Reel Repair by Alan Tani

Spinning Reel Rebuild Tutorials and Questions => South Bend => Topic started by: festus on April 01, 2019, 11:21:29 PM

Title: South Bend 960--Biggest Reel of That Series
Post by: festus on April 01, 2019, 11:21:29 PM
A few days ago Mo65 messaged me some pics of his South Bend Classic 930.  I told him about a big classic 960 going cheap on ebay.  I sent him the link, so he saw it also and said I'd better jump on it, so he talked me into it.  It was in pretty good shape, cranked  smoothly and was definitely fishable out of the box, but needed checked out anyway.

(https://alantani.com/gallery/27/17863_01_04_19_2_42_11.jpeg)
I assume this was the original grease from some 40 years ago, but it hadn't set up like most reels I've serviced from the 1950s, 60s, and 70s.
(https://alantani.com/gallery/27/17863_01_04_19_2_42_43.jpeg)
(https://alantani.com/gallery/27/17863_01_04_19_2_43_14.jpeg)
I like this removable bail trip ramp that isn't part of the body. 
(https://alantani.com/gallery/27/17863_01_04_19_2_43_45.jpeg)
This reel has a hoss of a ball bearing, biggest one I've seen in a spinning reel. (https://alantani.com/gallery/27/17863_01_04_19_2_44_18.jpeg)
I didn't disassemble the anti-reverse assembly, it was fairly clean but I tidied it up a little with WD-40 and a wipedown, also left the bail assembly as it was.
(https://alantani.com/gallery/27/17863_01_04_19_2_44_47.jpeg)
(https://alantani.com/gallery/27/17863_01_04_19_2_45_32.jpeg)
Everything fell in line putting it back together.  The schematic is a little different than this actual layout.  Two c-clips secure the oscillation lever, and there is no left handed thread screw going into the drive gear.
(https://alantani.com/gallery/27/17863_01_04_19_2_46_01.jpeg)

These reels weigh 17.5 oz without line.  Gear ratio 3.5:1, hold 250 yds of 20 lb. mono. Comparable, but much lighter than the Shakespeare 2091A, D-A-M Quick Super 270/550/550N, or Penn Greenie 704.

FedEx also delivered two rods today from Cabela's, a 9' MH Whuppin Stick and an Eagle Claw heavy action 10 footer. It was time to start buying some rods, got plenty of reels already, but not enough, of course ::)
(https://alantani.com/gallery/27/17863_01_04_19_2_46_34.jpeg)
(https://alantani.com/gallery/27/17863_01_04_19_2_47_10.jpeg)
(https://alantani.com/gallery/27/17863_01_04_19_4_08_04.jpeg)


Title: Re: South Bend 960--Biggest Reel of That Series
Post by: Midway Tommy on April 01, 2019, 11:27:00 PM
Looks pretty darn nice, Chester!
Title: Re: South Bend 960--Biggest Reel of That Series
Post by: philaroman on April 01, 2019, 11:44:54 PM
are all the 900 series sizes steel-on-steel worm?

how do the Whuppin'Sticks compare to Ugly's & yellow EC glass?
guessing the blanks are decent glass, but how do the components look?

thanks, for any info.
Title: Re: South Bend 960--Biggest Reel of That Series
Post by: festus on April 02, 2019, 12:05:58 AM
Quote from: philaroman on April 01, 2019, 11:44:54 PM
are all the 900 series sizes steel-on-steel worm?

how do the Whuppin'Sticks compare to Ugly's & yellow EC glass?
guessing the blanks are decent glass, but how do the components look?

thanks, for any info.
Yes, I imagine all 900 series are steel-on-steel worm since Mike's is the smallest, and mine is the largest.

The Whuppin Sticks are pretty much the same as an Ugly Stik other than the color.  But most Uglies this size have the foam handle, this Whuppin has cork.  The Whuppin is about 10 bucks cheaper, but I can't tell a dime's worth of difference.

