(http://i1365.photobucket.com/albums/r742/hawaiianfishinboy/Release%20Reel/SG/Photos_Page_01_zps08d8ab34.jpg)
(http://i1365.photobucket.com/albums/r742/hawaiianfishinboy/Release%20Reel/SG/Photos_Page_02_zps82f55bf0.jpg)
(http://i1365.photobucket.com/albums/r742/hawaiianfishinboy/Release%20Reel/SG/Photos_Page_03_zps1c245acf.jpg)
(http://i1365.photobucket.com/albums/r742/hawaiianfishinboy/Release%20Reel/SG/Photos_Page_04_zps177ee2e3.jpg)
(http://i1365.photobucket.com/albums/r742/hawaiianfishinboy/Release%20Reel/SG/Photos_Page_05_zps82b654ab.jpg)
(http://i1365.photobucket.com/albums/r742/hawaiianfishinboy/Release%20Reel/SG/Photos_Page_06_zps06be03eb.jpg)
(http://i1365.photobucket.com/albums/r742/hawaiianfishinboy/Release%20Reel/SG/Photos_Page_07_zpsdb181f2c.jpg)
(http://i1365.photobucket.com/albums/r742/hawaiianfishinboy/Release%20Reel/SG/Photos_Page_08_zps57871604.jpg)
(http://i1365.photobucket.com/albums/r742/hawaiianfishinboy/Release%20Reel/SG/Photos_Page_09_zps2636270a.jpg)
(http://i1365.photobucket.com/albums/r742/hawaiianfishinboy/Release%20Reel/SG/Photos_Page_10_zpscef07832.jpg)
(http://i1365.photobucket.com/albums/r742/hawaiianfishinboy/Release%20Reel/SG/Photos_Page_11_zps45a02fff.jpg)
(http://i1365.photobucket.com/albums/r742/hawaiianfishinboy/Release%20Reel/SG/Photos_Page_12_zps1a59fbbe.jpg)
(http://i1365.photobucket.com/albums/r742/hawaiianfishinboy/Release%20Reel/SG/Photos2_Page_1_zps6e342721.jpg)
(http://i1365.photobucket.com/albums/r742/hawaiianfishinboy/Release%20Reel/SG/Photos2_Page_2_zpsbb346f3b.jpg)
(http://i1365.photobucket.com/albums/r742/hawaiianfishinboy/Release%20Reel/SG/Photos2_Page_3_zpse6f499bb.jpg)
Very well done!
How do you like the mag ball handle? What are your thoughts of using anodized aluminum screws? Do you know what the size and pitch are?
I hope you get a sticky and a wrench. ;)
Great write-up Bryan. The new format is awsome. Nice reel.thanks for the hard work!
Bob
Well Done Bryan! ;D
I have this exact reel too.
May I know how you removed the cam and lever after taking off the preset knob and spring? Is there a retaining ring somewhere that I should remove first?
I tried taking out mine and it seems to be stuck, although I dare not force it out for fear of breaking something.
I've removed the cam and lever of my Shimano reels and they always come off easy once I removed the preset knobs.
Thanks.
Hello Bryan
Thank you for finally opening this reel. I've own mine since May 2013, and I really like the low weight and line capacity. I don't like the handle. Way to much resistence in the connection between the handle knob and handle arm. You cannot spin the handle knob, and during pressure the handle knob can actually get caught making the reel hard to retrieve. I've told Release Reels about this, and I know the guys at 360tuna.com have a custom handle knob and handle arm being manufactured at this moment.
http://360tuna.com/index.php?/topic/36835-replacing-handle-knob-on-release-sg/?hl=%2Brelease+%2Bhandle
http://360tuna.com/index.php?/topic/35831-handle-for-release-sg/
Some comments: the gap at the gear guard plate is by design. This is for drainage. Not sure about those loose screws. It seems strange you have to leave the screws untightened in order for the drainage to work.
