Opinions on supertuning Baitcasters

[lifeofRiley]

Hey everyone,

I'm on my third year of maintaining and fixing reels. I live in the upper midwest and am staring at a snow-covered horse pasture as I type this. I guess the one thing good about winter is that it has caused me to properly maintain my gear, since during the summer I'm out on a lake somewhere fishing. The majority of reels I've cleaned/rebuilt are low profile casting reels (Curados, Chronarchs, Revos, team daiwa, etc.). I've always been curious about what is commonly called "super-tuning" a reel, but in reality is simply sanding and polishing of various friction points within the reel. The ones most talked about are the inside of the pinion gear as well as the contact points on the spool shaft, the metal shim in the cast control cap if there is one, and in the case of models with centrifugal braking systems, the metal brake case. Much of this is done with a dremel and various types of abrasives. I know many on this site are in saltwater reel repair, but I also have read that you do work on gear for bass fishermen as well. I'm just curious on any opinions about the end result of proper polishing of these parts, and if it truly makes a big difference.

Right now I've got a collection of about 30 reels that I've spruced up over the last few years and have replaced old drag washers, old gears on the rough ones, flushed and lubed things properly, and to tell the truth I'm nervous about messing them up by going beyond solid basic maintenance. All my reels but 1 are non-current models, and some of them parts are difficult or impossible to find. Thank you for reading and any input.

LOR

[Reel 224]

Personally You can do many things to as you said super tune a reel, but I would not choose sanding or stoning with a dremel tool. Polishing with compounds such as rouge or 0000 wool, Blue cotton will be better. 321 oil is a good lube and many here use it. Ceramic bearings it's said to be smoother also. I'm sure that others will chime in a give you more information.     

[MarkT]

I degrease the pinion and spool shaft and add a drop of reelx to the spool shaft. I open up the spool bearings, clean them and lube with reelx or tsi321. I do this to my Curado's, Calcutta's, Lexa's and Millionares.

[oc1]

I polish the shaft with red jewelers rouge on a cotton buff and polish inside te pinion with rouge on a mandrel (bamboo skewer) wrapped with cotton thread.  On newer reels with the super free design the spool shaft does not contact the pinion and all the contact points are inside the ball bearings.  Backing off on the cast control knob probably has the same effect as polishing the spool ends.  I polish the eye of the levelwind guide and the rod guides if they develop a layer of crud from the line dye and line coating.  Deep cleaning or upgrading the spool shaft ball bearings (either two or three depending on design) seems to make a larger difference than polishing everything.  The free spin time of the bearing when stuck on a pencil is correlated to casting distance. Upgrading to ceramic or ceramic hybrid bearings run dry makes a larger difference than anything you can do to clean and lubricate stock bearings.  Upgrading to a more shallow and lighter whiffle spool is said to make a difference but I have never done that.
-steve

[alantani]

a good quality high speed reamer should take care of the inside of the pinion gear.  it's quick and easy.  for the spool shaft, i would polish it with the finest grit buffing rouge you can get.  bring it to a mirror finish.  the bearings can be cleaned out with carb cleaner and the dipped in TSI 301.  same goes for all the levelwind parts.  you'll basically have a new reel that will backlash like crazy, so go slow when you first start out.  good luck and please keep us posted on your progress! 

[mley1]

you'll basically have a new reel that will backlash like crazy,

That brings up a question for me, as I hate backlashes. Is there a point past which you should not go when super tuning a reel? You know, a point past which the effects of polishing and upgrading become a negative, or create negative aspects in the reel, like backlashing.

[alantani]

ideally, you want the reel to have the maximum free spool, then you dial it back to where you want.  that way you are sure to get the best possible performance.  if it already works well enough, then you're good! 

[MarkT]

you'll basically have a new reel that will backlash like crazy,

That brings up a question for me, as I hate backlashes. Is there a point past which you should not go when super tuning a reel? You know, a point past which the effects of polishing and upgrading become a negative, or create negative aspects in the reel, like backlashing.

Sounds like you need more time training your thumb than polishing!

[lifeofRiley]

I've been thinking about "supertuning" on and off for the past few months. To me I see adding carbontex washers and "better" bearings as simply an upgrade. No parts are modified, just swapped out. The thing I am really curious about is the polishing of metal surfaces within the reel. After some more research here's what I've found out.

Supertuning is the polishing of friction points within the reel and although can add distance to the cast, the main reason to do it is to allow more ease of casting lighter lures, which will lead to increased accuracy. A touch more smoothness of retrieve and casting distance are secondary results. The process allows certain functions in the reel to happen more smoothly, I.E. a polished brake case in a curado results in better braking due to its more even surface, spool ends buffed to a mirror finish are smoother when rotating against the cast control cap, and on and on. Here is a link to an article that Zimbass shared with me about the process and it's a pretty lengthy read if you're interested. http://super-tuning.home.mindspring.com/s1.html

I also found a youtube video that shows the process fairly quickly.

I've read mixed reviews on what people think of the process. If I try it I'm only going to do it on one reel and try it for a season. I know this applies more to light inshore and bass fishing but if I find anything else I'll post an update.

[mley1]

you'll basically have a new reel that will backlash like crazy,

That brings up a question for me, as I hate backlashes. Is there a point past which you should not go when super tuning a reel? You know, a point past which the effects of polishing and upgrading become a negative, or create negative aspects in the reel, like backlashing.

Sounds like you need more time training your thumb than polishing!

LOL, yes, yes I agree! However, some days I feel like I'm all thumbs! For many years, from when I was a young kid, most of the gear I used consisted of inexpensive spinning gear. Then, I moved to the gulf coast. Everyone down here back in the early 80's was fishing with some sort of bait caster for the most part. My light weight spinning gear that I used on the rivers in central Texas for white bass, crappie, and small catfish, just wasn't gonna cut the mustard. Sure, I could catch the small croakers, whiting, and some small trout. That first good redfish that I got a hold of spooled me. It was at that point that I realized I would have to learn how to use a bait caster. So, I found an Abu 6000c. I learned a lot with that reel. I wasn't very good at casting, especially into the wind. Backlashes were the norm for me, for a long time. I kept after it though. Now day's I still backlash a bit into the wind, less often thank goodness, but it's still annoying. I have a few Abu's I enjoy using now. I've upgraded them with Carbontex drags, cog wheel bearings, level wind bearings, and loaded them with braid. I do ok with them, but when I have to cast a LONG ways I still reach for a large spinner like a Penn 704, or now one of the new BG's.

[oc1]

If the reel cannot be adjusted for thumb-free casting then there is something wrong with the reel or the reel is not appropriate for the rod and lure.  Adjusting the cast controls takes time and requires some tentative casts to make sure it is correct.  Re-adjusting cast controls for the wind direction is not practical when you're on the hunt and concentrating on fish instead of equipment.  The casting process needs to be automatic.  An educated thumb is nice, but it can be unpredictable, especially when you are sight casting or you get excited about something.  I set the reel up to cast thumb-free cross wind which means you need a little thumb control upwind and you may forfeit a yard downwind.  But, if you always do it that way, you will start to automatically give it that little bit of thumb when the wind is on your face without having to think about it.  
-steve