Servicing Stradic HG and XG Spinners a Pain!

[Reeltyme]

I just finished servicing a Stradic 3000 XG and started a Stradic 2500 HG. I was told by my customer that NONE of our local shops will touch them due to the anti reverse being impossible to put back together and would I be willing to try them. I told him I would take a look at the schematics and see. I didn't notice anything alarming so agreed to do the service on them. Aside from quite a few tiny screws I didn't find anything to be concerned about. However,,,, it's when you attempt to put everything back together. The main body/gear box is standard for a Stradic aside from the pawl having 2 super tiny screws holding the plate in place inside of 1. The problem is when you attempt to put the anti reverse housing back on the reel. Most anti reverse housings are held together by a single screw to prevent them from "exploding" into numerous barrel bearings and springs. Generally not an issue. Shimano in the infinite wisdom decided that that screw wasn't necessary. The housing is not held together by anything and will fall into an insane amount of pieces that require exact reassembly due to precision engineering! The trick to reassemble this housing onto the reel is to have the housing - in tack - upside down. Holding the reel with the shaft facing down, carefully slide the bearing housing up the shaft and into place. Be slow and steady and this process will work. Cursing will not make it go easier but may make you feel better. After this procedure, everything else is standard. Good luck if you do this. It's a pain the first time around but hopefully this will help.
Randy McConnell
Reeltyme

[54bullseye]

Your a better man than me LOL !!!!    John Taylor

[JasonGotaProblem]

I have had decent luck with those by carefully removing the AR assembly as a unit and rinsing it out really good with alcohol without taking the roller clutch apart. So far so good.

[Gfish]

Man, it looks like it's getting worse. More parts. Does that = more profit for Shimano?
Good job, Randy.

[foakes]

Good job, Randy —-

I am glad someone works on these.

Best, Fred

[Gfish]

😃, PURASUCHIKKU.
I had a pair of FJ's. Took 1/2 day to do a complete disassembly, clean, lube, and rebuild. Probably too long a service interval for me to remember the right sequence and be efficient.
The 8000 size I got rid of. The drag knob seal leaked and the inside-bottom of the spool corroded. Also, an aluminum looking bushing in the line roller as well as that stupid pot metal AR lever would corrode.

A good test for any spinner is surf-fishing, a great test is saltwater kayak use by an excitable idiot like me.

[oc1]

If it's smooth and doesn't clank or feel clunky then I would not use it.  Every dependable spinner I know is old and heavy with terrible tolerances (insert geezer emoji here). 

I've never had or even touched a Van Staal though.

[thorhammer]

I had a pair come up in an estate buy. I'm 1-2. One operates smoothly if a little green rash. The other, well, Imma have to be reely bored and done with the other 200 projects I have to try to put all those little bits together after that explosion. As Steve said, clunky doesn't die. I did capitulate off my SS's this year and bought a Battle III.

John

[JasonGotaProblem]

As long as you don't let it spill there's something to be said for silky smoothness. And as long as you rinse it religiously you don't have to deal with it very often...

[thorhammer]

yeah, but the 550 SS is the AK47 of midsize reels. I saw one on a bait store wall, recovered from  off a pier with so many barnacles you could barely tell what it was, but it stilled reeled. Shimano ain't doing that. They may be ok for inshore work but I'm taking Penn for offshore spinner and heavy surf duty where it's gonna get drowned and sandy.

[Reeltyme]

I had a thread called "My thoughts on today's spinners" and this thread is headed in that direction. I will refrain. These reels are butter smooth when done. I'm sure the owner loves them, they're just not for me. Far too many parts. I feel the more links in the chain, the better chance something will break.

[boon]

I had a thread called "My thoughts on today's spinners" and this thread is headed in that direction. I will refrain. These reels are butter smooth when done. I'm sure the owner loves them, they're just not for me. Far too many parts. I feel the more links in the chain, the better chance something will break.

People have very different criteria for what makes a good reel, that's all. I sometimes wonder how much of it reflects whether they spend more time fishing with reels or repairing them.

[oc1]

When you buy a high-end Shimano you sort of have to like it. Otherwise you'd hate yourself for what you spent on it.