Average time to overhaul a reel

[amoebasurgeon]

Hi everyone. I never overhauled a reel and I have a few new-in-the-box reels that I want to work on. I plan on cleaning out the factory lube and replace it with TSI oil and marine grease. I also want to upgrade the drag washers to carbon fiber and polish the drag plates. I'm doing this as a preventative measure to reassure my confidence in knowing that I have well protected, functional, quality components. How long does it usually take to work on a reel? This is what I have:

Okuma Cavalla 20II
Okuma Trio-30S
Okuma Trio-20
Okuma Citrix Ci-273VLX
Tica Fishmaster S107 flyreel

[johndtuttle]

I'll let the reel pros chime in how fast they can do one but I would say that the main determinant is "familiarity" with the reel for me as well as having the tool(s) for the job.

Every reel has it's own little quirks that slow you down as you figure out the basic steps and as Alan has said it's never as easy as it looks in a post. One of the main reasons I enjoy doing a tutorial is that I am often stumped by a part of the reel and it takes several tries to identify not just how to get it apart, but you find the best way to do it and how to put it back together in a "fool proof" way. Then when you can share that with others to make their lives easier it's very rewarding.

Take bearings. If they have pressed in shields they are very easy and you destroy the shield to remove them. If they are removable shields with tiny clips and you want to preserve the shields then it make take some doing to get a hook small enough and sharp enough to get them out. Suddenly you are set back an hour of fiddling....If you have one of Alan's "miracle bearing packers" or want to leave the bearings open then it's fast as can be etc.

Strip a screw...well, there are the heads that may require some new tool to get them out, then there is the body that may have to be retapped...hours spent learning a new skill!

Take your time, proceed with caution and don't force anything (especially on a new reel, it's impossible that anything is frozen) because if it seems too hard to take apart you may be missing that tiny e-clip that is holding it together that you have overlooked or the threads are reverse or that thing that obviously is a hexagonal "nut" holding things together isn't one at all and you should leave it alone etc.

A common pitfall is wanting to get at something to service it but not realizing that several other things that seem totally unrelated have to come off first because the last screw is hidden beneath something else etc.

TL;DR probably 30 minutes if its a simple design and you know the reel and you don't have to pull the bearing shields. If you don't know it well, every reel guy I know still gets reels in plastic bags that guys have given up on trying to get back together .


best regards

[Brendan]

"familiarity" A big factor, then variables. Then throw in how difficult you are to be satisfied with the results. IE how many times you perform the service until you are satisfied. I could never make a living but like the results.
Tight lines, Brendan.

[Keta]

If I need parts at least a week.

[Bryan Young]

I'm slow and precise. I usually take 1 hour for star drag reels and 2 hours for lever drag reels. And sometime a whole night on one reel because it just doesn't feel right and have to do it again and again until I like the feel of the reel. Yeah, I'm definitely not going to get rich fixing reels but to helps clear my mind...my meditation.

[Tightlines667]

Large trolling reels generally take me 4 to 6 hours to completly disassemble, clean, etc...  but sometimes they can and do take me much longer, ESP if problems are only noticed upon reassembly, or just fine tuning due to excessive wear, etc.  I can usually service a smaller star drag reel in an hour but may end up taking 3-5 if I do a complete refurb and corrosion is present.  I've gotten lucky in a few lever drag reels and was able to do a complete disassemble, clean, service in under 2 hours...but more often then not it goes the other way.  Turnaround time for reels w/parts that are locally available is usually less then 3 days, a week if I need a standard order, 10 days if I need sum hard to find part.  However, a 10 day turnaround can and has turned into a month long process when incorrect parts were shipped (labeled correctly), then additional problems were discovered after final assembly...there are no gurantees, and 9 times outta 10 it will take longer then you think.  That being said, despite only having been at this stuff for 10 months, I have noticed that my times are decreasing and my ability to correctly diagnose problems the first time is getting better (particularily on the most common models I service).  It is a continual learning process though. 

[amoebasurgeon]

Thank you everyone. I know more responses are coming so a preemptive Thank You to you. I think I should emphasize that these reels are new or barely used but I've read in a lot of posts that factories get lazy and sometimes send out "dry" reels yet the internal components are in pristine shape.

[Chris Gatorfan]

Chris I know what you mean by finding out on reassembly. A Customer brought me 2 113's to service the other day. One was completely broke down the and one was together. The one that was together had som major slippage when cranking. They both needede extreme cleaning because uf major corrossion. so broke them both bown cleaned them all up and upon reassambly I found my slippage issue. The reel foot was bent outwards by about 10-15 degrees....

[jay2578]

As a newbie to servicing my own reels (abu's), even though I've used multipliers since about 12 years old, I can do a post fishing trip service in about an hour and a half. Its not a full service with complete strip, clean, oil/grease and re-assemble, but a rinse, a clean with cotton buds, re grease, bearings oiled etc.
I reckon I could probably do it complete in maybe 4 hours. (An ultrasonic bath would be nice though)

[Alto Mare]

For Senators of any size, complete tear down and replace what needs to be replaced 15 minutes. If in the evening hours the power goes out, 30 minutes  .

[Shark Hunter]

Shim the Sleeve, Double Dog, Cut some new Drags from sheet, and spool with line, 35 minutes, Tops!

[Bryan Young]

Show offs.

I've done hundreds of reels and I still take a long time...want to make sure its as close to perfect that I can get based what was given to me.

[Shark Hunter]

I forgot to add the drag test when I tie it to the dog too.
40 minutes, Max!
I can't speak for Sal, but sometimes it takes me all afternoon. Depends what I run into, and if I have to take it back apart.
How many Beers might come into play once in a while.
Its not uncommon for me to stay up all night working on reels. Especially this time of year. Luckily my Driver isn't that Loud.
I try not to wake the wife like Sal does.

[Chris Gatorfan]

For me it just varies. If it is one I have never worked on before I take it slow making sure to take everything in. For ones I am Familiar with, I would say 30 minutes for basic touch ups and for a full service 1-2 hours. But Like Brian I dont stop until I feel it is as good as it can be.

[Dominick]

I don't know why the rush.  I take them apart working slowly because I am not in a rush.  I like to get everything clean and buffed up before I start to put it together.  I worked more on reels when I smoked.  Now it's just a trigger.  I want to sit at my workbench work on reels and smoke my brains out.  I won't do it of course but the desire is as strong as if I had had a cigarette a hour ago.  I quit 11/11/11 at 11:00 a.m.  That way I could remember the date and time.  It is 2 years 10 months 11 days 10.5 hours as I write this.  Don't you think that is long enough?  I need a cigarette.        Dominick