Broken Reel Foot - Okuma Convector CV55W

[ijlal]

Hi Alan and all!

Hope you are doing good.

I sold a new Okuma Convector CV55W about 3 weeks back. The customer, after fishing with it just two times, brought it to me saying the steel reel foot broke apart while fighting a 20# fish. He also showed a deep scratch mark on the Aluminum reel seat of the rod at the place where the foot broke. The reel was supposedly clamped down as well. How this could happen on a reel tightly fit on the reel seat beats me. It is not the same as the graphite frame breaking apart. Kindly see the attached pics and advise what might have caused the breakage.

Thanks,
Ijlal

[ijlal]

A couple more pics......

[Alto Mare]

I might be wrong, but from your pix  that part appears to be some type of cast aluminum alloy. That part should be made out of stainless steel, but I can't really tell.

[ijlal]

I might be wrong, but from your pix  that part appears to be some type of cast aluminum alloy. That part should be made out of stainless steel, but I can't really tell.

Alto,

I can confirm it is steel or some ferrous alloy due to its magnetic properties.

Thanks!
Ijlal

[wallacewt]

in the 1st 2 photos the right side of the broken reel foot looks a lot thicker than the left side.is that rust?old or new rust?if the reel foot was mounted on top of the reel seat instead of in it and the clamp was tightened ???if you could get the owner to guamtanamo bay for a friendly little fish,just replace it and add 1/2 on the next 2 you sell.gd luck

[Irish Jigger]

The iron oxide would indicate the seat was cracked prior to  salt water ingression.  You would need to examine the aluminium reel fitting on the rod to see how the reel seat was loaded/overloaded when the rod clamp was fully tightened.
Looks very like Chinese stainless steel.

[Jimmer]

The reel clamp must have stressed the metal on the foot. If this was a new CV55W with the plastic hold plate the hold plate would have blown out at the AR dog pin, then the new smaller sized AR roller bearing on the handle shaft would have failed on a good fish, long before the reel seat broke, IMHO. - Jimmer

[ijlal]

The reel clamp must have stressed the metal on the foot. If this was a new CV55W with the plastic hold plate the hold plate would have blown out at the AR dog pin, then the new smaller sized AR roller bearing on the handle shaft would have failed on a good fish, long before the reel seat broke, IMHO. - Jimmer

No, it's probably the older version as it has an Aluminum hold plate. Everything else except the reel foot is intact and in perfect order.

Thanks!

[Squirmypug]

Sometimes steel has defects in it, looks like a crack opened up because of something in the steel and then just broke. 

[ijlal]

Do you think Okuma will replace the part?

[Tile]

The breakage is the result of metal fatigue coupled with a defect in the metal. You should search for a new foot, unrivet the old one and bolt the new one in its place (this requires drilling out the rivets).

[alantani]

it's a warranty item, but that might be tough in pakistan..... 

[ijlal]

I took the frame to a machine shop, got the rivets removed, had the foot welded and have refitted with screws and nuts. Let's see how it holds 

Thank you all for your inputs! Really appreciate it. 

[Tile]

Post some pics of the repaired reel foot.

[ijlal]

Hey Tile,

I am afraid the pics are not too good. I should have taken pics before assembling the reel. The weld itself is not a very fine job but seems strong enough to hold, will have to wait and see how it performs out at sea.