Success with my GLS!

[Steve-O]

On an earlier post I had requested assistance on a newly acquired Penn 25 GLS. On the tear down, I ended up stalling at the spool shaft bearings which were rusted/stuck to the shaft. I went ahead with the rest of the service as far as I could go and buttoned it back up. The right plate bearing was the only one I could get open and found - like the rest of the reel- evidence of water intrusion. The bearing grease was most likely an automotive type and the reel had been opened up at some point in  the past. It was a fleabay find from a FL Keys estate sale. The price was right and I suppose I got what I paid for - a working reel that badly needed service. The best thing was the big lever drag washer was in primo shape for the amount of goop, grease and rust inside the reel. No salt crust so I'm assuming it might have been dunked or heavily rained on with freshwater.  Needless to say the freespool could be timed with a calendar in its current state.

THE CULPRIT


Anyway several of you responded with replies on getting out the stuck bearings ideas. I really liked the braid loops and fire hydrant idea for VAOBrian and his GLS stuck main gear. Tried it - broke the loop. Tried two loops- broke them, too. Tried braided copper wire loops - SNAP! This was after a week long soak with Break Free CLP. Then a different approach worked. I took the appropriate sized deep well socket and placed it over the shaft and with a wooden mallet gave it progressively harder taps until I saw movement of just over a sixteenth. Then I took the crowbar approach and used the bent Penn wrench screwdriver tips of two wrenches and got it to budge enough to place stouter screwdriver shafts on opposing sides to lift it off. Once the rust crust seal broke it came off. The next two shaft bearing were easy.  I opened them up and was somewhat surprised to find them grease free. I mean none. So I cleaned and lubed them leaving off the seals and reassembled the spool and reel.

Now from one second or so of freespool when I got the reel to "Weeeeeee! look at her spin!" kind of freespool. It does make some whir noise but should (I hope) quiet down once I try it under load. For testing reels I mount them on a rod butt, run the line through the two eyes, loop a toothbrush on for a T-handle and hand it off to one of the kids. Freespool mode with the clicker on and they're off running. BZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzz down the hall, up the stairs, down that hall to the end of the house. Once I hear them overhead, I flick the lever to STRIKE and "set the hook". KA-THUMP! they hit the deck......just kidding. I wait until the reel stops.

Then I reel 'em in! Only when the wife is away. I made the mistake once of doing it when she came in through the garage door with groceries and ran into the line............uhhh......good thing I have a man-cave downstairs.

This reel is more tank than sports car but I like it. Kind of reminds me of a Warn Winch for Jeeps. Next summer I'll see how it dredges Halibut up from the bottom in Alaska. I may end up repacking the the bearings with blue marine grease as this will most likely not end up being a casting reel for me but at least I've gotten the bearings serviced now and gobs of freespool won't be needed for dropping bait-n-weight or heavy jigs.

Steve-O

[VAOBrian]

Congrats Steve O I just bought a few more of these and still looking but I think they are good reels for certain applications - easy to maintain and maybe not sexy but good reels. 

[Norcal Pescador]

Who was that famous philosopher and mechanical genius who said, "If all else fails, get a bigger hammer"?  

Way to go, Steve-O. Glad you found a method that worked.