Is It Possible To Replace A Guide Insert Rather Than An Entire Guide?

Started by Walleye Guy, March 08, 2023, 08:11:49 PM

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Walleye Guy

I have a big fishing trip coming up this June and I just realized that two of my rods are missing guide inserts.  One rod is an Abu Garcia Vengeance rod and the other is a Berkley Lightning Rod. 

The Vengeance rod is supposed to have stainless steel guides but I don't know about the insert material.

I'm not so sure what the Lightning Rod is supposed to have.

In the pictures below, you can see each rod and what the guides are supposed to be like and the guides that are missing the inserts.  The Garcia rod is silver and the Berkley rod is black.

Is it possible to just replace the insert?

I saw a video on You Tube where a guy bought a kit of ceramic inserts and installed the best fit insert using 10 minute epoxy but I don't know if that's an acceptable repair (generally speaking).

I am completely new to rod repair.  I created my first rod repair post last year but that was to replace the entire guide on an old Garcia Conolon rod and I was particular about finding a guide to match the originals.

Thanks in advance...
 

Swami805

Much better off replacing the guides. The tip should be attached with some type of hot glue and very easy to replace. Normally when the insert comes out there's a problem with the guide frame and a new ring will probably fail again, usually at the worst possible time ( Murphy's law). Plenty of dyi stuff on the interwebs, probably a few on here
Do what you can with that you have where you are

Keta

I have never successfully done it and had it last.  You have time to get then replaced.
Hi, my name is Lee and I have a fishing gear problem.

I have all of the answers, yup, no, maybe.

A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way.
Mark Twain

steelfish

Search for someone in your area if you dont feel like a job you can do yourself, replacing guides on those Freshwater rods should be cheap.

that said, my opinion is also NO, well its doable but not recommended but I had a friend was pretty good on MacGyver jobs and the way he fixed his rod guides was the next, you need to find a matching guide then unglued the ceramic insert, buy a good quality "rear mirror glue" (its is supposed to be pretty strong) and glue the ceramic insert on the frame, let it dry and then add some more glue on the front side and back of the frame all around the ceramic, it might not look pretty but that worked for him.

sidenote: I will always recommend to replace the guide but the above might good option for a DYI hurry repair
The Baja Guy

Cor

I have at times glued guide rings with epoxy or superglue.   For me it's an acceptable temporary solution but never lasts.

If you are going on an important trip then replace the guide before you go.
Cornelis

Hamachi

Tip tops are easy. Gently heat up the tip and gently pull/twist the whole tip top off replace with a little hot melt glue, and a new tip top, you just have to figure out what size it it. Now you'll have a few extras for other repairs. line it up with the other guides and let cool. Not worth just replacing just the ceramic in my opinion in either case. Here's a little trick you can try, grab the base of the guide with a pair of pliers and gently twist and pull the whole thing out without disturbing the wrap. Now either hot melt or super glue/epoxy replacement in place. Have done this many times as a quickly replacement, only ending up as a permanent solution. No need to re-wrap single foot guides. Double footed guides, take only one side off to replace. I know this isn't what you asked, but this is the minimum I would do. If you have the ceramic and it is unbroken, I guess you could try superglue in a pinch. I would try and toughen up both surfaces with sandpaper to aid adhesion.
The rail is your friend, no zing pow, on the iron wenches, I like broccoli!

Walleye Guy

Thanks to all of you for your responses above.  You have convinced me to not monkey around with using epoxy on a replacement insert so now my question is how do I identify what material they are made from?  I have to ID both the guide and the insert. I guess I can check the guide with a magnet to determine if it's stainless steel.  I do have a rod guide ID tool ($10 piece of plastic with holes and pegs to size the guides...I'm sure you guys know what I'm referring to) that I purchased for my old Garcia Conolon rod that I can use to determine the size.  So I'm confident that I can ID the size.  But regarding materials, there are so many guide and insert materials available that for me as a newbie it's overwhelming.  Does it help you to know that both of these rods are around $50 new?  So the guide and insert material can't be something too expensive because these aren't "high end" rods.  Could they be Fuji guides with ceramic inserts?  Seems to me that is a common guide and insert combo?

Swami805

Look closely on the guide frame and see if there's a name stamped on it , that would narrow things down
Do what you can with that you have where you are

Gfish

Just me, but I would only focus on the ring size for a $50 rod—-guide replacement. But not just the size, also the height of the ring from the rod so it's even with the others.

The hardest thing for me is removing the old thread without cutting/scraping-up the rod. Best way to do this is unknown to me...

Also check closely your other guides. Tiny breaks in the metal or cracks in the inserts are sometimes hard to see.
Fishing tackle is an art form and all fish caught on the right tackle are"Gfish"!

Walleye Guy

I checked both guides last night with a magnet and both are non-magnetic so I'm assuming I have stainless steel guides on both rods (one is painted black the other isn't painted).  However I still don't know what the inserts are made of.  Do any of you have suggestions?  Ceramic?  Also, can someone point me to a good source for purchasing these guides? Maybe I can have someone there help me select the correct replacements.

Hamachi, it sounds like you are saying I can remove the single foot guide by just pulling it without heating it?  Yes?  I think what you are saying is described in the attached snippet which is found on page 2 of this forum post: https://alantani.com/index.php?topic=36021.0

Swami805, the only markings I saw on the guide is this as shown in the picture below (this is obviously not the guide that is missing the insert).

Shellbelly

I would follow the instructions in what you found from Breadfan if you want to remove/replace the guide.  You might be able to complete that long before discovering the correct insert.  Sometimes inserts don't just pop right in as easily as they popped out.
"Little boy,  you can get glad in the same pants you just got mad in."  (My Momma)
"You shot it boy, you're gonna clean it and eat it".  (My Dad)

Walleye Guy

Shellbelly, I think the fellas above have convinced me that replacing the insert probably isn't a long-term solution so I'm going to replace both guides.  Now I just need help figuring out the insert material and where to buy them.

Keta

Hi, my name is Lee and I have a fishing gear problem.

I have all of the answers, yup, no, maybe.

A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way.
Mark Twain

steelfish

Quote from: Walleye Guy on March 10, 2023, 08:06:47 PM......Now I just need help figuring out the insert material and where to buy them.

no need to think a lot about insert material, get the regular aluminum oxide insert, its the cheapest one and its really good for use with monofilament line and braided line, if you're going to order them online get whatever ceramic option, for those rods dont go overboard choosing Sic or NiC ceramic or Titanium frame, any regular steel guide with any brand or kind of ceramic material will work, just focus on order the correct sizes and how to DIY the installation of the guide.

if you are going to order them online there are plenty of options, everybody has its favorites, mudhole, getbitoutdoors, therodroom, etc.etc
The Baja Guy

Walleye Guy

steelfish, thank-you...that's what I needed to hear from someone who is familiar with the different types of inserts.  I'll call one of those shops you mentioned and get some guides ordered.