525 Mag

[SoCalAngler]

Thanks guy and it looks like UK Ron was spot on or at least I think he was. As you could of guessed when I went to check the function of the reel before I took it apart this time it was working fine after five or six tests. I had checked the reel several times while on the boat and it stuck almost every time. Go figure? Even though when I went to disassemble the reel I made sure to check everything step by step when I took parts off. Got the schematic form Scott's even though I have been into this reel a couple of times before just to have it handy if needed. What I found was it seemed like what Ron described was the issue. The parts list and what I found in my reel were different. The yoke and pinion could not be removed as the pinion was held in place by the pinion bearing on the inside of the frame, the pinion is flanged and is wider than the inside of the bearing race. On the side of the frame where the yoke is there is a brass fitting which is pressed in (I think) which holds the bearing in place and has a smaller inside diameter than the gear teeth on the pinion not allowing it to be pushed through this fitting toward the inside of the reel (spool side). I did not try to pry this fitting out which I may have been able to do. The sticking point seemed to be the pinion catching a bit in the inside of the pinion bearing. I cleaned off the pinion and bearing with brake cleaner, the pinion bearing was already open on both sides, and lubed the bearing and part of the pinion which slides on the inside of the race with TSI 231. The pinion now moved much nicer through the bearing race and hopefully it will take care of the issue. After putting everything back and testing all seemed well but only time will tell as it seemed to work fine before taking it apart.