14/0 Beat Up N Broken Down....But Not Out Of It Yet

[Tightlines667]

I just cracked this 14/0 open and thought I'd share my findings....

Just about all of the head plate internals were frozen to the spool.

Just placed an order for $240 in parts including:
New drag stack, handle, gear set (SS), bridge and sleeve, jack, yoke, bearings, clicker ring, braces, clamp and a few screws.  At least the spool wasn't warped, and no cracked rings.  She will live to fight again.

[Bryan Young]

Whoa, surprise!

[Tightlines667]

Customer actuslly caught a 60lb Ono (Wahoo) on it last week.  He was wondering why it felt a bit 'rough' and wouldn't shift out of gear. 

Theres your problem right there.

[Alto Mare]

Tells you a lot about these reels, still able to bring in the fish, considering its condition.
It appears that reel was never opened from the first day he got it .
John, where are you getting the ss gear set from? The pinion I know about, but not the main gear.

[BMITCH]

Alls I got is...WOW!!!

[Shark Hunter]

Well,
Maybe after shelling out the cash for the repairs, he will take better care of her from now on!
I tear mine down after every trip.

[redsetta]

Tells you a lot about these reels, still able to bring in the fish...

x2

[Tightlines667]

John, where are you getting the ss gear set from? The pinion I know about, but not the main gear.

I ordered the gear set from Scott's.  It states that the older  main has been replaced by a newer stainless steel gear.  This is news to me as well.  We will see once the set arrives, if it is actually stainless

[Shark Hunter]

Let me know John. It has that stainless sheen to it.

[CapeFish]

How much does a new reel cost?

[Tightlines667]

The new Chinese made 117L s sell for about $500.  Used 14/0s w/the high capacity spools can be had for $300-$400.  Figure customer has a reel worth $75-$100 as is.  With new parts and service he will be into it for $315-$335 .  Right at the cusp of being worth it to fix.  Having said that, this 20+ year old reel will fish for many more years.  Alternatively, if he scraps the reel (I offered him $100 for it) and buys a used 14/0 for $300, it will likely cost him around $100-$125 to upgrade drag stack, bearings and service, so hes into it for $425-$100 trade in value =$325...about the same.  So, seems to me that servicing his old reel will be a better deal for him since his reel will have many more new parts.  True, he could spend about $200 more for a brand new chinese made 14/0, but do that twice and now you've got 4 working reels instead of 2.  I think it makes sense to bring these old girls back from the dead, and I know they will continue to perform.

[BMITCH]

I can't see why the old gears can't be saved a little elbow grease and some polishing compound

[Tightlines667]

My parts arrived today. 

Daron the main gear appears to be stainless steel.  Appears to be the same material as the pinion.

[crackerman]

I looked at scotts bt. It says all 117 gears are stainless now. I wish someone would say that a about the 116L...

[Shark Hunter]

Well Crap! Now I gotta get some! Thanks John. It looks like that gear is milled to the bottom for the eared washers. That's a good thing.
Cracker, the steel ones for the 116L are tough as nails!