Servicing my reel after 11 day SoA trip and noticed a salt catcher. A gap between the reel foot and the frame. 130# mono passes easily through gaps on both sides of the foot. Hope the picture makes it clear.
I suspect it's to make it easier to flush when rinsing the reel after fishing. If it were tighter, salt water would still get in but be harder to rinse out. With flush fitting feet, the Alan Tani treatment is to take off the foot and grease it real good so salt can't get in there.
almost finished with a tiagra 16 and had to do the same thing.
Is there a spacer between the frame and the foot to create that gap? Can they be removed and just grease the area and mount it flush? The schematic just calls it a one-piece frame and doesn't even show the foot as being removeable.
I usually spray this area with CorrosionX when servicing the reel. The spacers do need to stay b/c of the way the seat is made. It wouldn't screw down correctly. Like said it's a good enough gap so it can be washed out when rinsing.
"the Alan Tani treatment is to take off the foot and grease it real good so salt can't get in there."
And the gap is way too large to fill with grease. I coated the foot and frame with grease when I bought the reel only to find it replaced with salt after this trip. In the future I will make sure to flush the foot with fresh water on a regular basis. A stitch in time, well you know the rest!
Robb