Reel Repair by Alan Tani

Conventional and Bait Casting Reel Rebuild Tutorials and Questions => Avet Tutorials and Questions => Topic started by: sublime5991 on September 07, 2015, 05:27:45 PM

Title: 8 year old sx loss of free spool
Post by: sublime5991 on September 07, 2015, 05:27:45 PM
so I took apart my sx for the first time yesterday due to a grinding issue. it was the spool bearing on the clicker side. I repaired the bearing and put the real back together and my grinding is fixed. it now has excellent free spool great! until....as soon as I install the preset knob even just one click its a loss. I believe the pressure plate is making contact with the drag on washer but I don't understand why everything came apart and went back together so smoothly. hopefully you guys can help me out. thanks.
Title: Re: 8 year old sx loss of free spool
Post by: alantani on September 07, 2015, 06:10:52 PM
if you pulled out the right main side plate bearing to check it or pack it with grease, make sure it is properly seated. 
Title: Re: 8 year old sx loss of free spool
Post by: sublime5991 on September 07, 2015, 06:19:14 PM
nope I did not I used a pencil to spin the bearing and it felt fine so I left that in there
Title: Re: 8 year old sx loss of free spool
Post by: sublime5991 on September 07, 2015, 06:37:06 PM
I forgot to mention if I leave out the spring (key #48) that goes under the preset knob the reel works flawlessly.
Title: Re: 8 year old sx loss of free spool
Post by: Keta on September 07, 2015, 06:50:15 PM
Did you misplace the spool spring washers, #15, or have the Bellville spring washer stack (#5) misconfigured?   The schematic for the reel shows (()) but I've seen several configuration including a few with 5 washers arranged like this, (())(.
Title: Re: 8 year old sx loss of free spool
Post by: sublime5991 on September 07, 2015, 06:58:52 PM
Quote from: Keta on September 07, 2015, 06:50:15 PM
Did you misplace the spool spring washers, #15, or have the Bellville spring washer stack (#5) misconfigured?   The schematic for the reel shows (()) but I've seen several configuration including a few with 5 washers arranged like this, (())(.
nope. the spool spring washers are in the right spot and I didn't even take the bellevilles off the shaft
Title: Re: 8 year old sx loss of free spool
Post by: SoCalAngler on September 08, 2015, 06:11:15 AM
Are you 100% sure the lever is fully in the "Freespool" position when you install the preset knob?

Edit: Also look at part #46 the "drive washer" if I remember correctly if that part is not fully seated you can have freespool issues.
Place the leaver onto the shaft, drop in the "drive washer" and turn it with your fingers until it drops fully into the lever.
Title: Re: 8 year old sx loss of free spool
Post by: sublime5991 on September 08, 2015, 11:08:17 PM
Quote from: SoCalAngler on September 08, 2015, 06:11:15 AM
Are you 100% sure the lever is fully in the "Freespool" position when you install the preset knob?

Edit: Also look at part #46 the "drive washer" if I remember correctly if that part is not fully seated you can have freespool issues.
Place the leaver onto the shaft, drop in the "drive washer" and turn it with your fingers until it drops fully into the lever.
yes both are correct. I also failed to mention that my reel did not have a preset washer in it #47
Title: Re: 8 year old sx loss of free spool
Post by: SoCalAngler on September 09, 2015, 01:48:35 AM
I just took the preset knob off my SX 5.3 and I don't have the #47 washer either and my reel is working fine. I don't think my reel came with one when I bought it around 5 years ago and I have went through it a couple of times for routine maintenance where it could of dropped out without me seeing it but I just fished it last time out, granted I only got around a 12 lb skipjack on it but it worked fine. I also just did some drag tests while checking freespool and all seems to be working as it should.
Title: Re: 8 year old sx loss of free spool
Post by: sublime5991 on September 09, 2015, 10:08:27 PM
well ive been playing with it for a few days now. cant tell you how many times i took it apart. it funtions fine without the preset spring in it so i guess im going to just leave it out for the time being. i plan on replacing the bearings this winter ill try to get it back in then.
Title: Re: 8 year old sx loss of free spool
Post by: sundaytrucka on September 11, 2015, 07:48:38 PM
I would try putting 1-3 very thin washers underneath the bearing on the drag side, see if that helps.

