Non-metal (rubber?, fiber?) ring in end caps of spindle on Pflueger casting reel

[sdlehr]

I hope I called these by the right name. I think I did. There's a ring of material in the end of the caps on my Pflueger reels (and my Penn, also). I think it's meant to soak up extra oil. How important is that little gizmo to the function of the reel? Because one of them disintegrated on me when I was soaking in Mineral spirits (I won't do that again....). I'll try to find a substitute if it's really important; it's a reel that I think has a non-standard spool and the spindle is a bit too long, anyway, so I'll maybe take my dremel to it and make it a little shorter. I don't know if I'll use this reel again - the spool has lost all the chrome plating and it doesn't have a very long free spool time.... I'm new to this, so it's an interesting project for me.

[Tightlines667]

I'm sure it will function fine without them, though you may need to shim a bit, or if you like you can probably buy a felt washer with a similar inner diameter and cut it to fit.  I think it helps to keep the water out of the bushing, and keeps it oiled as well.

BTW...I think you need to hold that fish a little bit closer to the camera before photographing  

[sdlehr]

Tightlines, can you elaborate on exactly what you mean by "shim a little bit"? I now what a shim is, but I'm not sure how to accomplish that in this application - would you mean adding something like a thin washer to the right right side (to move the spindle to the left away from the right end cap (we're talking fractions of mm here), or removing a little of the end of the spindle on the right side to decrease the contact between the spindle and the end cap? This may become a sacrificial reel, sacrificed to the Gods of reel repair for the benefit of my knowledge and experience. I'm in trouble here - I got a used Pflueger 1978 on Saturday and by tonight (Monday) had it all stripped down, cleaned, lubed and reassembled. I'm learning a little bit with each reel I service, and I appreciate you folks on this forum that are willing to share your knowledge and experience. I'm finding that the metal parts soaked in mineral spirits can be cleaned very well. The end plates (bakelite? plastic?) don't go near the organic solvent but are cleaned with Simple Green. I soak the chrome plated parts in vinegar for an hour or so before I scrub with a toothbrush and flush with water and dry completely before reassembly. Would it be beneficial to neutralize any excess acid in a baking soda solution before reassembling? I'm getting a little better with each reel I service (they're all my own, so I can open 'em up after a while and see if I've done a good enough job to prevent corrosion and maintain adequate function. I'm learning with every reel I buy and service, and each one is a little better than the last I'm buying vintage Penn and Pflueger reels for about $25 on eBay including shipping. I may have to re-open a few of the first ones I did - I don't think I did a good enough job coating the metal parts with grease - but too much grease on the pinion gear keeps it from moving freely when switched to free spool (or from free spool). I hope this all makes sense.... I'm new to this and just learning the lingo. Thanks for your help.

[Tightlines667]

Tightlines, can you elaborate on exactly what you mean by "shim a little bit"? I now what a shim is, but I'm not sure how to accomplish that in this application - would you mean adding something like a thin washer to the right right side (to move the spindle to the left away from the right end cap (we're talking fractions of mm here), or removing a little of the end of the spindle on the right side to decrease the contact between the spindle and the end cap? 

Yes, I think you've got the idea.  I wouldn't mess with removing any material from the spool shafts though.  Just get a few 0.3mm thick metal (copper or SS) shims from Penn or maybe your local harware store or from online like McMasterCarr.  It's trial an error here.  Polishing both ends of the spool shaft, and the right side portion that passes through the pinion, and the inside of the pinion may help to improve freespool a bit as well.  Just use a little metal polish and q-tip in a Dremel or similar here. 

[/quote] I soak the chrome plated parts in vinegar for an hour or so before I scrub with a toothbrush and flush with water and dry completely before reassembly. Would it be beneficial to neutralize any excess acid in a baking soda solution before reassembling?[/quote]


Vinegar is great for removing corrosion on metal parts, and works particuarily well on brass/bronze, but I would be careful not to oversoak plated parts, especially on these older reels, or the plating could start to come off.  Also, don't mix steel and brass parts when soaking in any dilute acid or they may turn dark on you through electrolysis.  A shorter soak together in Simple Green is fine though. 

Sounds like you are having fun restoring these old reels.  Just take your time, and don't be afraid to experiment a bit. 

[handi2]

I second on being careful using Vinegar. I don't use it very much anymore but if I do it's mixed with water.

I had a customer bring in a bag of parts that were almost unrecognizable. He left them in vinegar overnight and they were eaten away.