Loose handle on stradic

[johndtuttle]

Got it. I've been oiling all of mine. I will clean that out.

I did remove the worm from the stradic. On five baitrunners I removed most of the parts. The baitrunner D I did last night I only removed the sideplate and rotor though, it has the same problem. 

Is it possible that the gears aren't meshing properly? I know that the baitrunner D has an elliptical oscillation gear that needs to be aligned with the main gear.

Is it possible that the rotor isn't seated correctly? 

I'm not sure as I don't have enough experience to say for certain. With ellipticals as I am sure you are aware they have to be "synced" based on markings on the gears. If you get that right you should be golden, however, I have always wondered if that type of system gets a complimentary wear pattern that will change the feel after it gets put back a tiny bit differently like one tooth off.

With the worm gears I try to stay away from them if I can for similar reasons. They put pressure on the drivetrain to keep it tight. If it is put back differently than original I believe you can develop some slop. Take the side plate off and see if you can recreate the problem keeping an eye on the worm and pawl. I think another guy had trouble like this and it was the worm that was the source as he was testing it with the pawl on the far end where there normally is some play where the pawl has to flip and change directions. Also, if the pawl is worn you can get some slop as it functions to "shim" the drive train sorta kinda in the sense that it has to be tight for the drivetrain to feel right.

[FatTuna]

My first step will be to try shimming the pinions and see if it helps. I will also take a look at the worm.

I have been aligning the pin on the elliptical with the markings on the main gear for the D series. I can try playing with it. There could be a wear pattern that is affecting the way it feels. In learning more about these reels I prefer the B series with it's simpler design.

I'll put some time in this evening and try to get it sorted out. I'll give a call up to Surfland and see if Martha has the shims that I need on hand.

Thanks for your help again John. I'll let you know how it goes.

[bluefish69]

Surfland is a great shop. The 2 women can fix any reel. I just wish their website was better.

[foakes]

Seems like John is on target with his ideas.

There are issues with graphite wear over time, shims will help some, as will marking your gears before removal and cleaning.

When I was much younger, I studied and worked in electronics -- repairing TVs, stereos, radios, etc.  The two older guys I learned from were masters at the diagnosis system called -- the process of elimination.  Old school, dead simple, saves at least 90% of a repair guys time -- and fixes the problem correctly.

They both taught the age old system called Occoms Razor -- basically:

Occam's razor is more commonly described as 'the simplest answer is most often correct,' although this is an oversimplification. The 'correct' interpretation is that entities should not be multiplied needlessly.

Researchers should avoid 'stacking' information to prove a theory if a simpler explanation fits the observations. Occam's razor is the process of paring down information to make finding the truth easier.

This has stayed with me for all of my life, and is applied in many ways -- and is particularly useful when working on and repairing fishing reels. 

Get as much explanation as possible from the owner of the reel, if feasible, as to what is wrong, when it went wrong, and their impression of the problem.

Then apply what you know from experience as to how that reel is engineered, built, materials used, weak points, types of situations that over-stress certain parts -- then start with the simplest and most common fixes.

I generally can repair 90% of the reels I work on efficiently and quickly.  These have common issues.  The other 10% end up taking 90% of my time.

Observation
Knowledge of how the reel should work
Experience
Information
Common Sense

One more thing:

Reels that advertise 6, 10, or 12 bearings are mostly just making up for the fact that they are usually graphite frames that will wear out quickly if not backed up by steel bearings.

Take an old Penn 700, 706, or 704Z -- with only one bearing.  Since they are over engineered with high quality materials, simple proven design, and made out of superior metals -- they will last for 50+ years of hard use -- and still operate as new.

Just my own opinions.

Best,

Fred

[FatTuna]

If anyone reads this in the future, the issue with these reels was a shimming issue. The shims on the main gear were fine; however, shims needed to be added on the pinion gear. By doing this, I was able to remove all of the play that I was experiencing and the reels feel great now.