Hey guys so I found an old 4/0 at the bottom of one of my fishing bags. I'm converting it from an 113h to a 113hlw. So I took it apart and I found a spring between the pinion and the bearing, problem is I can't seem to find that spring on any schematics. So I'm wondering if it was put there on accident or if it serves a purpose. I posted in another topic about a problem I had with the eccentric lever. When I switch the lever between free spool and retrieve the pinion gear doesn't go straight up and down, but rather as the eccentric jack slides down the yoke, the pinion goes up and down at an angle and scrapes against the bridge hole. I'm wondering if that spring is what keeps the pinion upright. I hope I didn't lose anyone haha.
I'm pretty sure that spring got in there by accident, pull it out.
Do what Sal said & the pinion is kept straight by the shaft in the spool. If you can see the pinion going crooked you don't have the spool installed. Once installed you can't see the pinion. Take my word for it, with the spool installed the pinion will be straight. Rudy