike1010

Quote from: wfjord on March 23, 2017, 04:05:09 PM
I was planning on coating my level winds with TSI321 after I clean them.  So far the only thing I haven't taken apart on my bait casters are the level winds. Are there any problems in getting a level wind put back together in proper working order?

Three hands would be helpful sometimes :->.  Lacking that, Alan Tani's rubber band trick in the thread below works well.
http://alantani.com/index.php?topic=659.0

wfjord

Quote from: mike1010 on March 23, 2017, 09:29:49 PM
Three hands would be helpful sometimes :->.  Lacking that, Alan Tani's rubber band trick in the thread below works well.
http://alantani.com/index.php?topic=659.0

That'll be a useful link---I have an old 309 needing a major overhaul.


Hardy Boy

I usually service about 50 plus penn 330 level winds and numerous Okuma convectors and shimano tekota's that guides use for bottom fish (lings and halibut). I always grease the level winds as they guides seem to forget to oil or lube during the season. It seems to work well as long as the reel stays on the boat and does not get exposed to a dirty environment. The failures of the level winds that I see are usually caused by putting extreme pressure on the reel while hung up on the bottom or rust caused by a lack of lube. for fresh water casting reels I use a drop of oil.
Todd

wfjord

I disassembled, cleaned, and lubed a Shimano levelwind with TSI321 last night.  Everything went back together beautifully and without a hitch (on the 3rd try). Got seven more levelwinds to go, including the 309 and a 109, but I'm not necessarily in a hurry to get to them. As levelwinds go, I'm not not sure TSI321 offers any functional improvement over a light oil, but it's certainly not going to hurt and may keep it cleaner.

handi2

Just remember you can fully assemble the 309 and 109 before putting the worm gear in place. The line guard does need to be in place.

Ive never greased any worm gear but for charter boats in fresh water grease that sounds like the thing to do.

How have the Okuma Convectors working out for you. I get a few in the shop every year. Most of them have drag and levelwind problems. Here they try to use them for bottom fishing way beyond their means.

Keith
OCD Reel Service & Repair
Gulf Breeze, FL

wfjord

Quote from: handi2 on March 27, 2017, 11:11:56 PM
Just remember you can fully assemble the 309 and 109 before putting the worm gear in place. The line guard does need to be in place.

Ive never greased any worm gear but for charter boats in fresh water grease that sounds like the thing to do.

How have the Okuma Convectors working out for you. I get a few in the shop every year. Most of them have drag and levelwind problems. Here they try to use them for bottom fishing way beyond their means.

Keith

Keith, thanks for the tips on the 309 & 109.  I don't have any Okumas --the next closest levelwind I have is an old Diawa 47H.

.

Bryan Young

the other reason I don't like to put grease on the level wind assembly, often the pawl is also assembled with grease.  the grease gets tacky and the pawl gets stuck in one position...kiss your pawl good buy because it will not turn.
:D I talk with every part I send out and each reel I repair so that they perform at the top of their game. :D

Hardy Boy

Quote from: handi2 on March 27, 2017, 11:11:56 PM
Just remember you can fully assemble the 309 and 109 before putting the worm gear in place. The line guard does need to be in place.

Ive never greased any worm gear but for charter boats in fresh water grease that sounds like the thing to do.

How have the Okuma Convectors working out for you. I get a few in the shop every year. Most of them have drag and levelwind problems. Here they try to use them for bottom fishing way beyond their means.

Keith

All of the reels I mentioned get fished way beyond there intended use. Most of the folks up here fish with 100 lb braid or more, one pound jigs and often fish in 300 plus feet of water. I have to say that I have not had an issue with the grease on the worm gears but it may be that with the heavy use its thinned out fast. I have more issues with rusty pawls from the lack of maintenance. many of the guides have their bottom fish gear up in the rocket launchers and they get tons of salt spray.The convectors are not as hard on the worms as the penn 330's but they corrode badly on the eccentric clutch and the original drag washers need to be changed out to CF.
Todd