Help with a veeerry tight drag knob

[tristan]

OK, first time I've run into this so I thought someone may have an idea.

Just received a un-marked Olympic 850, nice old reel.  The drag knob is so tight I cannot turn it by hand.   I don't know if it's simply tightened down to the max and the grease dried into a glue, or if someone cross-threaded it sometime in the distant past.     I've read that the best penetrating oil is a 50/50 mix of ATF and Acetone.   Anyone know if this is safe for plastic?    It is the type of spool which uses a push button to pop off the spool for easy swap.

My first thought was to use some sort of penetrating oil on the knob and spool, and then make a spanner out of a wood block for the drag knob.   However, the torque applied goes directly to the shaft, and I need to avoid damaging the shaft if at all possible.

Any better ideas?

Thanks.

[handi2]

Tristan it's more than likely corroded onto the spool shaft. Don't use any Acetone.

If you can get the body screws out you will be able to remove the spool shaft with spool attached. Then you can add oil down into the threads.

[Midway Tommy]

On a push button removable spool the drag knob should have no contact with the reel main shaft. If the drag knob is frozen it is either corroded onto the spool shaft or stuck/gooed through the drag washer stack. My guess, unless it's a single washer drag, is that the threads of the drag knob are corroded onto the spool insert (galvanic corrosion). I am surprised you can't at least remove the spool from the reel main shaft.

I would remove any line that's on the spool, squirt some real safe penetrating oil like Liquid Wrench or Kroil, not some homemade brew, in between drag knob and spool, and continue working the drag knob back and forth. It will eventually loosen by breaking loose the corrosion in the threads.....on, off....on, off, etc. If the spool and drag knob are both plastic and you can get it off the main reel shaft soak it in 50/50 vinegar/water for a day or so, taking it out every few hours and working the knob. Vinegar/water soak will loosen galvanic corrosion.       

[tristan]

Tristan it's more than likely corroded onto the spool shaft. Don't use any Acetone.

If you can get the body screws out you will be able to remove the spool shaft with spool attached. Then you can add oil down into the threads.

OK, so far I've just added some light penetrating lube from a can which doesn't have any acetone.   It loosened the drag up, so I believe it's getting in there.

I'll try a disassembly and oil this week.

Thanks, Handi!

[tristan]

On a push button removable spool the drag knob should have no contact with the reel main shaft. If the drag knob is frozen it is either corroded onto the spool shaft or stuck/gooed through the drag washer stack. My guess, unless it's a single washer drag, is that the threads of the drag knob are corroded onto the spool insert (galvanic corrosion). I am surprised you can't at least remove the spool from the reel main shaft.

I would remove any line that's on the spool, squirt some real safe penetrating oil like Liquid Wrench or Kroil, not some homemade brew, in between drag knob and spool, and continue working the drag knob back and forth. It will eventually loosen by breaking loose the corrosion in the threads.....on, off....on, off, etc. If the spool and drag knob are both plastic and you can get it off the main reel shaft soak it in 50/50 vinegar/water for a day or so, taking it out every few hours and working the knob. Vinegar/water soak will loosen galvanic corrosion.       

I probably wasn't clear, but the spool will come off the shaft via the push button at the top; by the appearance inside, it's probably well-greased inside the spool.    However, when the spool is on the reel, it is snapped down on the keeper and rests on the cross-pin through the shaft.   When it's off the reel, I haven't figured out how to hang onto the spool arbor (whatever that part is called!) that slides down over the shaft.

The design drew heavy inspiration from the Mitchell reels with push-button spool removal.

Basically, the knob is tight on the spool arbor (axel, bushing, ??) that goes over the shaft...

What is that thing called anyway?   

[Midway Tommy]

What is that thing called anyway?    Smiley

What ever you want call it.  A SOB?     Mitchell calls it a spindle. If the reel main shaft has a cross pin and you can remove the main shaft from the reel you should be able to insert the main shaft into the spool, clamp the main shaft into your vise and keep working that drag knob back and forth, adding some penetrating oil now and then, until the drag knob loosens up. You'll need to keep pressure against the spool to the cross pin while you are working the drag knob. Once you get the drag knob off your next challenge may be getting the spindle backed out of the spool. When the drag knob come loose, while you still have it clamped in the vise, make sure the spool will turn on the spindle. If it does you should be able get the spindle out.

[philaroman]

1) had exactly same thing w/ a NOS/boxed/complete Olympic (some weird JDM 60's/70's model that I never saw before, or since... regular front drag -- not a push-button)

a few drops of thin sewing machine oil & let it sit on the windowsill in 95*F July heat for several hrs. & it unscrewed easily...  the drag washer was a thick maroon leather(like) material & everything appeared undamaged...  some Japanese collector was very happy to pay $100+ & triple my money

2) Acetone & similar solvents (e.g., MEK) DESTROY PLASTIC!!!