Post from 360tuna.com how to do handle maintenance http://360tuna.com/index.php?/topic/36868-release-sg-handle-knob-maintenance/?hl=%2Brelease+%2Bhandle
Release reels does use locktite. Below is the advice I got from Release reels before removing the handle
"Heat main shaft with lighter to help loosen locktite.
Use a .050" standard allen key remove set screw
Then use a 16mm pan wrench and turn counter clockwise for removal. "
Bryan, the bearing sleeve, what improvements did it give you? Can I buy a sleeve from you?
Here's my post Richardr linked to on how to do handle maintenance on your SG:
After Richardr and a few others mentioned their handle knobs were sticking on their SG reels I decided to take my spare arm and handle apart to see how it was put together. My second SG purchased was supposed to be the t-bar but they sent me a magnum knob instead. I just bought an extra handle with the t-bar in case I didn't like it so have an extra magnum knob laying around.
Tools needed:
(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b122/bnznet/Rigging/IMG_1683_zps25b9709e.jpg) (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/bnznet/media/Rigging/IMG_1683_zps25b9709e.jpg.html)
Small alan wrench (don't know what size, the smallest one I had) and a 5/8" wrench.
Unscrew the locking alan thread and take it all the way out.
(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b122/bnznet/Rigging/IMG_1684_zpsd3a917ba.jpg) (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/bnznet/media/Rigging/IMG_1684_zpsd3a917ba.jpg.html)
Use the 5/8" wrench on the bolt head and firmly grasp your reel knob and unscrew the bolt:
(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b122/bnznet/Rigging/IMG_1685_zps4e9b2bf7.jpg) (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/bnznet/media/Rigging/IMG_1685_zps4e9b2bf7.jpg.html)
At this point you will see that the handle arm has some brass bushings pressed into the end of the handle arm on each side.
(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b122/bnznet/Rigging/IMG_1686_zps6e2e7278.jpg) (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/bnznet/media/Rigging/IMG_1686_zps6e2e7278.jpg.html)
I actually like the design as you have no bearings to corrode and that brass will last you a very long time. Clean these off and either grease with marine grease (the blue yamalube works great) or a quality lubricant (TSI 301 or 321 oil are probably the best out there, ReelX would probably do well also) and then reassemble. Before screwing everything back together grease the threads on both:
(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b122/bnznet/Rigging/IMG_1687_zpse1bf239e.jpg) (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/bnznet/media/Rigging/IMG_1687_zpse1bf239e.jpg.html)
This will add a degree of protection against corrosion and keep it from seizing up if you need to service again.
Some people don't like the handle knob because it is not free spinning. While it is not, I find that when fighting a fish I don't notice any problems with sticking at all. Even my wife doesn't have any problems reeling with either of mine and if she can do it without complaint surely some of these grown men can too. ;D
Bryan, nice job on the break down of the reel. Now I'm going to have to go out and buy me some ¼" brass tubing and sleeve mine. While my two SG's had very nice free spool out of the box I really like what sleeving did to my accurate boss 197's when I did them and now you've go tme wondering how much performance improvement I'll get with the SG's. Did you notice if the sleeve stopped the binding at highest drag setting? I know on mine I can get free spool up to 98-99% but when I go full drag mine start to bind.
Quote from: fishtight on February 01, 2014, 05:47:03 PM
May I know how you removed the cam and lever after taking off the preset knob and spring? Is there a retaining ring somewhere that I should remove first?
I tried taking out mine and it seems to be stuck, although I dare not force it out for fear of breaking something.
mine just lifted right out. There is nothing holding the cam or lever to the side plate once the preset knob is removed.
Richardr, thank you for the link. Actually the free spinning knob doesn't bother me. I have yet fished the tell to determine if I like the mag 44 knob. We will see.
bnz, thanks for the breakdown of the handle assembly. I figured that was the construction and just lubed with tsi321 would be sufficient. I may open the Allen screw and squirt tsi321 in there.
