Jigmaster handles on SS Gear Sleeves

Classtime · June 09, 2025, 08:43:49 PM

Maybe this is common and there is an easy fix. My new SS gear sleeves for my 501 and 506 are a little proud when I try to install a 24-155 or a 26-66 handle and the nut will not tighten enough. A 24-56 has a thicker arm and works well but I'd like to use the 24-66 on my 501. I'm trying to avoid taking a file to the gear sleeve but maybe that is standard practice?

Keta · June 09, 2025, 09:12:01 PM

Try a 15-49 or shim washers.

MACflyer · June 09, 2025, 09:14:52 PM

Not sure I completely understand the problem, but it sounds like the spacing sleeve, part # 9-60, is too short. This is the sleeve under the Star. You could try a thin spacer on top of the sleeve, or between Star and handle. I believe Mystic Parts has 3 different lengths of these spacing sleeves if you want a new one. I know I have filed this sleeve down when I didn't have enough drag adjustment.

Maxed Out · June 10, 2025, 01:11:52 AM

Get a handle that has a thicker blade. Cortez Conversions has nice aftermarket thick blades and also has sweet knobs. Problem solved

Keta · June 10, 2025, 01:16:19 AM

Are you out of your realy nice ones Ted?

Mac, it sounds like the issue is above the sleve where the handle arm rests and a spacer sleve, spacer washer or bellvill washer will not address the problem.

MACflyer · June 10, 2025, 02:03:43 AM

Thanks Lee. I wasn't sure I understood the issue. Just checked Mystic, and they are out of all the various length spacers except for one.

JasonGotaProblem · June 10, 2025, 02:06:39 AM

Yeah you are gonna want to shim that. A washer below the blade will help.

Maxed Out · June 10, 2025, 05:43:01 AM

Quote from: Keta on June 10, 2025, 01:16:19 AMAre you out of your realy nice ones Ted?

Mac, it sounds like the issue is above the sleve where the handle arm rests and a spacer sleve, spacer washer or bellvill washer will not address the problem.

I do still have a few thick blades.....just thought I'd mention Cortez Conversions as an option....Tom has some really nice offset blades at a great price

Gfish · June 10, 2025, 02:20:54 PM

You maybe could also use a shim washer underneath the handle nut.

Maxed Out · June 10, 2025, 02:59:20 PM

Here's the Cortez Conversions nice offset blade with one of his acrylic knobs. These are the cats meow

Keta · June 10, 2025, 03:22:02 PM

My Cortez knob is ice blue on a ice blue arm on a ice blue narrow 113H.

jurelometer · June 10, 2025, 05:24:09 PM

If my memory serves me correctly, there is a problem with some runs of some aftermarket gear sleeves for the Penns. This has to do with a chamfer:

The threads on the handle lock nut (23-60) cannot be cut all the way to the head. This does not matter as long as the lock nut final clearance is less than the handle arm thickness.

The top of the threaded hole in the gear sleeve has a chamfer cut to accommodate a few extra turns, but on some sleeves (or maybe some combinations of sleeves and handle nuts), it is not deep enough, so the handle nut binds on the threads before it can tighten on the handle arm.

You might want to double check to see if this is the actual issue. If it turns out that your original premise of the sleeve end standing out a bit too proud was correct, filing down the end will shorten the chamfer section, and you could end up the other problem, and still have a loose fit.

Regarding washers- putting one under the handle arm requires a washer with two flats that match the shaft. The flats cut on these gear sleeves are not a standard double d-shaft shape, so good luck finding one. Plus, this junction is a weak spot on the design, and usually where these reels fail first. The stainless sleeve helps, but still a risky spot. Sticking a washer underneath could give you a fit that is not as tight.

Short of cutting a new chamfer in the threaded hole or exchanging the sleeve (if the sleeve is the problem), I would agree with the other posts - you are pretty much stuck with going with a thicker handle arm or a washer on top of the handle arm. This washer might need a bit of customization to clear the lock screw head.

-J

jurelometer · June 10, 2025, 10:45:28 PM

Quote from: jurelometer on June 10, 2025, 05:24:09 PMIf my memory serves me correctly, there is a problem with some runs of some aftermarket gear sleeves for the Penns. This has to do with a chamfer:

The threads on the handle lock nut (23-60) cannot be cut all the way to the head. This does not matter as long as the lock nut final clearance is less than the handle arm thickness.

The top of the threaded hole in the gear sleeve has a chamfer cut to accommodate a few extra turns, but on some sleeves (or maybe some combinations of sleeves and handle nuts), it is not deep enough, so the handle nut binds on the threads before it can tighten on the handle arm.

You might want to double check to see if this is the actual issue. If it turns out that your original premise of the sleeve end standing out a bit too proud was correct, filing down the end will shorten the chamfer section, and you could end up the other problem, and still have a loose fit.

Regarding washers- putting one under the handle arm requires a washer with two flats that match the shaft. The flats cut on these gear sleeves are not a standard double d-shaft shape, so good luck finding one. Plus, this junction is a weak spot on the design, and usually where these reels fail first. The stainless sleeve helps, but still a risky spot. Sticking a washer underneath could give you a fit that is not as tight.

Short of cutting a new chamfer in the threaded hole or exchanging the sleeve (if the sleeve is the problem), I would agree with the other posts - you are pretty much stuck with going with a thicker handle arm or a washer on top of the handle arm. This washer might need a bit of customization to clear the lock screw head.

-J

I guess you could also file down a shoulder that is smaller than the ID of the threads, but this would weaken the handle nut, which is made of brass and already a bit on the weak side.

-J

Keta · June 11, 2025, 12:23:42 AM

He has a SS gearsleve. Filing the "bolt" shorter would cure it from bottoming out if that is the problem and would not compromise the gear sleeve.

JasonGotaProblem · June 11, 2025, 01:58:37 AM

I don't think it's a bottoming out issue. The height of the skinny part of the gear sleeve that the handle sits on is greater than the thickness of the handle. So with it tightened down there's some slop. Nothing he could do to the handle nut would cure that. He needs to either fill the gap or shrink the gap.