This big Eagle Claw is practically an oversize version of the little Eagle Claw Featherlight yellow ones.  I have one Featherlight in the garage I've had for at least 35 years, never really had any problems with it.  I fish mostly from the bank, sometimes around rip-rap below dams and steam plants, so I'd be reluctant to use something expensive there.  The old Ugly Catfish 7 and 8 footers have served me well, along with a 12' Offshore Angler I bought at Bass Pro for about 30 bucks probably 10 years ago.
Title: Re: South Bend 960--Biggest Reel of That Series
Post by: mo65 on April 02, 2019, 02:53:25 AM
   That reel looks great Chester. The grease looks just like what was in mine...it was still soft too. Did it have oiled felt drags?
Title: Re: South Bend 960--Biggest Reel of That Series
Post by: Gfish on April 02, 2019, 03:25:39 AM
That's one tough lookin reel festus. I especially like the anti-reverse pawl stickin into the pinion gear. That's supposed to be the best way to do it.
Title: Re: South Bend 960--Biggest Reel of That Series
Post by: festus on April 02, 2019, 12:35:36 PM
Quote from: mo65 on April 02, 2019, 02:53:25 AM
   That reel looks great Chester. The grease looks just like what was in mine...it was still soft too. Did it have oiled felt drags?
Sure did, and they were clean. Whoever had the reel had backed off the drags before storage.
Title: Re: South Bend 960--Biggest Reel of That Series
Post by: philaroman on April 02, 2019, 02:24:55 PM
my amateur research suggests these were oldest/best Ohmori OEM
(their last worm; both, standard & pop-off spools...  depending on size)
prob. same reels as (in order of likelihood):
Diamond(?) Proline http://www5c.biglobe.ne.jp/~take300/ohmori101.htm
Compac Atlas II
Shakes President II
might be a re-branded Pflueger in the mix, as well

Tom, how much did I get right?
Title: Re: South Bend 960--Biggest Reel of That Series
Post by: festus on April 02, 2019, 03:28:31 PM
Quote from: philaroman on April 02, 2019, 02:24:55 PM
my amateur research suggests these were oldest/best Ohmori OEM
(their last worm; both, standard & pop-off spools...  depending on size)
prob. same reels as (in order of likelihood):
Diamond(?) Proline http://www5c.biglobe.ne.jp/~take300/ohmori101.htm
Compac Atlas II
Shakes President II
might be a re-branded Pflueger in the mix, as well

Tom, how much did I get right?
Similar, but the side plate screw would interfere with the oscillation lever.
Title: Re: South Bend 960--Biggest Reel of That Series
Post by: Midway Tommy on April 02, 2019, 07:11:00 PM
I clearly have limited knowledge about Japanese reel manufacturing but It looks like you're pretty much on target, Phil. It appears Omori made all of those reels, including quite a few others. It is a tangled web they weaved. Shakespeare bought Southern Tackle in '72 & Southern Tackle was the US distributor for some of the Diamond series' including the Spin Masters & others. The Spin Masters look very similar to some of the SB/Gladding lines.

The Pro Line was never distributed in the US so there's not a lot of information out there on them. Clearly the oscillation arm looks the same as the SB/Gladdings, as seen below. By the looks of the A/R & gearing the Pro Line was as close as they could get to the ABU Cardinal line short of the rear fulcrum drag mechanism, therefore the single sideplate screw. Omori  went out of the reel manufacturing business in the late 1980s.   
Title: Re: South Bend 960--Biggest Reel of That Series
Post by: festus on April 02, 2019, 09:06:07 PM
If someone could translate this it would help.
Title: Re: South Bend 960--Biggest Reel of That Series
Post by: foakes on April 02, 2019, 09:30:27 PM
Here you go, Chester —

Just needs re-orientation 👍👍👍😁

Best,

Fred
Title: Re: South Bend 960--Biggest Reel of That Series
Post by: festus on April 02, 2019, 09:55:14 PM
Quote from: Midway Tommy on April 02, 2019, 07:11:00 PM
I clearly have limited knowledge about Japanese reel manufacturing but It looks like you're pretty much on target, Phil. It appears Omori made all of those reels, including quite a few others. It is a tangled web they weaved. Shakespeare bought Southern Tackle in '72 & Southern Tackle was the US distributor for some of the Diamond series' including the Spin Masters & others. The Spin Masters look very similar to some of the SB/Gladding lines.

The Pro Line was never distributed in the US so there's not a lot of information out there on them. Clearly the oscillation arm looks the same as the SB/Gladdings, as seen below. By the looks of the A/R & gearing the Pro Line was as close as they could get to the ABU Cardinal line short of the rear fulcrum drag mechanism, therefore the single sideplate screw. Omori  went out of the reel manufacturing business in the late 1980s.   
No doubt the 800 series of SB/Gladding and the Spinmaster Diamonds are the same reels.
Title: Re: South Bend 960--Biggest Reel of That Series
Post by: Midway Tommy on April 03, 2019, 02:43:36 AM
QuoteIf someone could translate this it would help.

