No Letter 550 3.0

franky · February 12, 2013, 10:52:31 PM

I'm working on a no letter 550 3.0 low gear ratio reel.

When the reel is in gear, there is no problem. The handle rotates very nice.

However, when I put the eccentric jack into cast mode, the handle is very rough and grindy when you rotate the handle.

I also noticed that when the reel is fully assembled, the eccentric jack, when put into cast mode, only travels 97% and then I have to push the jack the remaining 3% just to get it to be in full cast mode. When I remove the bridge plate, the jack operates "engaged and disengaged" fully 100% with no problems. At first, I thought it could be one of the bridge screws interferring with the lever...nope. $:-\$

I also noticed that the pinion is not sitting square. The yoke and pinion always has a slight tilt. I noticed that the eccentric jack tabs (triangular tabs) are not fully underneath the yoke. I don't know how to fix this as there appears to be nothing wrong with the individual parts. I thought it could be the eccentric jack being too short in length, but if I use a longer jack, the back end of the jack will bump into the dog when put into cast mode...therefore the jack appears to be the correct jack.

Its hard for me to imagine that this is just how the reels came when they were brand new at the store.
Customer comes into a store to look at the new reels....puts the jack in cast mode and rotates the handle...reel is very rough and grindy...store owner says...thats how the reels are.... $:-\$

Any ideas?

Bryan Young · February 12, 2013, 11:54:37 PM

Sounds like the yoke has worn a bit. it doesn't take much. In Penns, I've replaced the yoke and it has fixed my problems. I'm not sure if it's the same as yours, but hope it will be a simple fix.

Newell Nut · February 13, 2013, 12:19:39 AM

Two things come to mind that I have seen recently. One is that the short side of the dog spring could slip off the edge of the bridge plate and into the hole that the bridge screw screws into and the bridgeplate is not pulled up all the way on one side when assembled.
The way in which the spool is adjusted with the bearing caps can make some misalignment of the spool and pinion. Could be the spacers in the caps under the bearings. Make sure the handle side bearing cap is snug and then adjust the opposite side free play.

franky · February 13, 2013, 12:46:47 AM

Thanks folks for the replies.

Quote from: Newell Nut on February 13, 2013, 12:19:39 AM
One is that the short side of the dog spring could slip off the edge of the bridge plate and into the hole that the bridge screw screws into and the bridgeplate is not pulled up all the way on one side when assembled.

I'll have to check on that. I do remember that when I re-installed one of the bridge screws, one of them seemed to have resistance and then I heard the bridge plate click and then the bridge screw continued in more freely. That screw might have been bumping into something and is now causing the jack to travel only 97%

The way in which the spool is adjusted with the bearing caps can make some misalignment of the spool and pinion. Could be the spacers in the caps under the bearings. Make sure the handle side bearing cap is snug and then adjust the opposite side free play.

This ones okay. The spool alignment is okay. Its just that the yoke and pinion is slanted and not fully squared. The top of the triangle tabs on the jack is not fully underneath the yoke even if the jack is 100% in cast mode. This is causing the yoke and pinion to be constantly slanted in cast mode. I'm at a lost.

o

The yoke appears to be straight and not worn, but I understand what Bryan is saying. It doesn't take much and sometimes even if the part looks okay, just by switching it out could make a world of difference. Unfortunately, Newells don't offer people the luxury of switching out parts at the drop of a hat.

Newell Nut · February 13, 2013, 01:38:01 AM

Is the little cir-clip re installed at the end of the bridgesleeve before the handle nut is installed? Are you putting the jack lever in the disengaged position before re installing the bridgeplate on the side plate? It goes together better that way.
I know I could figure it out if I had it in my hands but I have to do some guessing here.
Is the side plate touching one of the little screw heads that holds the inner ring to the base?

Newell Nut · February 13, 2013, 02:25:06 AM

A comment from the last part of your first note. I have found that new newells are noisy because virtually no lube was used upon assembly. They are pretty dry. You can put cals drag grease in the gear teeth and a little under the bridge sleeve where it meets the bridge plate and it will get really quiet and smooth.

franky · February 13, 2013, 07:17:42 PM

Quote from: Newell Nut on February 13, 2013, 01:38:01 AM
Is the little cir-clip re installed at the end of the bridgesleeve before the handle nut is installed?

Yes the cir-clip is installed.

Are you putting the jack lever in the disengaged position before re installing the bridgeplate on the side plate? It goes together better that way.

Yes, the sideplate is seated very well and even.

I know I could figure it out if I had it in my hands but I have to do some guessing here.

I wish you were here.

Is the side plate touching one of the little screw heads that holds the inner ring to the base?

Nope.

The problem is not the side plate being fastened to the frame. There are two problems.

The first problem is the yoke and pinion is not sitting flush when the jack is in cast mode. The top of the triangle tabs on the jack is not fully underneath the yoke when the jack is fully engaged in cast mode. If there was a way to move the top of the tab further underneath the yoke, the yoke will then be flush.