**Not sure of the dimensions for washers, but a size that rests on the outer lip of the spool where the outer bearing race sits.

Also, you could try stretching the spring out a little bit, sometimes they compress and hold memory.
Title: Re: 8 year old sx loss of free spool
Post by: sublime5991 on September 12, 2015, 10:44:40 PM
Quote from: sundaytrucka on September 11, 2015, 07:48:38 PM
I would try putting 1-3 very thin washers underneath the bearing on the drag side, see if that helps.

**Not sure of the dimensions for washers, but a size that rests on the outer lip of the spool where the outer bearing race sits.

Also, you could try stretching the spring out a little bit, sometimes they compress and hold memory.

I thought about the washer idea before you mentioned it. I looked around the house and didn't have anything small enough.

if I stretched the spring I would think that would make it worse? because that would create more compression or more pressure or am I thinking about that all wrong?
Title: Re: 8 year old sx loss of free spool
Post by: sundaytrucka on September 12, 2015, 11:49:58 PM
Quote from: sublime5991 on September 12, 2015, 10:44:40 PM
Quote from: sundaytrucka on September 11, 2015, 07:48:38 PM
I would try putting 1-3 very thin washers underneath the bearing on the drag side, see if that helps.

**Not sure of the dimensions for washers, but a size that rests on the outer lip of the spool where the outer bearing race sits.

Also, you could try stretching the spring out a little bit, sometimes they compress and hold memory.

I thought about the washer idea before you mentioned it. I looked around the house and didn't have anything small enough.

if I stretched the spring I would think that would make it worse? because that would create more compression or more pressure or am I thinking about that all wrong?

Just to be clear, I am referring to the bearing in the spool, on the drag side...stretching the spring and shimmy the bearing essentially push the drag plate further away from the drag surface (if that is the cause for the free spool issue). The spring rests on the inner race of the bearing, so it has no affect on free spool, unless it were touching the bearing action itself (not likely an issue).

When in free spool, does turning the handle cause the spool to spin?

Do you have free spool when the reel is tilted in either direction and spun, and cut out on the other?
Title: Re: 8 year old sx loss of free spool
Post by: SoCalAngler on September 13, 2015, 01:54:47 AM
Silly question here but did you happen to grease the drag washer when you had the reel apart?
Title: Re: 8 year old sx loss of free spool
Post by: SoCalAngler on September 13, 2015, 06:32:08 PM
The reason I ask is if there was too much grease left on the drag washer or on the spool sides the drag plate could stick to the spool and decrease freespool.
Title: Re: 8 year old sx loss of free spool
Post by: sublime5991 on September 13, 2015, 08:29:09 PM
no free spool no matter where the real is tilted. yea I greased the washer but I wiped it completely before putting the reel back together. yes as soon as you turn the handle in free spool the spool will spin
Title: Re: 8 year old sx loss of free spool
Post by: Bryan Young on September 14, 2015, 06:59:16 PM
Is the spool shaft sliding in and out of the slot in the sideplate?

(http://www.yourfishpictures.com/data/500/medium/101_0274.JPG)

Do you have freespool with the spool and shaft by itself?  How about just unscrewing the drive sideplate from the frame with the spool assembly intact to the drive sideplate?  How is free spool then?
Title: Re: 8 year old sx loss of free spool
Post by: Alto Mare on September 14, 2015, 10:55:58 PM
Might need a new spool spring, probably got soft after 8 years of usage.
Loosen the pre set knob, move the lever all the way back and and loosely put it back. Move the lever up as far as it goes, without turning the handle, bring it all the way back and see if that does anything to the freespool.
Title: Re: 8 year old sx loss of free spool
Post by: MarkT on September 15, 2015, 02:36:59 AM
The spool spring pushes the drag plate away from the spool when you go into freespool. You indicated that the spool turns when in free spool and you turn the handle. Either the spring is weak or something is causing the drag plate to bind up on the shaft. Had you taken off the drag plate? How about the brake bearing that it rides on? It has to slide on the shaft. I've seen that bearing get corroded to the shaft and cause this issue.