Richardr & bnz, my reel out of the box, unloaded, got about 3 seconds of free spool. Partially because of excess grease that ended up between the spool and the frame. With that cleaned, I got about 5 seconds of freespool. Bearings were opened and spool sleeve installed, I got 30 seconds of freespool.
I have no binding at any drag range. Probably because I have rolled edges so the sleeve doesn't bind with the bearings and only contacts the inner races of the bearing.
Richardr, I could make a sleeve for you. I'll pm you shortly.
Ill be expanding the write up with additional comments so please stay tuned.
Nice job on the break down Bryan, I like the way they set the carbon fiber washer, maybe a couple of additional ears would have been better though. I also like the way the stand gets attached, but the aluminum screws don't make sense to me :-\.
Thanks for your hard work buddy ;), the new format looks good.
Sal
Great job Bryan,see it mentioned on another Forum. First time most people have seen the inside of this US made reel.
Brian , excellent work . Im glad that you broke apart this little beautiful workhorses.
I own two of them ;D Yes im in love with this reel. I few think that I've found by trail and error.
1.- Dont spool the reel up to the rim , leave about 1/8 of spool exposed.
Why ? As I was told by RR Justin explained that at a full packed spool when the reel is engaged at a decent amount of drag it will put a lot of pressure on the spool making hard to crank.
That was my first error , had it full loaded at 20# of drag & when i hook my first fish was virtually impossible to reel it in. Reel was send to RR , service updated it as it was an older model ( pre June 2013 ) send back to me. I haven't put it to the reel test yet but it feels smother.
2.- To remove the Knob out of the handle just a challenge. Note I don't like the Magnum ball at all , so i replace them with Tbar handles. Heat is the key to remove that tiny pesky locking on the knob.
3.- The drag preset somehow is tricky , I feel that the drag curve jumps from Less to More fairly quick without to much room for precise adjustment of the drag # you want set.
ll in all an EXCELLENT reel for a fraction of $ , I had the pleasure to spoke with Wes Seigler & Justin Mayer in few occasions. This guys are truly DEDICATED & COMMITTED to deliver an excellent reel with an outstanding costumer service.
Probably Brian may agree or not with me , but every single reel out in the market now a days will have some room for improvement as to be seen in this awesome brake down from Brian.
Dangerous to me as of now I want to brake apart my two babies & updated as it should be . Only fear...I might not able to put them together , needing then to be send to Master Guru Brian or Alan to assemble them ;D
Brian , the brass sleeve .Does it go between the two bearings on the cranking shaft with the spool plate? Excuse my ignorance.
Thank you
Anthony, the sleeve goes between the two spool bearings. Bryan
Thanks for the report.
Too bad the format it's presented in cuts off much of the photos on the right-jigging back & forth doesn't help at all.
Quote from: Bryan Young on February 02, 2014, 06:19:05 PM
Anthony, the sleeve goes between the two spool bearings. Bryan
Thanks Bryan , appreciate your help
Quote from: whalebreath on February 03, 2014, 03:28:16 AM
Thanks for the report.
Too bad the format it's presented in cuts off much of the photos on the right-jigging back & forth doesn't help at all.
If you are using Windows operating system, when in the post, try hold down the Ctrl key and kit the - (minus) key.
My views I can see the photos without right jigging back and forth.
Great write-up Bryan!
Just a quick note, the screws all use an M3 hex (except for the rod clamp screws which is an M4,) Not 1/8". It's very close and works but you might risk stripping them.
I can explain a couple of the questions you guys have and if I miss any just ask again.
The reason for using aluminum screws is corrosion issues. When using 2 dissimilar metals you get galvanic corrosion. Using aluminum on aluminum eliminates that. Have you ever seen all that white crud around all your stainless screws? You won't on our reels. I do all the repair work and I have only seen 2 reels with ruined screws and they were both over torqued. They are extremely oversized screws for what they do, so you don't have to be superman to tighten the screws.