The second problem is when I attach the bridge plate to the side plate; the jack handle does not fully go into cast mode. The handle travels only 97% and then I have to push further to get the handle to travel the remaining 3% to have it fully engaged in cast mode. This is where, as you've mentioned, that I need to check if somehow the dog spring is interfering with the bridge screw when it is being attached. I'll check again...

Thanks again, wish me luck...

alantani · February 13, 2013, 08:19:10 PM

i have some newell parts. look for parts that are worn down, gouged, or just not working right. sometimes you can bend that jack to get more lift, somtimes the yoke is crooked. the problem is in there. you'll find it.

franky · February 15, 2013, 10:28:06 PM

I just finished my follow-up and the darn posting was timed out...lost everthing.

Make a long story short....problem solved.

I grinded down the pinion and it no longer bumped into the bearing on cast mode.

Two years ago, this exact same reel from the same guy was unresolved although the reel was functioning.

Alan suggested that the pinion might be too long and a shorter pinion may be the solution. Bingo! Problem solved.

Big thanks to Alan, Newell Nut, and all those on this site for providing suggestions and ideas...please keep them coming. Wow, after two years...Finally. $:-\$

As the saying goes..."I don't know where we're headed, but as long as were moving forward"

Thanks again folks.

Newell Nut · February 15, 2013, 11:51:06 PM

Glad you solved the problem but I am curious to know if there was a spacer washer under the bearing that pushed it too close to the pinion?

Bryan Young · February 16, 2013, 07:09:10 AM

Baed on your fix, I really didn't understand your problem. Sorry.

Glad you got it working.

Regarding Newell Nut's previous question, I have found some Newell reels' bearing caps with not only SS shims, but also thicker plastic ones. If the bearing up has these, that may be the problem that you just solved in a different means.

bluefish69 · February 16, 2013, 04:48:49 PM

Quote from: Bryan Young link=topic=6424.msg 54950#msg 54950 date=1360998550
Based on your fix, I really didn't understand your problem. Sorry.

Glad you got it working.

Regarding Newell Nut's previous question, I have found some Newell reels' bearing caps with not only SS shims, but also thicker plastic ones. If the bearing up has these, that may be the problem that you just solved in a different means.

The Handle side Bearing Cap has a colored ring on it [red, white or black] to center the spool. I change rings to do this BUT you can put a O ring there it's thicker than the colored rings. Nothing should be in this Cap except the Bearing. Shims go on the clicker side Bearing Cap / an O Ring outside to keep water out [LOL]. One Bearing Cap might not be as deep as the other, you can check by eye. Shallow one goes on the Handle Side.

franky · February 19, 2013, 04:39:15 AM

Quote from: Newell Nut on February 15, 2013, 11:51:06 PM
Glad you solved the problem but I am curious to know if there was a spacer washer under the bearing that pushed it too close to the pinion?

Yes there was a curved stainless spacer under the handle side bearing. I tried to remove it to lower the bearing, no success. I tried to replace it with a plain flat stainless, no success. Also tried to replace it with the teflon spacer, no success. I had to use th curved stainless spacer.

franky · February 19, 2013, 04:48:04 AM

Quote from: Bryan Young on February 16, 2013, 07:09:10 AM
Baed on your fix, I really didn't understand your problem. Sorry.

Glad you got it working.

Regarding Newell Nut's previous question, I have found some Newell reels' bearing caps with not only SS shims, but also thicker plastic ones. If the bearing up has these, that may be the problem that you just solved in a different means.

Oh no Bryan. Thanks anyway for the suggestion. When it comes to these kinds of problems, its always good to have several and all bases covered.

For some reason, I tried the plastic spacer, no success. I don't know why, but the curved spacer seemed to put the spool just in the right place to provide the best free spool without the chatter sounds when the reel is tilted to the left and to the right.

In either case, the jack handle was still traveling only 97% when put into freespool. When looking inside of the bearing, I could see the back end of the pinion bumping or scraping into the bearing. When the pinion was grinded down, it allowed the jack handle to travel 100% and the grinding and binding dissappeared.

franky · February 19, 2013, 04:55:13 AM

Quote from: bluefish69 on February 16, 2013, 04:48:49 PM
Quote from: Bryan Young link=topic=6424.msg 54950#msg 54950 date=1360998550
Based on your fix, I really didn't understand your problem. Sorry.

Glad you got it working.

Regarding Newell Nut's previous question, I have found some Newell reels' bearing caps with not only SS shims, but also thicker plastic ones. If the bearing up has these, that may be the problem that you just solved in a different means.

The Handle side Bearing Cap has a colored ring on it [red, white or black] to center the spool. I change rings to do this BUT you can put a O ring there it's thicker than the colored rings. Nothing should be in this Cap except the Bearing. Shims go on the clicker side Bearing Cap / an O Ring outside to keep water out [LOL]. One Bearing Cap might not be as deep as the other, you can check by eye. Shallow one goes on the Handle Side.

Thanks Bluefish69. Unfortunately, this reel has a fixed bearing cap that cannot be adjusted. I don't like these sideplates.

But yes, I also use the colored rings on the handle side bearing caps to help adjust the spool. Sometimes, even with these colored ring shims, I still find it necessary to use the flat thin stanless shims on the handle side bearing caps.