Torium 14 - can't get the yoke plate to engage by turning the handle

[Jon_Kol]

Hi guys!

Once again a silly problem - just finished servicing a Torium 14, everything went splendid and the reel feels really good. Except for one thing - I can't get the yoke plate to engage when turning the handle. I've tried every suggestion found in other posts here, I've taken everything apart and I've even checked that the yoke plate moves forward and backwards when using the lever without the main gear etc installed. It seems to connect fine then, but with the main gear and everything else in place, I can't get the part of the clutch lever and the yoke plate to "match".

This results in a reel that feels great, but it's not possible to engage the lever after freespool by turing the handle. I've tried to match the parts all the way from full forward on the yoke plate, to fully back and everything in between. I can make the reel go from freespool to engaged by manually flipping the lever into the UP position, but the handle just spins if I try to use it to make the lever flip into UP.

What am I missing? Apart from new Carbontex washers from Smooth Drag, I didn't replace anything in the reel except the E-clip that holds the shaft which the main gear etc sits on. Surely that can't be it, there's no such thing as such small margins when it comes to the thickness of an E-clip??

Can't for the life of me see where I'm missing out, and it's really bugging me.

Suggestions, please. Thanks!

[Bryan Young]

As far as I know, Toriums never had an auto-engage like the Shimano Ocea reels and some of the JDM Calcuttas.  Therefore, my guess is you are missing parts that never came with that reel.

[Jon_Kol]

As far as I know, Toriums never had an auto-engage like the Shimano Ocea reels and some of the JDM Calcuttas.  Therefore, my guess is you are missing parts that never came with that reel.

If this is true, I feel a bit silly haha! I hope you're right, I've contacted the owner of the reel now and asked. Because that was the part where I couldn't quite figure it out.. the Tekotas that I've serviced have a spring loaded yoke plate and I've never had any trouble getting those reels to engage the spool by turning the handle after freespool. Kinda makes sense that the lack of springs calls for a manual flip of the lever, and I know that you're a man with great experience when it comes to servicing reels, Bryan, so I hope that you've spotted an obvious solution that I overlooked.

[Bryan Young]

Oh yeah, the Tekotas have them too.  But not the Toriums.

[Jon_Kol]

Oh yeah, the Tekotas have them too.  But not the Toriums.

Well, it's official: I'm looking for parts and mechanics that were never there. You were spot on, Bryan! Thanks for pointing it out so quickly, I couldn't understand what I had overlooked. I guess I learn something every day. Thanks!

[Wolli]

Hi Jon,

from the attached pic you will see the difference with and without auto-engage.

Never rebuild, but probably the parts from an other Shimano reel will fit.

Required are a yoke plate with clutch pawl, clutch pawl spring and an anti reverse ratchet with release pin

Good Luck

Wolli

[Jon_Kol]

Hi Jon,

from the attached pic you will see the difference with and without auto-engage.

Never rebuild, but probably the parts from an other Shimano reel will fit.

Required are a yoke plate with clutch pawl, clutch pawl spring and an anti reverse ratchet with release pin

Good Luck

Wolli

Sweet! Thanks for sharing those pictures. Next time I'll keep this in mind.. it was just that the parts inside the Torium were so simular to the Tekota that I didn't ponder too much about it not having springs to pull it back, as in auto-engage.

That's what I love about this forum, suddenly you realize that what the trouble is - even though you might have been staring at it again and again all of the time, without seeing it.

[Keta]

If this is true, I feel a bit silly haha!

You have your monthly "D'oh" moment now. 

[Jon_Kol]

If this is true, I feel a bit silly haha!

You have your monthly "D'oh" moment now. 

Indeed!