it's as bad as getting your fingers caught in the cookie jar. if you're cranking and you pinch your fingers in the levelwind assembly, there is a nylon gear that will break before your fingers do. here is an example in a calcutta 400.
(http://alantani.com/gallery/8/1_16_06_13_10_48_22_8700818.jpeg)
and here is the idler gear. this is typical. nothing else does this. see the two broken teeth? it's a dead giveaway. if there was a problem with the gearing itself, all of the teeth would be damaged, not just these two, and they would not be left in the position that the are in. this is, as we say in the medical profession, "diagnostic!"
(http://alantani.com/gallery/8/1_16_06_13_10_48_29_8700551.jpeg)
now to find an idler gear!
Better to rip it all out IE the way you treat 320GTIs!!
I DO NOT LIKE LEVEL WINDS, Ron I am.
That was the first reel repair I did, the idler gear on a Okuma Convector 20L. Got the old finger stuck in the level wind while casting a 14 oz weight sturgeon fishing.
Ooooh. that would smart.
They don't break until your finger is damaged though, I've seen it happen.
(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g104/IGFA19Keta/Finger_Stuck2_zps2bd1535d.jpg) (http://s54.photobucket.com/user/IGFA19Keta/media/Finger_Stuck2_zps2bd1535d.jpg.html)
Sometimes, weird things happen when servicing reels --
I do a fair amount of service and repair on level winds. Mostly 9s, 109s, 209s, some 309s, 310s, and 320s.
A lot of fisherman around my area (Central California) use their level winds for lead core trolling in our High Sierra lakes. There is generally a lot of stress on all parts of the LW system when trolling lead core with flashers & either needlefish or crawlers. And many times the LW guide gets out of sync as the line feeds in or out -- to the point there can be a fair amount of extra resistance owing to a bad line angle.
The parts generally replaced would be the drag washers, pawl, under gear washer, sometimes the line guide, sometimes the worm gear, and even if not always evident -- always the nylon idler gear. Some folks question the replacement of the idler gear -- even when it appears OK. However, when I explain that the idler gear is the weakest link in the drive train to prevent damage to the more expensive parts -- they understand. Plus, I prefer to not have any comebacks after working on a reel.
A couple of months ago I was doing 5 209s for a guy. Replaced the normal parts, used greased HT-100s, new parts as needed -- and all new nylon idler gears. One of the reels still had a "hitch" when cranking -- couldn't figure it out right away.
It turned out, that even after ultrasonic cleaning -- there was a tiny broken off nylon tooth still wedged deep in the bronze gear attached to the worm gear shaft. Just never noticed that or even expected it. It was so small, that with a little grease on the gears -- it was invisible without a magnifying glass. Popped it out -- no more issues.
Best,
Fred
When I switched from a Squidder to a Abu 7000C for Pollack I got caught a couple of times - ouch
Thankfully nothing broke but I did get some dents in my finger before I learned to adopt a different technique using the levelwind reel.
Sounds like we need some high-strength, aftermarket Brass gears to prevent parts breakage . . .
Damn the fingers ... Full speed ahead !!!
Tight Lines !
What you need is a good lawyer. Dominick
Quote from: Keta on April 03, 2014, 06:02:46 PM
They don't break until your finger is damaged though, I've seen it happen.
(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g104/IGFA19Keta/Finger_Stuck2_zps2bd1535d.jpg) (http://s54.photobucket.com/user/IGFA19Keta/media/Finger_Stuck2_zps2bd1535d.jpg.html)
Damn Keta All that happened from the level wind? Ouch!
Quote from: Reel 224 on June 07, 2015, 12:47:21 AM
Damn Keta All that happened from the level wind? Ouch!
There was a 25#-30# albacore on the line "helping", Tim was not happy.
Shimano has solved that problem. The new Shimano Calcutta Conquest 400 I own has a slip clutch on the level wind. No more pinched fingers.