C220-5 spool spacing

[BMITCH]

I've got a C220-5 that there seems to be no side play adjustment for the spool. There is a plastic end cap on the clicker side, but no matter where it is adjusted I'm not able to get any side play. The bearings are molded into the side covers and don't seem to have any space from the spool ends to allow adjustment. I think this is slowing or binding the spool. Any insight to this problem?

Bob

[Newell Nut]

If you push the bearing in with the adjustment screw then it will get stuck in that position due to the tight tolerance in the side plate. Hold the reel in your palms with the handle away from you and with your finger tips on the edge of the spool you can squeeze real hard and the bearing will pop back in the recess area so you can start to adjust again. Loosen the adjusting screw first.

If this does not work then disassemble and clean old tacky grease from the spool spindles and then oil them. Also pull the bearing and clean the recess in the side plate. Oil the bearing and pop it back in.

[BMITCH]

That worked. I can now feel the end play. The spool still is slow though. I have taken the bearings out, the shields off, cleaned and oiled(301) and still the free spool is only about 15 to 20 seconds. What do you think?

[Newell Nut]

Now you know a new trick.

Remove the spool and clean the longer spindle on the handle side. Probably has some old grease on it. It gets tacky over time. Also dip a Qtip in alcohol and clean inside of the pinion gear where the spool spindle slides. Use oil on the spool spindle and not grease to make it spin fast.

[Bryan Young]

15-20 seconds is pretty good considering how light that spool is as it will have very little inertia.

[Newell Nut]

I think you are correct. I just checked my 220 that is tuned really nice and it stops at 20 seconds. The larger reels will spin almost a minute and it has to be the inertia from the weight.

[Bryan Young]

One thing that Newell reels have is the light weight spool.  It spools up quick and naturally slows down due to the lack of weight to keep the spool spinning.  This naturally reduces backlash making you appear to be a better caster without all of the cast control features on today's reels.

[Newell Nut]

Carl Newell was way ahead of others in his reel design. It is amazing that most of the parts are the same for every series. Since this is a 220 thread I wonder how many 220 owners know that they have the exact same 25 lb drag as a 400 series reel. Put a Tiburon frame on it and you have a little beast of a reel. I have a little P229 on a Tiburon frame that would take a lot of money to get me to part with it.

[BMITCH]

Ok.. So here is what I did. Yeah if you were checking eBay lately there was a aluminum spool for the 220 series up for sale.. That's now on my 220. I got it today. I also put a Tib frame from Greg aka chowder puff. This spins like forever now. With the frame and spool I can now run spectra on it with no worries. This is such an awsome reel. Basically a built P220. The only thing now is a aluminum star drag and it's complete. Oh yeah, I put new carbontex washers and the one bearing end cap(SS). Now this is a reel that is maxed out. Can't wait to fish it. Thanks for all the input. Love this site. No attitudes or competition. Gotta love that.


Bob

[Newell Nut]

Bob

I bid on one of those spools myself. My 220 sports a silver Tib frame and I have bought a bunch of them from Gregg too. He is a great guy to deal with. He used to do Newells warranty work before they closed. He has been a great source of Newell history for me.
He has NIB P533s but they are not cheap. I bought several of them and just stashed them away for my grandson to use one day and he built them on Tib frames for me with carbontex and boca brgs.

Congratulations on your new little beast. Did you put Cals drag grease on the carbontex? Makes them smooth and water proof too.

[BMITCH]

All the Newell's i have greased cf drags. I did the narrow spool on my g454. Awsome reel. Only problem is that this is only a Jigmaster drag. As you said, I think the Newell 500 series has a larger drag in it. Maybe comparable to a Penn 114H? What about the 600 series Newell's? Are they even larger yet..that is as far as drag is concerned? Yeah..I'm always watching out for Newll's. Even being an east coast guy.lol.

[Newell Nut]

I am an southeast guy in Daytona.
The 533 with the NK frame is a killer that I use for snapper fishing on the bottom. Holds 250 yds of 40 lb mono. Cast great also. The 533 has larger drag discs rated at 35 lb and everything below is a 25 lb drag. The 500 series also has two anti-reverse dogs. If you like speed the 533 5.5 is the fastest of the Newells for jigging or squidding. Takes up 44" per turn.
The 600 is a beast and the gears are huge. The spool spindles are also larger in diameter. The disc are the same diameter but it has more of them rated at 45 lb of drag.

What to look for on ebay in the 600 would be a 631 3.2 and it is a killer bottom fishing reel. That is the narrow one and holds 310 yds of 60. Add the Tiburon power handle that Gregg sells and you have a grouper winch. They don't come up often on ebay but I picked up a mint one about a month ago.
Newell had a neat numbering system. 631 is 310 yds of 60. 646 is 460 yds of 60
The larger the number the wider the spool.
338 is 380 yds of 30.
220 is 200 yds of 20 but all those numbers are for graphite spools. The Aluminum spool has straighter sides and a smaller arbor so it holds more line.

[BMITCH]

I never knew about the numbering system of Newell's. That's two things I picked your brain on. Let me know where to send the check.lol. Yeah, I will be watching for a 500 series. Hope to find one cheap that can be upgraded to the narrow frame kit. Thanks for all the info.

Bob

[Newell Nut]

Bob

If you buy a 500 to convert to a NK kit make sure it is at 4.6 or a 5.5 gear ratio. They have the small spool spindle like most Newells and use the small ID bearing like most Newells and that is what the Narrow Spool is designed for. A 533, 540, 546 and 550 will all convert as long as it is 4.6 or 5.5.

The 500 3.2 which is a wonderful bottom fishing reel and I prefer it over the 600s has the large spool spindle for heavy fish and uses the large ID bearings. This reel will take a standard size Tiburon Frame but will not accept the NK frame and spool.

The bearings for a 3.2 and 4.6 have the same OD so a 3.2 could be coverted to a NK if you bought a new set of standard Abec 5 or 7 bearings for the new spool.

Dwight

[Newell Nut]

Just had a chat with Gregg. The 500 3.2 will not convert to a NK because the ID of the pinion geer will not work.
Disregard the comment in the previous post. This Flu bug has my brain scrambled this morning.