The retaining wire is there to keep the gear from sliding out when taking off the crank arm. The reason for that is not to deter people from going inside, but to make sure the pawl doesn't fall out of place if you decide to take off the crank arm. It's not 100% necessary for the reel to work, but its a nice touch that helps with reassembly. You can easily pop the retaining ring out with a pick and you will have full access to the rest of the side case after removing the main gear/shaft.
For a short period of time we were only greasing one side of the drag washer, but all reels are now being shipped with both sides greased with TEF-GEL TG-16 "light". The gears are greased with TG-16 heavy (a thicker pastier grease that doesn't seem to go anywhere) It's not fun to work with because it feels like glue on your hands but it is very effective water deterring grease.
We also now coat our thrust, inboard, and outboard bearings with the TG-16 heavy (thick) grease to help keep saltwater intrusion to a minimum. We don't however pop the seals and pack them tight ;) That would be a manufacturing nightmare!
Thanks again for the write up Bryan,
PS-We don't void a warranty for people that take care of their reel!
Justin Mayer
Innovative Anglers
(Release Reels)
Justin@releasereels.com
Thanks for chiming in Justin! One question for you? Have you guys thought about sleeving the reels at the factory? I found that sleeving will increase freespool as well as any binding at high drag. I know on my two reels without the sleeving only at full drag do I get a little binding. I've got my brass tubing on the way and would be glad to make a few extra for you to try on your reels too.
Quote from: Bryan Young on February 03, 2014, 05:46:21 PM
Quote from: whalebreath on February 03, 2014, 03:28:16 AM
Thanks for the report.
Too bad the format it's presented in cuts off much of the photos on the right-jigging back & forth doesn't help at all.
If you are using Windows operating system, when in the post, try hold down the Ctrl key and kit the - (minus) key.
My views I can see the photos without right jigging back and forth.
Yes I can make everything smaller but that's another issue now everything is that much smaller/harder to see I have to actually hit the minus key twice for it all to fit-it's a crappy system.
I actually like this format better when viewing it from the iPhone ..but maybe that's just me?
Quote from: bnz on February 03, 2014, 07:13:40 PM
Thanks for chiming in Justin! One question for you? Have you guys thought about sleeving the reels at the factory? I found that sleeving will increase freespool as well as any binding at high drag. I know on my two reels without the sleeving only at full drag do I get a little binding. I've got my brass tubing on the way and would be glad to make a few extra for you to try on your reels too.
We've done it on a reel or two but I haven't paid attention to the binding at high drag. It does help the free-spool quite a bit though. More so when the spool is not in the reel because the thrust spring is not putting any tension on the inboard spool bearing. With the spool out of the reel we've had enough free-spool to get sick of timing it and get bored waiting.
The reels off the shelf now have great free-spool, so its not a big concern, but might be an option in the future.
Let me know if it helps with the binding on your reels.
Yeah, the only time I've noticed it is when fighting aj's on a fully locked down drag and they are still pulling line. :o
:)
Hi Justin,
Sorry for the late right up. I know I'm months behind schedule.
Ah, you are using metric size screws...no wonder. I didn't expect that from a USA made reel. I think I may need to order some screws from you.
I have been thinking whether a spool sleeve is needed on your reels as well. The only thing is that it will help keep the bearings fixed in position. As I recall, the presure plate spring rests on the spool shaft and not on the spool bearing like most reels, and therefore, as you said, there are no thrust pressure on the bearing. I haven't done a comparsion without it but will do so soon.
Regarding the binding of the spool bearing sleeve. This is caused if the sleeve does not rest completely on the inner race of the bearing. In many cases, we cannot get a sleeve that has the same ID as the OD of the spool shaft and the sleeve can wobble. This will cause the bearing to bind with the sleeve. For this reason, I had to roll the edge of my sleeve so that it fits the OD of the shaft almost perfectly (close is close enough), and I have not seen any binding issues if you are able to match the ID of the sleeve with the OD of the spool shaft.
