Lexa 400 HS

[johndtuttle]

I have 2 lexa 400 and a couple 300.  Have an ocassional problem, with the reel not engaging after freespool.  Clutch problem?
Anyone else have this problem?

As great as these reels all are to fish (be they Abu, Daiwa, Okuma or Shimano) all of the convenient features they have introduce complexity that can be finicky in the salt....and by their nature salt gets easily inside (ie all day casting and the non-sealed nature of conventional reels).

As Alan said, the kick lever inside may be gummed up or the Pinion may have a touch of corrosion and is not returning to position positively (depending on what you feel when it doesn't go into gear). A thorough pre-service like Handi2's example is the best bet to keep them in order.

Just got the 400's so it shouldn't be corrosion.  Will try to open it up and look at the kick lever.  Thanks for the input.

Hope not, you'd be surprised though where after one trip you can have the worst luck with salt getting where you'd think you never would.

best

[johndtuttle]

Just finished servicing a 400 and found 4 or 5 little curly shavings of plastic in the reel. Seems the pinion gear shaved off some plastic from the top of the yoke. You can see where it was shaved off; kinda beveled.
What would cause the pinion to wobble or be out of place to do that? Reel is only one season old so I wouldn't think the yoke has worn.
Any ideas?

The top of the yoke is normally beveled to squeeze into the groove in the Pinion. I take it the shavings were the same color as the yoke?

I would think if they are it is tweaking of the alignment of the pinion under load cutting into the soft yokes seen in these reels.

[justindfish]

Just finished servicing a 400 and found 4 or 5 little curly shavings of plastic in the reel. Seems the pinion gear shaved off some plastic from the top of the yoke. You can see where it was shaved off; kinda beveled.
What would cause the pinion to wobble or be out of place to do that? Reel is only one season old so I wouldn't think the yoke has worn.
Any ideas?

The yoke is one thing that looks to me like it could become a problem over time. It just didn't look as study as it could be.

[johndtuttle]

Just finished servicing a 400 and found 4 or 5 little curly shavings of plastic in the reel. Seems the pinion gear shaved off some plastic from the top of the yoke. You can see where it was shaved off; kinda beveled.
What would cause the pinion to wobble or be out of place to do that? Reel is only one season old so I wouldn't think the yoke has worn.
Any ideas?

The yoke is one thing that looks to me like it could become a problem over time. It just didn't look as study as it could be.

I really don't know. We need someone with more experience to chime in. I just am not sure what stresses it routinely experiences in these designs.

I haven't seen the inside of a Tranx yet (need to work on that) but Okuma, Shimano (Curado), Daiwa and Abu Garcia all use nylon yokes in this class of reel.

[Lunker Larry]

I was thinking that maybe the yoke may have got stuck and did not fully engage or release the pinion causing it to not align and tilt a bit and shave off a bit of plastic. probably only a split second thing. I can see the two wear marks on the yoke.
I also thought the yoke felt pretty cheap for what is expected of this reel, but then again, when working properly there shouldn't be much stress on it.
Anyway, should be a cheap replacement
The guys who use this reel are loving it. Smooth as silk.

[handi2]

The pinion gear is held on by 2 screws. When you remove the 2 screws there is a bearing underneath. Make sure the bearing is still good and that the screws are tight.

Moving up the pinion gear is the main gear, roller clutch, and then a final bearing on top where it exits the body of the reel. All this should stop any movement.

Let us know what else you may find.

[jcool3]

there is a ratchet gear under the main gear that hits a kick lever arm and pops the reel back into gear.  sometimes that kick lever arm is damaged or the entire side plate is gummed up.  a thorough cleaning and inspection of the kick lever is the first place i'd start. 

I downloaded the daiwa schematic, but really am novice in taking apart reels.  Is it the kick lever shown in any of the above photos.
Can someone point it out?  Thanks.

[alantani]

got a moment to post a link to the schematic?

[johndtuttle]

Its part #31 on the Schematic:

http://www.daiwa.com/Documents/PartsDiagram/LEXA400H-400HS-400HS-P-400PWR-P.pdf


The best way to find it is to cycle the action by depressing the Clutch Lever (20) and watching how it interacts with the AR Ratchet to put the reel in gear when you reel forward. Generally when you gain an understanding of how it operates like this it makes future trouble shooting simpler.

[handi2]

there is a ratchet gear under the main gear that hits a kick lever arm and pops the reel back into gear.  sometimes that kick lever arm is damaged or the entire side plate is gummed up.  a thorough cleaning and inspection of the kick lever is the first place i'd start. 

I downloaded the daiwa schematic, but really am novice in taking apart reels.  Is it the kick lever shown in any of the above photos.
Can someone point it out?  Thanks.

