I just put together a real nice black early production Torque 25N star drag reel that was locked up when I got it, this reel is used for rod and reel commercial albacore fishing and gets well used. I assumed the AR bearing was the problem and replaced it but when reassembling the reel I noticed a ball from the pinion bearing that fell apart was jammed into the main gear. It took a punch and hammer to get the ball out and when I tested the reel there was a annoying tick in it, but it was smooth otherwise. Mystic to the rescue and a new gear set in on the way.
And a big THANK YOU to Penn for helping me get the other issue resolved.
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I've had this happen in many other reels. Luckily, the reels I serviced the bearings were not jammed in very tight and could get out with a dental pick. The bronze gears were very forgiving and the were quiet. The stainless steel gears were not and needed replacing.