I'm a retired old guy...75 and have just found a cigar box with a disassembled Mitchell 300.
Hello, tried to read the mitchell 300 tutorial, but I'm not allowed to host 3rd party.
Not sure why and how to change it.
Any help would be appreciated.
joesan
Welcome! I'm not a expert on spinners by any stretch but if you hang tight for a bit several of them will be right along. Fred knows a lot about them. I'm confident he will help you with anything you need.
That third party hosting thing is something new that the photo hosting site has recently decided to charge money for, so it's hitting all of us.
Welcome aboard, Joe --
Take some pics and post them of what you have with your 300 --
We can all help, I am sure.
Those are nice old reels -- and parts are not a problem on our site.
Best,
Fred
I'll take a picture of my stuff and post it. Putting it back together should hold off senility for a bit I hope.
Since I've torn apart some guns and managed to put them back together, I hope I can manage a spinning reel. ( I still wonder what to do with those extra parts I have left over.)
Welcome Joe! Don't get too worked up about these reels, if others can do it, so can you.
Sal
Thanks for all the friendly support.
Here are a few pics of my reel (in parts)
If I remember correctly, it was just about the time i went into the Army that I took this apart to clean, and it was the best reel I ever had. I think this was in the early 1960s.
If I ever get it done, I'll post another picture. (I'm not a good photographer either.)
I don't see anything wrong with those pics, good job!
Hello from Seattle
Andy
welcome!!!!!
Joesan,
Welcome!!! I can tell you that you came to the right place! Fred, Tommy, and many others will be more than willing to help with that reel. They could probably rebuild them in their sleep!! Pics look great, just keep it up and ask questions as you go along. Best reel site ever!!!
Brett
Welcome, Joe!
I'm sure Fred has way more experience than me on fine tuning Mitchells but we'll get you going putting that reel back together. First thing you need to do is degrease those parts by soaking the non-painted metal parts in lacquer thinner, acetone, mineral spirits or some other form of degreaser, and clean the grease off painted surfaces and plastic parts with mineral spirits. Then give them a quick bath in dawn detergent & water. When clean, air or blow dry them and then you'll be ready to reassemble. Blue marine or Penn grease are recommended but I also like Super Lube on freshwater reels. A good light synthetic oil is also recommended for those nooks and crannies that require oil. Keep us posted on your progress and ask questions if you need assistance.
Welcome Joe!
Hai joesan!
steve
Welcome to the family
Just back home, now --
Tommy is exactly right --
I use lacquer thinner on all of the chrome parts, aluminum, copper and brass parts.
Mineral spirits on the painted parts -- not too long in this bath though -- just enough to loosen up the old hard brown grease. Toothbrush as much off as possible after no more than an hour.
Let everything soak overnight in a pan pf warm water with Dawn dishwashing soap.
Next day, rinse everything in fresh water. Dry the parts off. Buff all of the aluminum and chrome parts with "0000" steel wool -- rinse and dry once more.
Assemble the rotor and bail -- assemble the spool -- install the Anti-Reverse dog and spring -- install the gears and oscillation slide -- screw on the handle -- install the rotor -- install the spool shaft.
Details to be aware of on Mitchells --
-- Do not use simple green on the painted parts -- it will dull them
-- Do not use purple degreaser on any of the parts -- chemical reaction will turn aluminum black
-- Where the rotor pinion gear attaches to the body -- very thin shims are used between the body and gear. Typically, 1 to 3 shims are used. I see one in your pic -- there might be another one or two still on the body.
-- There might be a tiny brass shim under one or two of the gears.
-- And generally, the aluminum baffle plate needs a heavier shim under it.
I will post a schematic, and if you might need a pic of the insides of a 300 for gear placement -- that is easy also.
Since you are mechanically inclined and have done some firearms -- you will find this a breeze.
If you are short any parts like shims or whatever -- I can send them to you at N/C.
Best,
Fred
Say what? You took this apart in the 60's and you still have all the parts! You sir are a special kind of individual!
Hi Joesan and welcome from the UK :)
welcome Joesan, well done fred, you are great help always, cheers Don, from Western Australia.
First of all, I am overwhelmed with the members here and their support...the pressure is on and I better get this done.
Fred, every time I see your bench setup I am so envious. Thanks for the diagrams and parts list.
I decided to see if there were any missing parts and determine if I could identify every part I have.
Looking at the washers and shims I have, I believe I have identified them correctly, but would like to have it confirmed by you members. I'll attach a picture of them with the corresponding part numbers. Please let me know if I have any wrong.
