most abused reel?

[floating doc]

I thought this might be an interesting thread to begin. I am thinking of someone I know who lives in the Florida panhandle, near to Alabama. He fishes offshore for reef fish. He has an old Penn conventional of some sort (sorry, it was years ago). He cable tied it to a boat fender, attached a sash weight to some 100 lb mono and uses it for a marker bouy.

The reel is totally immersed the entire time it's in use. He's never taken it apart, and has been using it this way for years. The only saving grace is that he backs the boat trailer into a fresh water (spring fed, very clean) river on the way home and starts the engines to flush them. While the engines are running, he gives the reel/bouy a couple of quick dunks.

[Irish Jigger]

I'll bet the clicker's rusted.

[Dominick]

Send it to Alan 

[Bryan Young]

No, I've been blessed with those reel repairs.  It's all a part of the mentorship program.  If you can fix those reels, you can fix almost anything idea.   

[floating doc]

No, I've been blessed with those reel repairs.  It's all a part of the mentorship program.  If you can fix those reels, you can fix almost anything.

Why? Do you think there's something wrong with it?

Surely someone can top this!

[alantani]

bring it on!!!!!!   

[reelynuts]

One thing is for sure, its a Penn reel with no ball bearings.

[alantani]

either way, it's going to bryan!   

[Bryan Young]

  :)I know I can, I know I can, I know I can

[Nuvole]

Those old USA made Penn with graphite side plate will last forever... I've a more than 10 y/o 113 which I some how or another abuse it trying to get rid of that worst looking reel to find excuse to buy a better one. But hell it just won't give up lol.

[reelynuts]

    I wonder If I just bought this reel on ebay. Worst condition Penn Reel that I've ever seen. I don't know what I was thinking. I bought another reel on ebay that night (2-3 weeks ago) and I figured- well, as long as I'm doing the whole payment thing I may as well look around for some other cheap projects. Boy did I find it. I never had a Penn Squidder, and certainly don't need one, but there was this old, black Squidder with only one photo. The price seemed fairly low-so being that I'm relatively new to buying reels on ebay, I bid $22.00. To my dismay, I won the auction. At least I learned a lesson-always read the description. I read it (after I won the auction, thinking that I would not have won the auction) and It practically read-"Don't Buy This Reel". He was right. What a piece of junk. The picture however showed the 3 hole power handle, which I didn't mind having, and figured "how bad can it be ?"

Initial impression of the reel when in hand was that someone snagged it from the bottom of the ocean. Then I said naaaa, it would have barnacles or something stuck to it. Then I thought- well, maybe they snagged it from the bottom of the ocean , then pressure washed it or sand blasted it. No- it still has dirty oil/grease on the outside. Maybe they snagged it off the bottom of a lake. Who knows, but its a mess. Lets clean her up.

First off, the "hi-torque" hole on the 3 position-power handle (that I wanted the handle for, so I bid on the reel and ended up winning it) in the first place had a big square hole drilled into it  (get it, square hole-drilled) . Someone used this handle on a reel that had a 3/8' (+/-) square shaft!?!?. Small reel handle for a shaft that big, and practically useless now, but . What can you do. The other two inner holes are fine. Now, the reel handle turns, and the reel functions (for lack of a better word), but really sloppy, like it hadn't been serviced in over a thousand years. Even when just turning the handle slowly, I was looking for sparks, smelling and looking for smoke, and getting ready to drop the reel if it got too hot.

I thought to myself, maybe this reel belonged to King Tut at one point. Maybe he picked it up used at a yard sale. Naaa, if he fished, his reels would be made of pure gold. He would have had Internationals. I can picture it; one of those llllooonnnggg rowboats with 30 guys rowing those lloonngg oars as Tut sits in the stern while trolling up and down the Nile.The reels loaded with braided hemp. But then again, when they found his tomb, if he fished, they would have found his reels buried with him like I'm going to do. I guess he didn't fish.

I hear that Jesus was a fisherman, maybe it was his reel. Wouldn't that be great! I'm going to look in that painting of "The Last Supper" , and see if there are any black conventional reels in there somewhere. Perhaps still mounted on the rod leaning in the corner somewhere. Or, maybe he just had a few friends over and they decided to have something to eat before he did a tutorial on servicing a Penn Squidder right there on the table so his friends could see. You know, I heard that they didn't have the internet back then, and they had to drive all the way to the local Bass Pro Shops to buy their rods, reels, hooks, etc.. I hope for their sake that they gave him a discount, but I doubt it.  If this was Jesus's Squidder, and I'm sure that he would have been smart enough to use Penn Reels, then $22.00 is a steal. I could probably double my money, but then again, there was no original box, multi-tool, tube-o-lube or pamphlet. Just the reel, and it is in rough shape-far from mint condition. But, I think I would probably keep it anyway. It would probably bring good luck! That's how I'm going to look at this reel from now on - It was Jesus's. That will make me feel better. I'll be fishing "in good company". That would also explain the square hole drilled into the handle .

