2500C freespool

[JasonGotaProblem]

I think I've got a rub somewhere. After throwing about $300 worth of aftermarket parts at this thing, including full ceramic bearings, I'm struggling to see more than 10 seconds freespool. I polished the level wind assembly, oiled it, and blew off the excess with compressed air.

Where should I look first? I'm thinking I'm gonna remove the idler gear first and see if it improves. Maybe there's a frame rub.

[ReelFishingProblems]

Can you list out what parts you took #0000 steel wool to?
What oils/lubricants did you use on different parts?

[JasonGotaProblem]

I used mother's aluminum polish on the inside face of the line guide and the outer face of the shield on the worm gear. Maybe I should use steel wool.

I used tsi321 on everything I applied generously then blew off the excess with compressed air. Ceramic bearings are dry.

I removed the idler gear and freespool is up to 20 seconds. Tomorrow I'll get out the sharpie and look for spool rubs.

The spool was shipped in a bubble mailer. That surprised me. I can't help feeling a precise part like that should have had better treatment.

[JasonGotaProblem]

Also, is anyone putting a bearing in the cap on the tail plate? A 3x10x4 fits perfectly in there. It doesn't change freespool though.

Oh, and I forgot the pic

[oc1]

To get a long free-spin time, you need some mass.   That light spool does not have it.  I suspect that if you put on line and cast it you will not be disappointed.

[jgp12000]

Looks great did you decide not to mess with the side plates,I would just fish with that bad boy!

[oldmanjoe]

Check the alinement between side plates ,that it is square .  Loosen a few screws and re tighten .

[Swami805]

10 seconds of free spool for a level wind is pretty good, maybe not bragging rights but should fish just fine

[JasonGotaProblem]

Trying it with the heavier stock spool does buy me 2 seconds longer.

I know it won't be reasonable to expect this to get over 2 min of freespool like my 6500 CT conversion with ceramic bearings on an ultracast spool. But I swear I've seen these built out like this getting 40 seconds or more (I think tincanary posted a clip of one). And it's just frustrating to think it used to get 5 seconds with the dirty stock bearings and I've dropped $300 on it to add 4 seconds.

I'm sure it'll fish just fine, but there's definitely still a lot of room for refinement.

[jgp12000]

What bearings did u get,I got 50 seconds on pencil test with Roro ceramic bearings? Not sure how long with spool test ?

[JasonGotaProblem]

I went with Chinese full ceramics. They're visible in the first post just below the idler gear.

I'm beginning to look more suspiciously at the spool and that it may be slightly warped from the inadequate packaging.

[steelfish]

To get a long free-spin time, you need some mass.   That light spool does not have it.  I suspect that if you put on line and cast it you will not be disappointed.

2x

[DougK]

10 seconds of free spool for a level wind is pretty good, maybe not bragging rights but should fish just fine

came here to say this.. freespool time is irrelevant to casting and fishing. I have Abus that get well under 10s freespool on the bench, but they cast as far as or further than my spinning reels with the same light braid lines..
freespool looks cool but it's not for anything except youtube videos and fb posts.
My vintage Black Max 1600 with Ultracast and stock bearings gets 20-30s freespool, but doesn't cast any better than the 4600C3 with upgraded everything and 5-10sec..

The other thing to check is, there are all kinds of contact points on the 2500 that an Ultracast doesn't have. The spool axle could be rubbing inside the gear, on the end cap, etc etc.
start with a single bearing sitting free on the axle, give it a spin and see. Now you know the bearings are fine or not. Remove the gearing for the levelwind from the non-drive side, assemble and retest. now you know how much the gearing and the levelwind are costing. take out the small gear entirely, assemble and retest.
and so on..

[JasonGotaProblem]

All points are valid. And I also realized I probably sound pretty short-sighted. With these synchronous level wind reels you can't even really sit there and play with it spinning it like a fidget toy anyway. But it's a good way for me to quantify how well I've addressed any friction sources. Once I'm done with this I'll be adding a magnet and brake blocks. And that'll limit freespool anyway.

Also I realized some of these much longer freespool times are being achieved by people with machined frames. Thats total apples and oranges. I'm still gonna check for and try to minimize any rub points on the frame, but I know there's a limit to how far that'll take me.

Oh and the ball bearings on the worm gear are 4x7x2.5 and I've totally already started thinking about ceramics for those. Yes I know how absurd this is getting. If I wanted cost effectiveness I'd get a net.

But yeah there's still room for refinement.

[DougK]

oh yes, this tinkering with ancient baitcasters is not sensible.. but it is fun ;-)
still eventually I stop and go fishing.

have to confess, I just bought $140 of jewelry for a second 3500 - spool, bearings, new light goldplated line guide, new goldplated screws for both end plates (though my excuse for this is previous owner had replaced original screws with ugly big ones)