TLD 50iillLRSA - Skipping in low gear when cranking

[rhall1ggl]

Hi, one of our TLD50's just started to act strange like it is skipping a gear when cranking in a fish this weekend. It does not do it in high, but when in low gear, it will skip after a few cranks under load.
I took the reel apart to see if anything obvious, but everything looked good and was tight based on my untrained eyes.
Any thoughts what is causing this?

[boon]

Check the gear select cross bar (209 on the schematic) that slides between the gears for galling/rounding off.

Then I'd probably check the shift plunger (344) to make sure it's going the full distance when putting the reel into Low

[Marlinmate]

the drive shaft spring could be worn out....and what he said above about the cross bar and the main gear being rounded off

[rhall1ggl]

Let me paste a pic here. I took it to a reel repair shop and they put a shim in and said I would be happy. Guess what, it still does the same thing.

Took it apart to find this view of the 209 Gear Select Cross Bar. It looks good to me and the spring is very strong it seems to me.

The shift plunger 344 I can not find in the schematic. If you mean the button that pushes in to engage low gear, it seems to go in same as other 50's and seems to be in all the way.

As best I can tell, the gear teeth look ok.... 

[rhall1ggl]

I am wondering if the Pinion gear is worn down though.....When I simulate moving the Drive shaft in and rotating the shaft as if it was changing to the different smaller pinion gear teeth, those look worn down some and wondering if that is where it is skipping....however, not sure if you can tell this with the pic or not.

Update...looking closer and watching the teeth mesh as it rotates, they go deep into the grooves and does not appear to be worn down. I found an online pic and zoomed in and now thinking the pinion is in great shape.

What say you??

[rhall1ggl]

Ok, another update. I think I got it fixed now. When I was rotating the gears watching the teeth mesh, it backed out the    cap and spring from the main gears so that told me that was loose. When I put it all back together and tightened it up, and removed the extra handle shim the repair guy put in there, now there is no more play in the handle and under low gear with very tight drag, no more skipping gears! 

Thanks for your help and feedback!