SX 1st try - mixed results

Padre · May 17, 2013, 02:10:45 AM

So I tore down, clean, greased, and lubed my SX and put it all back together. The smaller of the spool bearings came with only one seal; the larger one had metal shields held in with wire. I sprayed them with carb cleaner and lubed them with a couple small drops of CorrosionX. I replaced one shield on that bearing and left the other off. All the old grease got wiped off and replaced with a locally produced blue marine grease made for saltwater. After all is said and done, I only get 18 seconds of freespool, which seems disappointing. I'm not 100% sure I got the drag lever on right. How do I know if its not on properly? On the plus side, i got it all back together with no leftover parts, and everything seemed to go back as it should, with the possible exception of the drag lever. Help?

AJ · May 17, 2013, 03:28:57 AM

Turn the handle fast. If the spool turns at all you do not have freespool. once you know how to get the lever in the correct position it's easy but it takes time to get the "feel". The SX can be assembled on the right side plate and you can check to be sure everything is good before it goes into the frame.

Remember only a tiny bit of excess grease in several different will slow the spool. It is REALLY easy to get a little grease in the wrong spot or not get a bearing completely clean, ask me how I know.

Keep trying and check these bearings carefully for any tiny bit of roughness.
Robb

Bryan Young · May 17, 2013, 05:03:02 AM

There are several reasons why the spool can slow down.

1) too much grease between the Frame and the spool. Just leave an ultra thin coat to protect the aluminum.
2) too much grease on the drag washer. After applying, let sista drub off excess with a rag. You should see any grease in the washer. It would look like shiny smooth graduate weaves bumps.
3) damaged bearing. It's easy to damage the tiny bearing. The ball bearing mat be okay, but a slight bump in the races will slow down the bearing and eventually damage the bearing's ball.

That is all I can think of at the moment.

alantani · May 17, 2013, 05:56:20 AM

i think that the smaller bearing was not a good choice. it's too small and too easy to damage. keep several on hand and plan on having to replace them with some amount of regularity...... $:-\$

Padre · May 17, 2013, 11:35:14 AM

Quote from: alantani on May 17, 2013, 05:56:20 AM
i think that the smaller bearing was not a good choice. it's too small and too easy to damage.

You mean not replacing it was a bad choice, or doing anything to it was? It is a tiny little thing.

SoCalAngler · May 17, 2013, 01:22:25 PM

I just picked up a new SX without MC and did a prefishing service to it. I found the same as you did with the bearing but I pulled the shield of the smaller spool bearing also and lubed them with TSI 321 and get 1 minute 45 seconds of freespool now.

Padre · May 17, 2013, 02:36:10 PM

Just to clarify - I'm trying to learn as much as I can and want to make sure I'm giving accurate descriptions - the smaller spool bearing had only one shield, which I left in place. The larger had two shields. I removed them both and cleaned it, then replaced one shield on it. The open sides of both bearings are facing in towards the spool.

Dr. Jekyll - AKA MeL B · May 17, 2013, 05:45:00 PM

both my MXJ spool bearings are open now. but if i have to leave one side shielded i'd do it the way you didi it, open side facing towards the spool. protects the bearings better from whatever dirt.

Bryan Young · May 17, 2013, 05:56:09 PM

Other than grease and bearings, did you put back in the spool bearing sleeve?

What is the drag setting on the reel now at strike?

Does it make a sound when you spin spool while in free spool?

Padre · May 18, 2013, 10:07:44 PM

Quote from: Bryan Young on May 17, 2013, 05:56:09 PM
Other than grease and bearings, did you put back in the spool bearing sleeve?

What is the drag setting on the reel now at strike?

Does it make a sound when you spin spool while in free spool?

Yes, the sleeve is in place. With the drag knob tightened down, I have 13 lbs of drag at full but lose free spin. The spool will turn when I crank the handle. If I loosen the knob until invest free spool, the drag falls way off.

I can hear a slight whirring sound when the spool spins but no grinding.

That helpful?

SoCalAngler · May 18, 2013, 11:21:38 PM

You had to take out the spool shaft to get to all the bearings make sure the belleville washers are in the correct configuration. I dont have my SX open to tell you how they go but I know my JX's go like ()(()) (because I played around with them when doing the cam conversion). I just tested my drag on my SX and freespools great at 14 lbs at full. You are sure your at full and not strike with the 13 lbs, right?

Edit: I think there are 4 washers not 6 like the JX and they go like ()()? When I changed around the JX's washers the dymanics of drag and freespool changed a good deal. The whirring sound is most likely the bearings, you dont hear a scraping or ticking sound do you?

Padre · May 19, 2013, 12:46:07 AM

I really appreciate all the help y'all are giving me. Thank you so much. I didn't take the bellevilles off. They're just as they were.

I got 13 with the lever pushed all the way forward. No, no scraping or ticking, but I can hear the bearings turning.

SoCalAngler · May 19, 2013, 05:18:55 AM

One more thing to try is make sure you don't have any grease on the spool shaft or inside the pinion. Remove shaft and wipe down with a clean cloth, next take a cotton swab (Q-Tip) and clean the inside of the pinion. After I clean the shaft I take another swab, wet it with the lube I use for the spool bearings and wipe down shaft and insert it into the pinion to add some lube there. See if that helps.

One thing that happen to a Daiwa I have that kind of had me confused as to why I had lost alot of the freespool was the slide plate was not sitting fully flush against the frame. I had just lightly snugged the side plate screws down after a service and tested. Freespool was bad took the reel apart a couple of times before I noticed the side plate. I tightened down the screws fully and freespool was fine. What I think was happening was the side plate was not sitting flush which ment the bearing was not sitting strait and either tweaked the pinion enough to rub on the shaft or against the pinion bearing.

If not these I think you have a bearing issue.

Dr. Jekyll - AKA MeL B · May 20, 2013, 05:32:21 PM

is your SX a MC? if it's a MC it will not freespool as well as a regular SX. as for the belleville configuration socalangler is correct ()(). also i shimmed my MXJ, l()(), to have a little more drag so as not to tighten the drag knob much to get to my desired drag for the line being used. hope this helps...btw are you usingmono or braided?

Padre · July 13, 2013, 03:15:58 AM

Just an update. Took the reel apart again tonight, after having gone through several other of my reels and now feeling like I know wee bit more what I'm doing. Cleaned up some excess grease, checked all the places it shouldn't be, cleaned and relubed the spool bearings, and put it all back together. Freespool for just over a minute now - much improved.

Too tired to get the scale and check the drag, but I'll do that in the morning.

Very much appreciate all the help available on this board. You guys are the best.