2-speed shifters - the most cursed component in reel repair?

[boon]

Just reflecting on how, of all the things in reel repair, nothing makes me want to say a lot of short and pointy words than working on 2-speed shifters. Regardless of the brand they seem to be full of tiny little parts that have to be in just the right place, don't retain themselves, and at least half of them have some sort of tiny spring underneath them so that just as you get everything lined up it all pops apart to the four compass directions and you spend the next 5 minutes saying bad words and looking for the missing bits.
The icing on the cake is that they seem to often feature a fun combination of tiny fastener heads, loctite, and stainless screws going into aluminium handle arms.

Just a vent that I'm sure a few of you will sympathise with 

[Gfish]

Yup. Accurate.

[UKChris1]

Learned to try to put them back together inside a clear plastic bag. You can't see what you are doing of course, but at least finding the bits is easier when they fly through the air!

[Keta]

I do it in a cardboard box but occasionaly parts fly to never never land, the plastic bag is a good idea.

Avet 2 speed shift is not as hard as others but still take 3 hands to reassemble. I made a tool out of a alan key to compress the spring to get the cross bar into the shaft and it is not too hard.  I use the other end of the same tool to remove Avet pinion bearings.

[JasonGotaProblem]

I've mentioned this before but I do all my reel work sitting on the ground, usually on a tray that's also on the floor. The reason is that limits how far a part will fly. Or bounce if it falls.

Think about it. Imagine you're firing a cannon. It'll shoot pretty far. Now put that same cannon on the edge of a cliff. It'll shoot farther. So if you don't want your cannon to shoot as far dont put it on the cliff.

[Keta]

I often do too but my floor has gaps in it that lead to parts Never Never land.

[foakes]

2-speed shifters - the most cursed component in reel repair?

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For me, the toughest reel to work on would be a Shimano Bait-Runner type reel.

3 times the parts of an average spinner.

Screws going into plastic and graphite.

Plastic & graphite parts that after the reel is apart on the bench —- are no longer available, or if available, too expensive to replace in good conscience.

Lots of bearings.

Gears that have to have a certain orientation.

Shims required upon rebuilds and servicing.

If you ever want to get burned-out on reel repair —- this reel will do it for you.

Best, Fred

[Midway Tommy]

Since I only fondle spinning reels, I agree with Fred, with the phrase "any newer than around 2000" added! 

[Keta]

I respect anyone that can work on spinners, I hate working on them.

[boon]

2-speed shifters - the most cursed component in reel repair?

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For me, the toughest reel to work on would be a Shimano Bait-Runner type reel.

Ooooh yes, especially the 4000-sized ones where the spring that kicks the baitrunner cam over fights you when you try to put the sideplate back on the gearbox. They would be right up there.

[steelfish]

2-speed shifters - the most cursed component in reel repair?
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For me, the toughest reel to work on would be a Shimano Bait-Runner type reel.
3 times the parts of an average spinner.
Best, Fred

I have never rejected to work on any 2-speed reel, heck, I have even repaired a 3-speed reel BUT I do have said NO thank you when I was asked to check a Bait-runner reel that is not working.

Im with Fred on this

[redsetta]

Baitrunners are easily the most common reel I've worked on over the past 18-odd years.
People love 'em here.
A guy brought me a first-generation 6500 a few years back, that he'd found while diving.
He came across some mono floating about 10m down and decided to gather it up.
After following the thread for a couple of hundred metres, he found a rod and reel connected.
It'd probably been down there months rather than weeks, given the 'encrustation', but it cleaned up sweet and I was even able to save the bearings!
On the other hand, I've had 6500s come in that looked mint on the outside, but were unsalvageable internally.
I saved a throw-away 6500B about a decade ago and took it out for a spin.
Hooked into something significant (on 80lb braid) and went toe-to-toe for about 40mins before breaking off.
The graphite reel seat was twisting wildly under the pressure.
They're really not made to be pushed hard!

[Gfish]

What's a DAM Quick 270-2 speed like to work on?

Posted it before and not trying to derail the thread, but the (not a 2-speed) Baitrunner 6500B is the only reel to beat me so far. Sold it to a reel repair business in a baggie for $5. It was real early on in my reel repair/maintenance experience, but the TIME I put into it, I shoulda succeeded. My ego's telling me to get a used one and go at it again.
Kind of a shock when I found out the graphite seat and stem, that Redsetta mentioned, would twist like that and I was just testing the drag.

[foakes]

Pretty simple, if one has done a couple, and if one has parts.

The only main difference from a regular 270 Super is extra gears & the shifting mechanism —- which is generally rusted since few folks know how to take them apart —- and they can retain saltwater if not cared for properly.

Best, Fred

[johndtuttle]

I'd say baitrunners are the worst as its a combination of the cheapest parts possible in concert with the most complicated designs.

At least most 2-speeds are a quality reel. Baitrunners are a race to the bottom with plastic and pot metal. I guess some charter guys like them as the rubes from Kansas can work them?