Also, the info on cleaning solvents and lubs was great. On guns I use simple green for cleaning/degreasing and Break Free for lubing except for a few exceptions where I use ProGold Lube. I have an old tube of Penn. I was actually surprised that the lube (Penn) on the old reel had not hardened and had the appearance of new lube.
I'll take your advice and use the cleaners/lubs you recommend and cleaning methods as well. I really want it to look nice.
Again, thanks
joesan
That looks correct, Joe --
You will likely also need shims 81047 & 81035.
They could be still on the body gear axles, on the bottom of a gear, or lost -- they are small and love to play in the grease.
If you have them -- use them.
Might work OK without the shims.
If you need some -- just let me know.
Best,
Fred
Fred, I don't find either of those shims. Is there an easy way to test if a shim is needed? Can you feel the play if it is required, or is there a way to measure?
Generally, there will be a grinding feel when the gears do not exactly mesh.
Best thing to do is PM me your name and mailing address -- so I can get these off to you tomorrow.
On your first one -- you need all of the pieces to see how it should work.
Best,
Fred
Thanks Fred, I sent you my address.
I'm in the final stages of cleaning, and everything looks good except there is pitting on the bail surface, but since this is not under constant friction (the line guide looks good), I don't see any problem with that.
Wifey is asking if I intend to work on this while the grandkids are here over the Holiday weekend, so I may not get back to you until next week.
Have a great weekend and "tight lines".
Joe
Welcome, joesan, from another retired guy.
You'll find a lot of fans of the Mitchell 300 out there, as well as similar reels like the 300A, 300C, 400, etc.
The shims are definitely tricky, often because they are lost due to being so small. If you are short of a shim under the main gear, you may hear a scraping noise as the gear rubs on the cover while you are reeling.
Looks like your 300 is an older model, judging by your info and the shape of the anti-reverse knob. That being the case, you may also find that the anti-reverse dog inside the body is a little different than the one depicted in the schematic Fred sent you. I believe the older dogs are metal and the spring on them is different as well; the spring on these, if I recall right, gets re-installed in a way where both ends face toward the bottom of the body; when I first saw this, it didn't look right to me, but some checking around led me to think it was right even though it didn't look so. There are other folks on this site who have surely disassembled many more of these reels than I have, and probably know with more certainty than I how these A/Rs differ. Of course, you've maybe figured this out already.
Frank
OK, It is done...almost
I'm waiting for Fred's shims to complete the job, and I haven't lubed it yet, just like to do a dry run and assemble the reel first, before I lube. I do the same with guns, except for lever actions which are hard enough the first time.
Yes, you members who said it would be no problem once I got into it were correct, however I still managed to put the baffle in upside down in my first attempt.
Here are a few pics
other pics, and the last one is where we started
Hey, I've got some fly reels that need a good going over!
You did a really outstanding job, Joe --
Best,
Fred
funny, i'm working on one of these right now!
Let me know if you need any parts, Alan --
Best,
Fred
Let me know if you need any advice Alan! LOL
What a great site and Fred is awesome!
One of the most attractive spinning reels ever, and yours does due credit to the breed.
Frank
Just a bit of background.
First, sometimes my memory tells me stuff that I want to believe, and not what really happened, but I grew up in Worcester, MA and most of my trout fishing was in small streams, called rivers back in central MA and we floated worms for trout or went LM bass fishing in ponds with spinners or poppers with fly rods and pickerel with different sorts of spinning tackle.
There was a store where yo could buy just about anything called SPAGS, and almost all of my tackle came from this store. I think my Mitchell was about $9 and it came with two spools and they filled one with 4lb test and the other with 6lb test mono. double the price of many other reels, but I was an avid reader of FUR FISH GAME, Outdoor Life, Sports Afield, etc. and I read about this reel, and just had to have one. Now $9 was about what I made on my paper route in three weeks. What I still marvel at is this reel has no bearings for the shaft, yet it is smoooooooooth, with no noticeable wear. I would like to say this is an American product, but mine is made in France. So many of you have mentioned what a fine reel this is, and was glad with your help to bring it back to life.
tight lines
Joe
Quote from: alantani on September 02, 2017, 10:45:02 PM
funny, i'm working on one of these right now!
