525 Mag

[SoCalAngler]

I have a 525 mag that just started to show a problem. The issue is when I place the reel into gear the spool does not engage into a locked position and have drag until I move the handle. It is acting like the Calcutta reels where you need to move the handle to engage the reel. I have not opened up the reel yet to take a look and don't know when I will have time too but what do you think I should look at first?

I don't fish the reel often and use it mainly as a backup or loaner. Last thing I would is to loan it to someone and not have it work right.

[Dr. Jekyll - AKA MeL B]

is the spool spinning when you put it into gear? if not i think it's normal because this happens, not engaging until i turn the handle or the spool, to all my penn conventional SD reels. it's just the design. hope this helps...

[Alto Mare]

I'm with Mel on this one. The spool on all my star drag reels have zero movement when in gear with the star backed all the way, that's the way I like it. When I give it a little drag, I can actually hear the pinion engaging on the spool as I turn the handle....nice sound.

[SoCalAngler]

Drag is set at 5 lbs at a strait pull. When flylining live bait I get picked up by a fish. I place the reel into gear and nothing, line pays off the reel just like the lever has never been moved. If I move the handle slightly I hear and feel the pinion engage and the drag now starts working.

Just the other day I was catching some firecracker yellowtail 12-15 lbers and their great fun on 15 lb test. I grab this setup toss out a sardine get picked up move the lever into gear and nothing. As I try to slow down this fiesty little guy with only thumb pressure on the spool for drag I bumped the handle the reel moved into gear. Well after landing the fish and getting a nice blister from dry line and a PO'ed yellow I test the reel a couple of times before fishing it again and it acts the same. I racked the rod and for the rest of the trip and used a 20 lb test setup for these fish.

[basto]

Sounds normal. After putting reel in gear with the eccentric lever, you have to turn the handle a bit.

[Bryan Young]

Sounds like your pinion gear is getting hung up. It should engage with the spring of the spool or handle.

[Fish-aholic]

It is not normal for the spool to keep spinning after you've moved the freespool lever to the engaged position.

I agree with Bryan, the pinion gear is getting caught up. The pinion gear should re engage with the spool automatically after, at most, a few mm's of spool rotation. I recently had the very same issue with a friends 525 reel and solved it by treating the two graphite posts the yoke plate rides on with a little rub down using 800 grit paper. Other things worth checking are, see if the pinion gear slides through the pinion bearing easily and, also check the clutch plate and pinion gear for any burrs.

When you find the time to sort the reel out, remove the right side plate and manually move the jack plate towards the pinion gear and yoke plate to the lifted position (freespool), then take notice of what happens when the jack plate has been backed out. Both the yoke plate and pinion gear should drop and not get hung up.







   

[Alto Mare]

Most of my spools move when not in gear. I still say that what SoCal is experiencing is normal, you need to turn the handle to engage the pinion.
If the shaft or the pinion had burrs, it wouldn't fully engage even when turning the handle.

[Fish-aholic]

Well, a video always explains things far better than text. 

Here is what I understand SoCal' is wanting from his 525 when flylining live bait - an automatic engagement of the pinion gear to the clutch plate when lever is moved out of the freespool position. The below video of a 525 I just made, is the norm. If the spool continues to spin, the pinion yoke & gear is getting caught up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmSpkts65kU&feature=youtu.be

[Alto Mare]

Wow, very cool how you can do that in no time. Yes i get it now, my misunderstanding, I thought when he was turning the handle while in free spool and switch to gear. Got it now, you're the man . Thanks!

[Fish-aholic]

No worries, Sal!

I'm pretty seasoned at using windows movie maker for producing fishing videos, so it takes no time at all after a bit of practise.

[SoCalAngler]

Yep F-a,
Thats the way it use to work. It will be a couple of days before I have a chance to get into the reel. Thank you for giving we a couple of things to look at. The reel was given to me a couple of years ago used. It is still in good condition and was serviced by me when I first got it. Like I said the 525 mainly stays home, it does go on a boat ride from time to time as a backup or is loaned to others that don't have their own gear. Since I serviced it the reel has been fished maybe 5-6 times without issue so I saw no need to get into it yet, well that was until the last trip. Isn't it funny that you hardly ever find out you have a problem with your gear until your hooked to a fish?

[Dr. Jekyll - AKA MeL B]

check the pinion yoke springs or it probably just needs some cleaning internally...

[Fish-aholic]

Yea, those fish ain't as stupid as we like to think

When I fixed the issue your currently having on my friends reel, the two posts holding the pinion yoke had a slight burr on them. I assume the burrs were caused by my friend trying to 'force' the lever into freespool when the line was under great tension (trying to pull out from a snag), causing the pinion yoke to dig into the two posts it rides on. Hope you find just as easy a solution with your reel, SCA.   

[UK Ron]

Hi,
It may be a good idea to check the pinion gear is not binding on the pinion bearing. The pinion will end up jammed in the bearing eventually.