Back to the reel. I removed the handle first. I then unscrewed the thumb screw take apart thing, pulled it out, but the side plate wont turn. WTHeck, I tried and tried but no luck. Then I found the problem. One of the little grooves in the frame that the little tiny knobs that stick out of the side plate go into, was bent or badly worn, and the side plate must have been really loose and falling off all the time. Now this took some figuring for a while because everything looked just like it should, but this side plate wouldn't budge. I was about to put the reel in the vise and try to turn it with a strap wrench or tap it with a hammer and chisel. But I'm glad I didn't.

On my final attempt to turn it with my hands, I grit my teeth and I said "Jesus Christ! What did you do?" Just then, at that very moment- he told me. Apparently, Jesus carefully drilled one little hole in the side plate that looked like the factory would have done, so that the head of the screw would be countersunk/recessed in the frame just like any other penn reel that does not have the outer, chrome, side plate ring.Then he removed the little screw on the inside frame ring underneath the side plate that screws one of the chromed brass frame posts/spreader bars (whatever you call them) to the inner chrome ring of the frame. Then he must have had a spare, longer, left-over side plate screw from another (parts) reel that he used to screw the sideplate to the reel using the same threaded hole that goes into the chromed brass bar. The work was done perfectly (Of course) and since the hole and screw were lined up directly across from the thumb screw, and you get so used to seeing the screws lined up with the bars on penn reels, I just didnt see it. I thought to myself, Jesus-what a great idea.

It is a great idea. Have any of you guys ever seen this on a squidder or a jigmaster? If so, maybe he had a bunch of reels like we all do.These would be "Reel Collectibles" , but when he returns , he might want them back-which would be fine. Anyway, off comes the side plate WITH THE SPOOL STUCK TO IT. This time I asked," Jesus Christ, Did you ever grease this reel?". Maybe we have better lubricants today. I have heard Alan say that the pinion gear can get stuck to the spool shaft-but not this time. The pinion is sliding up and down the shaft and spins freely when rotated against the main gear when you spin the spool. No, the shaft was frozen to the inner ball bearing race of the side plate ball bearing(spool bearing). Remarkably, after removing every screw (including the eccentric lever) from the handle side-side plate (with a little help from above), I managed to gently wiggle the spool, bearing and bearing shield and ALL OF THE REST OF THE PARTS from the handle side-side plate.Then, after some sprays, taps, prybars, and a few more requests from "the previous owner" and a few "Hail Mary's", I managed to get the bearing off the shaft. And Guess what, the bearing seems fine! Hallelujah! Even Jesus knew about old fashioned American engineering and manufacturing. I suppose he wanted it that way.

After a few hours (yes!) with WD40, and all sorts of cleaners, brushes, scrapers, etc. The reel is ready to go back together.I have never experienced old lubricant that had actually hardened like this. It had literally turned to plastic. I've heard of varnishing in fuels, and I guess it happens to lubes also, given enough time (2012 years +/-, and who knows, maybe it was handed down from his/our father). Petro is petro. It will probably need some new replacement parts though. I'm still deciding how far to go. I have the new HT100s (the original fiber washer under the gear had disintegrated, and the others had to be scraped out bit by bit), but I may also treat the reel to a few other new parts. The pinion yoke is fairly warn down from the stuck bearing, the gears had some (small) spots of surface rust (steel gears I guess), the bearings (though they seem fine) could probably be be upgraded (I'll know for sure and make that decision when re-assembled) and I may replace the plastic spool. I don't know for sure though. I don't want a "6 million dollar reel", but these parts are usually cheap and I guess I'll go step by step and see how it goes. With all of the new parts the reel should perform like new, and that may make "our lord and savior" happy. In fact, now that I think of it-I better do it.

So anyway, IF this is the same reel that the guy used as a marker bouy, maybe this explains it. The reel is blessed. Perhaps the constant "Baptizing" that the guy did by dunking in the fresh water was all it took to keep it going.

I hope everyone enjoyed my little story of "The Holy Reel" I certainly hope Jesus enjoyed it. It was not meant to offend him or anybody else. I don't think he would be upset that I used his reference to try to enlighten other peoples days. But the story of the beat-up, very used and abused Penn Squidder which I did just recently purchase on ebay for 22 bucks plus shipping ($8.00 +/-), and that has the extra screw holding on the sideplate ,and had the stuck-on, side-plate, handle-side, spool shaft bearing, etc., is true. It was a reel mess . If I ever learn how to unload my pictures from my phone into the computer, then post them, I will-Someday. God Bless! Reelynuts   

[Alto Mare]

Reelnut....you have too much time in your hands . I did enjoy it though .
Thanks for making me late for work . Very well written!

[Jimmer]

Reely entertaining! I've been ebayed a few times myself. Thanks - Jimmer

[Dominick]

Yep!  You are Reely Nuts... .  Dominick

[Squirmypug]

Next time don't buy one of my reels!