Jcool if you look on page one of this thread and the 4th picture. You will see the AR ratchet which is the SS gear with the teeth spread widely apart. Also look closely at the teeth. One side of each tooth is slightly beveled. This part of the tooth pushes on the kick lever to pop the reel back into gear. If the AR ratchet is put in backwards it will very hard for the reel to go back into gear when you turn the handle.

The kick lever is the silver arm close to the AR ratchet. In that picture the arm is away from the ratchet gear and the reel would be in gear at this position.

When you push the free spool button down the lever arm will set inside one of the teeth on the ratchet. As soon as you turn the handle the ratchet gear pushed the lever up and out of the way.

[jcool3]

there is a ratchet gear under the main gear that hits a kick lever arm and pops the reel back into gear.  sometimes that kick lever arm is damaged or the entire side plate is gummed up.  a thorough cleaning and inspection of the kick lever is the first place i'd start. 

I downloaded the daiwa schematic, but really am novice in taking apart reels.  Is it the kick lever shown in any of the above photos.
Can someone point it out?  Thanks.

Jcool if you look on page one of this thread and the 4th picture. You will see the AR ratchet which is the SS gear with the teeth spread widely apart. Also look closely at the teeth. One side of each tooth is slightly beveled. This part of the tooth pushes on the kick lever to pop the reel back into gear. If the AR ratchet is put in backwards it will very hard for the reel to go back into gear when you turn the handle.

The kick lever is the silver arm close to the AR ratchet. In that picture the arm is away from the ratchet gear and the reel would be in gear at this position.

When you push the free spool button down the lever arm will set inside one of the teeth on the ratchet. As soon as you turn the handle the ratchet gear pushed the lever up and out of the way.

looking at the  ar ratchet that would be at 3 O-clock, with the brown color??

[johndtuttle]

there is a ratchet gear under the main gear that hits a kick lever arm and pops the reel back into gear.  sometimes that kick lever arm is damaged or the entire side plate is gummed up.  a thorough cleaning and inspection of the kick lever is the first place i'd start. 

I downloaded the daiwa schematic, but really am novice in taking apart reels.  Is it the kick lever shown in any of the above photos.
Can someone point it out?  Thanks.

Jcool if you look on page one of this thread and the 4th picture. You will see the AR ratchet which is the SS gear with the teeth spread widely apart. Also look closely at the teeth. One side of each tooth is slightly beveled. This part of the tooth pushes on the kick lever to pop the reel back into gear. If the AR ratchet is put in backwards it will very hard for the reel to go back into gear when you turn the handle.

The kick lever is the silver arm close to the AR ratchet. In that picture the arm is away from the ratchet gear and the reel would be in gear at this position.

When you push the free spool button down the lever arm will set inside one of the teeth on the ratchet. As soon as you turn the handle the ratchet gear pushed the lever up and out of the way.

looking at the  ar ratchet that would be at 3 O-clock, with the brown color??

Yes, the AR Pawl is at 3 O'clock with the copper appearing "ears" that grip the ratchet. The Ratchet itself is the large stainless gear in the center with the funny square teeth. They are square so one side can work with the Pawl, but the other works with the kick lever.

The Kick Lever is also Stainless and is up at 11-12 o'clock or so.

[maxpowers]

Just to add.  My Lexa took a swim in the ocean yesterday and I thought what a bonehead move on my part.  Alas lady luck was still on my side as a fellow angler wrapped up his line on my line and was able to fish my rod and reel out of the drink.  anyway total time spent in the drink was about 10 minutes.  I was able to get a deckhand to give me some warm freshwater and had the reel soaking in it for a good 30 minutes.  Once i got home and took everything apart, I was happy I did a pre-fishing service on the reel.  I was able to re-oil everything and after 24 hrs it is still spinning nicely. 

[maxpowers]

My Lexa 400 has developed a deep groove in the worm gear of the level wind.  It is all the way to the right.  Every so often the level wind will get stuck there and i have to gently prod it to move.  I am thinking of removing the level wind all together.  Do you think that is a bad idea?  I always level wind with my thumb and finger anyway.

[johndtuttle]

My Lexa 400 has developed a deep groove in the worm gear of the level wind.  It is all the way to the right.  Every so often the level wind will get stuck there and i have to gently prod it to move.  I am thinking of removing the level wind all together.  Do you think that is a bad idea?  I always level wind with my thumb and finger anyway.

Bad idea to remove it if you are fishing straight braid, imo.

The meticulous line lay you get with a levelwind is a "deal maker" for fishing braid. With mono you can remove it and probably be fine.