Main Gear Won't Engauge

[Crab Pot]

Can't get my main gear to engage on my Black Sided Penn 3/0.

I'm a novice reel tech, this is only the second one I've worked on.

But I'm doing everything the way the 2nd Chance Tackle video on YouTube shows (multiple times) and nothing.

Pretty sure it a Yoke/Jack issues but it looks right to me.

Any thoughts?

[Swami805]

Try flipping the yoke over

[day0ne]

Where are the springs?

[Crab Pot]

Where are the springs?

Behind the Yoke, there in there.

[jtwill98]

The springs look fully compressed under the yoke.  Can you depress and release the yoke freely?

[Crab Pot]

The springs look fully compressed under the yoke.  Can you depress and release the yoke freely?

The springs are good not at all compressed.

I know the angle of the photo deceiving.

[jtwill98]

It looks good, otherwise.  When you put the rest of it together is the spool spool engaging, but the concentric release is not allowing engagement of the main gear. Is this correct?   If so, better let one of the Penn experts chime in. 

[Crab Pot]

It looks good, otherwise.  When you put the rest of it together is the spool spool engaging, but the concentric release is not allowing engagement of the main gear. Is this correct?   If so, better let one of the Penn experts chime in. 

The spool does not engage, when I free reel the handle side off the frame it sounds great but the main gear is not moving.

Figured I'd put it together to see if spool tension may have something to do with it nothing.

[foakes]

Pull out the pinion gear —- then see if it mates up with the spool —- and that there are no burrs anywhere.

Also, when assembling the reel —- keep the spring-loaded offside spring tensioner adjustment loose —- until you get the frame tightened up —- then, if the pinion is mating OK with the spool —- just tighten it up until there is just slight play in the spool.  (Snug —- then back it off a tad.)

Best, Fred

[jurelometer]

It looks good, otherwise.  When you put the rest of it together is the spool spool engaging, but the concentric release is not allowing engagement of the main gear. Is this correct?   If so, better let one of the Penn experts chime in. 

The spool does not engage, when I free reel the handle side off the frame it sounds great but the main gear is not moving.

Figured I'd put it together to see if spool tension may have something to do with it nothing.

A bit tricky for me to understand based on your explanation.  If the main gear is not moving when you turn the handle, the problem is not with eccentric or the yoke.    These will not come into play on the drive train until the main gear is able to turn.  The main gear will only be able to  turn from handle rotation when there is compressive force from the drag stack.  So if the main does not turn when you turn the handle, something on the on the gear sleeve/ stack assembly is amiss.

The main and pinion are always meshed and engaged, and will always turn with the handle until the drag slips.

If the gears are turning, but you can't get the spool to turn, then the problem is getting the pinion to slide into the spool.

[Crab Pot]

I'll try to explain better.

With the handle side, complete but off the frame, I can reel on the handle and the main gear does not engage.

I felt having the reel complete would make a difference but nothing. 

I have triple checked my drag stack and it is correct.

[jurelometer]

Hmmm,

If the main gear is not turning and you can turn the handle without much tension, then the problem is somewhere on your main shaft ( you do have the star tightened a bit, correct?). The drag stack (when tightened)is what binds  the main gear to the  main shaft.

If the main gear is jamming and the drag is slipping,  it is hard to diagnose, since there is no shaft to hold the pinion in place until the side plates, frame  and spool are all assembled together.  The reel will not function properly until it is fully assembled, so in this situation, there may not be a problem once a reel is assembled.

[jtwill98]

At video mark 12:50 of , did you forget to insert the spacer collar before adding the star nut? 

[Crab Pot]

Wish I could post a video, the handle side of the reel is 100% done and ready to put on the frame.

The eccentric moves the pinion in and out as advertised.

There is a part on the schematic, #9 on the exploded view part # 9-66 Spacing Sleve that this reel has but it's external not internal as shown on the schematic. It's too big to install internally for the bridge to fit right. And I know it came off the outside and is the spacer between the plate and drag star.

[jtwill98]

That spacing sleeve is what I was referring it presses against the plate when the star nut is tighten.  Like jurelometer posted it has to be something on the main drive shaft.  Was it working before you took it apart?