Chester, my Japanese is very good.  :D It says, as can best be translated:  ;)

"2 Worm gear reels
The smoothness of worm gears might stand out .
If they had made these gears ......"

Quote from: festus on April 02, 2019, 09:55:14 PM
No doubt the 800 series of SB/Gladding and the Spinmaster Diamonds are the same reels.

Not quite exactly the same, but very similar. Leg bends are different, as are the bail arms & bail trip.  
Title: Re: South Bend 960--Biggest Reel of That Series
Post by: mo65 on April 03, 2019, 06:42:48 PM
Quote from: foakes on April 02, 2019, 09:30:27 PM
Here you go, Chester —

Just needs re-orientation 👍👍👍😁

Best,

Fred

   OK Fred...thanks for making me spew coffee on the keyboard...good one! :D
Title: Re: South Bend 960--Biggest Reel of That Series
Post by: mo65 on October 04, 2019, 05:55:48 PM
Hey Chester,
  I scored a 960 of my own. It was a very clean boxed reel, but under the hood it had that same grease all these Classics seem to have. I wonder if it was a better grease than other brands were using at that time? It can't be just coincidence that this grease is always soft and the others are hard and waxy.

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48842579428_98072187a9_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2hq3Zdq)

  I broke out some NOS drags from those parts Fred sent me.

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48843129507_42d7ce6212_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2hq6NJx)

  Even though this gem is shelf bound, I still oiled the new felt washers.

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48843160887_9bb984275e_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2hq6Y4z)

  I've mentioned this paint over spray on the spool before. After correcting it the drag pulls much smoother.

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48842946871_13d86cd1d9_n.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2hq5SrD)(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48843128342_d4c9423651_n.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2hq6Nos)

  Here's another piece I added from Fred's parts. This may be the first time I've ever had a vintage reel with a brand spankin' new pipe cleaner on the spool. It fits so tight it actually adds a bit of "drag" when turning the handle. I guess I'm used to the easy turning of a well worn pipe cleaner...HA!

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48843129362_64181b8e35_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2hq6NG3)

  Well here she is folks, a prize fit for an anal retentive collector! :D Thanks to Chester for the tutorial and schematic to help me along on this reel. Also thanks to Fred for the SB parts. 8)

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48842946501_6979b82980_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2hq5Skg)
Title: Re: South Bend 960--Biggest Reel of That Series
Post by: xjchad on October 04, 2019, 06:03:46 PM
What a beauty!  The 960, not you Mo  ;)
Do you know what the capacity of that reel is?
What is the full lineup on these? I've seen 925, 930, 935, and 960.
Title: Re: South Bend 960--Biggest Reel of That Series
Post by: Midway Tommy on October 04, 2019, 06:22:12 PM
Talk about "Spit Shine"! Nicely done, Mike. That thing looks like it just came off the assembly line.  8) That's exactly how I like to put them away.  ;)
Title: Re: South Bend 960--Biggest Reel of That Series
Post by: mo65 on October 04, 2019, 06:29:06 PM
Quote from: xjchad on October 04, 2019, 06:03:46 PM
Do you know what the capacity of that reel is?
What is the full lineup on these? I've seen 925, 930, 935, and 960.

   The box says 250 yds. of 20 lb. Chad. I believe those four models are the full lineup.
Title: Re: South Bend 960--Biggest Reel of That Series
Post by: xjchad on October 04, 2019, 06:37:16 PM
Quote from: mo65 on October 04, 2019, 06:29:06 PM
Quote from: xjchad on October 04, 2019, 06:03:46 PM
Do you know what the capacity of that reel is?
What is the full lineup on these? I've seen 925, 930, 935, and 960.

   The box says 250 yds. of 20 lb. Chad. I believe those four models are the full lineup.

Thanks Mo!
Title: Re: South Bend 960--Biggest Reel of That Series
Post by: festus on October 04, 2019, 08:03:42 PM
You got a good one, Mo65.  For their size, the 960 are light.  I haven't fished mine yet, but have 15 lb. Berkley Big Game line on it mounted on a 10' Wright and McGill MH rod.

BTW, there was a NIB SB Classic 325 that went unsold today on ebay. 
Title: Re: South Bend 960--Biggest Reel of That Series
Post by: Crow on October 04, 2019, 08:30:55 PM
Great job, Mo !!