Happy New Year!!

[hon-su]

and into the reel maintenance for the 2010 new fishing adventures!!

First up....never done this before as Ive never found the need to....that is to service the drags to a Shimano Stella 20000FA. Ive only ever serviced 8000FA and smaller.

Unfortunately Ive found it clueless on how to remove the cover to the bottom washers of the spool. Is there a way to unscrew it?? or does Shimano have some secret tool they keep to themselves??? This reel is about 6yrs old and has done alot of work, so its about time I looked into the washers.

[Irish Jigger]

Well Alan and fellow Forum members,it's just approaching Midnight here in Ireland so I will echo hon-su's greetings and wish you all A Very Happy New Year.

[alantani]

this is the only schematic that i found on the shimano website. 

http://fish.shimano.com/media/fishing/SAC/techdocs/en/Saltwater_Spinning/09STL20000SW_v1_m56577569830654490.pdf

there is a drag cover (key #12501) and it has a skinny o-ring (key #8291).  it's the o-ring that holds the drag cover in place.  it basically presses straight in and pulls straight out.  the problem is that you have to make sure that you do not damage the o-ring.  a little bit of cal's grease to clean and relube the inside surface of the spool will help prevent damage when you pull it out.  i'm sure that shimano has a special tool, but you can make a puller like this one



to pull out the cover.  it lift's straight out.  no twisting involved.  can you let us know how it goes?  thanks!  alan

[hon-su]

Cheers but unfortunately this is the older FA model.

Looks like a screw in cap but nothing seems to make it budge without damaging anything.

http://www.mikesreelrepair.com/schematics/albums/shimano/Shimano_stl_20000fa.pdf

[alantani]

got it!  yes, you need to make a spanner wrench.  when i worked on the last one, i simply used a pair of needle nosed pliers. i believe that the threads are right-handed.  it simply unscrews!!!!!!!!!!!