shimano questions

[alantani]

Alan Tani,

I previously emailed you from a different email address regarding why shimano's videos say to use minimal grease and your tutorials generally use much more.  Thanks again for all of the help and explanations.

Have a few more questions I would like to trouble you with if you have the time.

First of all, been trying to maintain my own reels for the most part.  Recently opened my Torium 20 and was unable to remove the ARB bearing.  This was just a couple months after having Shimano service the reel.  Any suggestions on how to remove this bearing?  Also, was looking into the various upgrades that you have mentioned for the Torium 20.  As far as I can tell, you suggest upgrading the dog/anti-reverse to the Trinidad DC spring loaded one, upgrading the drags to greased carbontex, and upgrading a bushing to a bearing?  Am I missing anything?  Anything else you would suggest?  Also just saw some mention of an upgraded drag plate?  Also, are there any issues you foresee me having when I try to do this?

Would also like to ask you about upgrading a TLD Star 20/40 and what it is capable of.  Again, from your tutorials, it looks like I would want to upgrade the bushings to bearings and the drags to carbontex.  As the dog/anti-reverse is already spring loaded, I would assume that is fine.  Any other suggestions you could make?  I was also wondering if you think this reel would be capable of handling 80lb spectra topped with 40-60lb mono.  I assume that 40lb would be find and I definitely have no interest in fishing anything heavier than 60lb but am wondering if even that is too much.  I know that there have been problems with cracked frames with heavier line on the larger LD TLDs.  Thanks for your opinion.

Finally, just wondering if you have any other suggestions for my other reels.  I have a trinidad 14 (gold) which other than the carbontex drag upgrade and possibly lightening up the spool by removing the cast control, I cannot think of anything to do to it.  Also have a curado 200e, which I also can only think of the drag upgrade.  Finally, have a corvalus 400 that I have destroyed by fishing the surf with it.  I think I have probably done enough damage to the corvalus to make it worthwhile to just return to shimano for servicing, but was wondering about after I get it working again.  I fish 15lb on it and don't think I really push the abilities of the reel at all, so, am mainly wondering what I can do to help prolong its life as I abuse it in the surf.  Thanks for all of your help and suggestions.

[alantani]

to replace the anti-reverse bearing, you may have to do some pounding.  it is very easy to damage the bearing in the process, even if you are very, very careful.  unless you are replacing a damaged bearing, i would just leave it in place and drizzle in some corrosion x.  for upgrades, the dog/spring set, carbontex drag washers, and bearing service and the main things.  don't bother with the extra thick metal drag plate/washer.  using greased carbon fiber drag washers eliminates the need for those.  finally, get a big handle grip, either one of mine or one from smoothdrag.com.  the larger handle grip will spoil you quick. 

the tld star 20/40 is ok, but i prefer the narrower 15/30.  80# spectra would be fine, but i would probably go with 65# spectra and your choice of 30, 40 or 50 pound topshots and drag setting up to 10 pounds.  it's less about the line weight and more about the drag setting.  for your other reels, stick to the basics - greased carbon fiber drags, bearing service and grease on all the non-exposed metal surfaces.  sounds like you are on the right track.  alan

[q3fishboy]

Thank you for the prompt reply. Since you posted my email here I decided I should finally join. I have been using your site as a resource for quite some time now and would just like to say thanks to you as well as everyone else here.

I guess I would like to try to replace the ARB bearing so assuming shimano will send me another one, any suggestions on getting the old one out?  Just try to find something thy will sit on top of of it and use it to pound it out?

As far as the TLD star, I think I would prefer the 15/30 too billy I already have the 20/40. I guess I was hoping to set it up as a heavier alternative to my torium 20. Right now I fish my torium with 65lb spectra and 30lb or sometimes 40lb mono on an 8' heavy teramar. Hence me asking about if you think it could handle 80lb spectra and 40lb to 60lb mono. However, if you do not believe the reel will have enough drag to utilize the heavier line, then there is no real point to it. Was just hoping to avoid the 2 from being an exact overlap but if that is the case I guess having a backup isn't a bad thing either.

Thanks for all of your help and thanks in advance to anyone else that also has any advice.

[alantani]

you had some good questions. someone else would certainly be thinking the same thing. 

if the ar bearing works, leave it.  if you seriously have to remove it, find a socket from your tool box that you can use to tap it out.  you run the possibility of damaging both the bearing and the side plate. 

for the tld star, i would rather see you fish the tld star with 65# spectra and the torium 20 with 80# spectra. 

welcome!

[q3fishboy]

Thanks again for all of the advice.

As for as switching the roles of the torium 20 and tld star 20/40, I like fishing the torium much more and i rarely use anything heavier than 40lb.  Thus my preference for fishing the torium with 65lb spectra and 30lb - 40 lb mono.  I like the idea of using the tld for the heavier stuff because it seems to have more line capacity and the lower gear ratio seems preferable when fishing line that heavy.  I am guessing you would suggest switching because you believe that torium is a stronger reel?  You also seemed to have mentioned comparably larger drag discs and/or gears in the tld, another reason I am favoring the tld for the heavier lines.  Given this information, would you have any new advice for me?

Thanks again.

[alantani]

just don't go over 15 pounds of drag on the tld......   

[q3fishboy]

thanks againf or all of the help

just out of curiosity, what will happen as i push it past 15lbs of drag?

what will fail first and how etc. if you have some idea?

[alantani]

i'm afraid the frame will crack or worse.

[q3fishboy]

So complete reel failure.  Ok.  Thanks for all of the help.

I might be in your area this Friday afternoon.  Any chance you might have some free time?

[alantani]

home tomorrow (thursday), working in SF on friday, home saturday, hopefully skiing on sunday.  call ahead.