Hey Alan -
I am rebuilding my Penn 975's and had a couple of questions about replacing the spool bearings.
#1 - What is the proper procedure for removing the left bearing retainer clip?
#2 - The right bearing is held against the spool by a pin through the spool shaft. How do you remove?
#3 - The spool bearings look to be the same bearings in my Newell 220. Is that correct?
Thanks! Scott
retaining rings can be picked out with any kind of tool that has a sharp point. there is also a snap ring holding one of the spool bearings for the lever drag 975. the crosspin has to be pressed out. a small pair if visegrips witha slot cut into it works partway. as far as size goes, yes, the "newell" bearing is a common size used in many of the penns as well.
http://alantani.com/index.php?topic=13.0
Thanks Alan. One last question... Do you think ceramic bearings are worth the extra cost?
most definately as ceramic bearings will not corode or rust
well, the balls of a ceramic bearing will not corrode, but the cage, inside race and outside race are still stainless steel and will still rust. remember that topless tld 30 II with the 5 minutes and 40 seconds of freespool? those were just stock abec 5 stainless steel bearings. personally, i'd save your money. clean out the stock bearings first and see how well they work before investing in ceramic bearings. alan