OMG! :o I thought you threw spinners in the bone pile! ;D
yeah, usually. a guy came over with an old 308 and an even older 300. the 300 was in pieces and was missing a drag spring. the guys said that these belonged to his grandfather and that he and his son wanted to fish with them. couldn't say no. ;D
Quote from: alantani on September 03, 2017, 04:37:27 PM
yeah, usually. a guy came over with an old 308 and an even older 300. the 300 was in pieces and was missing a drag spring. the guys said that these belonged to his grandfather and that he and his son wanted to fish with them. couldn't say no. ;D
Alan, I guarantee you that between me and Fred we have all the parts you may need. ::) ::) ::)
Now I realize why I had disassembled my Mitchel many years ago...
After reassembling the 300 with Fred and Tommy's help, I took it out for a little test and sure enough, the bail spring must be bad as the bail needs some help to get back to the head.
Any ideas where I can get a new one?
Joe
Shoot me your full name and mailing address again, Joe --
And I will get one out to you.
But also remember, it may also be a tweaked or worn and gouged bail.
Many times, it just takes slightly bending of the bail to get it square and freely snapping when under spring pressure.
Best,
Fred
You are in such good hands ;D
Quote from: foakes on September 14, 2017, 08:04:00 PM
Shoot me your full name and mailing address again, Joe --
And I will get one out to you.
But also remember, it may also be a tweaked or worn and gouged bail.
Many times, it just takes slightly bending of the bail to get it square and freely snapping when under spring pressure.
Best,
Fred
Also, forgo the grease if you greased it. In my experience all grease in a bail spring cavity does is slow the spring action down and collect dirt, which slows the return down even more. At the very most, light synthetic oil, but I prefer Armor All. It never gets gunky so all that's ever needed is to add another squirt, spin the rotor and work the bail a couple of times and you're good to go. I use Armor All as a lubricant for a lot of things I don't want dirty, greasy or oily. It excels on things like drawer glides, sliding door and window tracks, hinges, key slots, etc. I keep a small pump bottle in my boat at arms reach, in a cubby right next to my batteries.
Is there a way to check the bail for correct lineup?
Here are two pics
one is bail closed
second is where bail will often stop when retrieving line
Pics 3 & 4 are the spring and bail on their own. Don't know if that helps
I can manually move the bail to about 70 degrees and it stays there. seems that it should always snap back when it is moved more than 45 degrees from closed.
Is there a specific picture I can take to show if the problem is with the bail?
Once again Fred, thanks for all your help
Tommy, I only use grease on gears. I clean as Fred suggested. As you can see it the pics, no grease in the bail area. I always did a wash with simple green for my guns, but with Freds warning, I only use spirits and Dawn. Everything else gets a light lube of Safariland Break Free CLP. I've been using it for years on guns (except for M1 Garand unless you want it on your face). Like you, when you find something that works, stick with it.
Tiddlerbasher, you certainly have that right. And gentle and guiding they are!
Joe
PS- I also sent you a PM with my info Fred
I saw you mention "Fur, Fish & Game"..........that's where I learned most of my "habits", as well !
QuoteIs there a way to check the bail for correct lineup?
The older Mitchells are a little more difficult because the bail & bail plate are one piece. The main thing to look for is that the plate isn't twisted or bent and that it lines up and moves freely sitting at rest without the off side tightened down. The least little twist can affect the bail spring action. If everything lines up correctly then the spring may be weak. If things aren't lined up correctly a new bail spring will eventually, also, slow down. Also, check the edges of the bail plate and trip lever to make sure they ride smoothly against each other and check to make sure the trip lever spring isn't weak. Lightly file or smooth the edge if there are any nicks but don't file too much or the plating will be compromised.
Tommy, that was a good test and it seems to be fine. Things line up pretty good, but I need to put tension on the other side of the bail in order to screw it back on. Does it need to line up with no tension on it? With the bail plate side connected and the other side loose, it sits about 1/4 inch away from the head. It doesn't take much pressure to get it on.
Without the bail spring installed the bail should fit nicely against the fittings on the sides of the rotor. You shouldn't have to spread the bail nor squeeze the bail to get them to lay properly. The bail plate should lay flat against the spring recess lip and the opposite side should line up perfectly with the screw hole. Make sure the plate is not twisted. When you have the bail fitting properly, once you install the spring you will have to spread the bail just a little to get it into position over the spring bend and to get it in place to tighten the screws. At that point there shouldn't be any bind or friction for the bail to have to fight.
Tommy, that makes sense. Fred is sending me a spring and when I get it I feel good about making it come together. I wil have to adjust my bail to get it right. Fred told me the same thing.I just didn't know how to do it.
Don't know what I would have done without you guys help.
Tommy is right on about how to test the bail as to whether it is lined up or not. You might be surprised how little being off will affect the bail closing action. Yeah, 1/4 inch would have a chance of affecting it. I can recall a couple of these types of reels where having to bend the bail back as small a distance as that cured bail snap-back issues.
I'm kind of late to his party....Joe congrats on getting the 300 back in running shape....I still get nervous taking my 300's apart for cleaning. If you can do a 300 and a penn Long Beach you have 90% of the learning curve beat....Bill
Bill, I was just the robot. The "reel" credit goes to Fred and Tommy.
My next challenge is my old Shakespeare 2110.
I tore it down and smugly thought I would be able to find a schematic or at least some similar model, but lo and behold I can't find either and my memory of the tear down isn't that sharp. I'm sure that once I've put things on wrong a few times I'll finally get it.
This is a SUPERsite!
Quote from: joesan on September 18, 2017, 05:09:24 AM
Bill, I was just the robot. The "reel" credit goes to Fred and Tommy.
My next challenge is my old Shakespeare 2110.
I tore it down and smugly thought I would be able to find a schematic or at least some similar model, but lo and behold I can't find either and my memory of the tear down isn't that sharp. I'm sure that once I've put things on wrong a few times I'll finally get it.
This is a SUPERsite!
Don't fret, they're all pretty much basically the same. If you got it apart you'll get it back together. Next time, though, grab your digital camera or phone and take strategic pictures as you are breaking it down. That way you can easily check back at reassembly. Photos are actually better than a schematic unless to think a part may be missing.
Tommy, Great minds think alike...my wife suggested that to me AFTER I had disassembled it!
Fred,
Got the bail spring and shims.
Thanks so much for the 2nd effort.
I will now proceed to reassemble the 300 with the proper shims.
Joe
OK, finally done with the Garcia Mitchell 300. It is smooth as silk!
Thanks for all who lent their knowledge and advice to get this reel repaired and re-assembled.
Special thanks to Fred and Tommy for their super knowledge of this reel. Fred for the trips to the post office to send me parts, and everyone else who gave me encouragement.
The only thing I might still do is replace the bail. It is smooth to the touch (0000 steel wool), but looks pretty pitted. I put this down to lack of proper care and maintenance on my part when I was a kid. It won't happen again.
Joe
Looks great, now go fish it! :) That's what they were made for. ;) As far as the bail, don't feel too bad about the pitting. It happened regularly on those older Mitchells, and Italian & Japanese made reels. It has a lot to do with the quality of the plating process. Be patient, you should be able to find a good quality replacement on the 'Bay if Fred doesn't have one.
With everything so nice on that 300, Joe -- and the sentimental value -- you do need a new bail, IMO.
It will be on the way this afternoon or tomorrow morning.
Likely will not be able to get down the mountain to the PO until tomorrow -- got a full day already underway -- just planned out October this morning. Pretty full month before Winter -- a full page of projects -- but have 3 short fishing trips tentatively penciled in for the High Country.
Best,
Fred
thanks Fred
Really haven't had a reason to use those particular items, Joe?
Use other things instead.
I do understand they work well, and others on here will have had experience with them they will share.
Fly fishing is always good up here -- but I don't do it. Just trout fishing to easy or remote areas, spinfishing, ultralight spinners, and some trolling if I feel like it.
Best,
Fred
Welcome Joe, l realize l'm a little late in posting to this thread.
l see you got broken in by Fred and some of the other fine members. So did l. You're definitely in the right place.
Your Mitchell 300 looks brand new. The last few weeks l've had my hands full tinkering with those, l bought a whole box of them plus some other reels on the cheap at a yard sale a few weeks ago.
Festus, you've got your hands full--I'm seein' a nice bunch of Mitchell 300-types and at least 2 Dam Quicks in that yard sale box you got.
Frank
Wife and I were on a trip to WY, CO, and UT. Fished the Madison for a few hours and caught a couple of 'bows with hopper and copper john dropper. Only had fly tackle with me. My next outing will be using the Mitchell Tommy.
Got caught in a snowstorm on Oct 1 in Steamboat Springs! They got 20 inches on the ski slopes.
Finally got back to find your new bail waiting for me in the mail Fred.
Thanks again, you are a super guy.
Now to complete my Shakespeare project. Pictures will follow when it is done.
Also have an old Minn Kota 65 (circa 1980) trolling motor that hasn't been used in about 25 years. That will be my next project,even though I don't have a boat to use it on.
Mitchell 300 with new bail and with both old and new.