Also, any chances for some lower gear ratios in the future?
Thank you for making an awesome USA made reel. I cannot wait to try it out.
Bryan
I have to admit, I've been kind of antsy to see this. It was worth the wait!
A lower ratio won't be an immediate thing, but it's definitely going to be an option in the future. It would be nice if it was easy to change, but its essentially an entire redesign because of the pawl system we have in it now.
You need to open the gear box and check it out. I think you'll like the pawl design.
Great write up !
I'd also love a lower gear - I use my SG for bottom fishing (tautog, seabass, haddock, cod etc) and I find that its alot more work pulling up a double of pollock with my SG than with some of my 4:1 ratio reels.
Also - has anybody else tried cold weather with the sg ?
it seems mine has lube that gets really thick and stiff (I put it in the garage for a few days prior to a november trip and it was too stiff to use - put it back in the house for a day and it was perfect again. Its currently on the shelf for my Nov - March trips )
Thanks for the write up and the feedback from Release.
The Release SG is impressive. Very. And it's made in the US. But I have some issues with it. First, I'm almost insulted that they don't ship with a schematic. That should be mandatory. Second, getting to the ARB bearing is very difficult -- and that means it won't be cleaned and lubricated enough to prevent an (inevitable) failure. I realize that the reels are now shipped with a back up mechanical dog, but if the ARB bearing gets some salt water in it, it's going to sound and feel horrible -- if it doesn't seize completely. Third, I see no reason for using a single screw with locktite to secure the handle. Removing that screw is almost impossible. A handle nut lock could be designed to fit with the aesthetic of the reel. Finally, aluminum screws will reduce corrosion -- but so will grease. And steel screws are much, much stronger. These are all easily fixable problems, but until they are fixed I won't be fishing Release reels.
Getting to the AR bearing was no problem for me. First I placed my removed handle back on the knob to hold the shaft steady so I could use the alan wrench to remove the screw.
(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b122/bnznet/Rigging/IMGP0174_zps8f43b9bc.jpg) (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/bnznet/media/Rigging/IMGP0174_zps8f43b9bc.jpg.html)
Then I popped out the retaining spring as Justin mentioned.
(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b122/bnznet/Rigging/IMGP0176_zps1be898a7.jpg) (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/bnznet/media/Rigging/IMGP0176_zps1be898a7.jpg.html)
When I pulled the main gear out my AR dog popped off as well. Here are the two components:
(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b122/bnznet/Rigging/IMGP0180_zps3352299c.jpg) (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/bnznet/media/Rigging/IMGP0180_zps3352299c.jpg.html)
Here it is put back together:
(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b122/bnznet/Rigging/IMGP0190_zps6b6c8b58.jpg) (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/bnznet/media/Rigging/IMGP0190_zps6b6c8b58.jpg.html)
You can see on the back of the main gear it is notched for the AR dog:
(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b122/bnznet/Rigging/IMGP0185_zps6ec2d451.jpg) (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/bnznet/media/Rigging/IMGP0185_zps6ec2d451.jpg.html)
Now that the AR dog is greased and reinstalled I pulled out the bearing that sits on top of the AR gear.
(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b122/bnznet/Rigging/IMGP0186_zpsf55a9f8d.jpg) (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/bnznet/media/Rigging/IMGP0186_zpsf55a9f8d.jpg.html)
The bearing that sits on top of the AR bearing was cleaned and packed with grease. The AR bearing is pressed into the side frame of the reel and I didn't bother to pull it out. What I did do was clean everything out real good and lubed this part with some CorrosionX HD. This is something I do with my spinning reel AR bearings and have had no problems. Since I use these reels fishing from my kayaks as well, they get serviced more often so I'm not too worried about keeping them clean.
Oh yeah, forgot to add the bearing that sits in the frame outside the AR bearing and under the handle was cleaned and packed with grease also. :)
(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b122/bnznet/IMGP0191_zps5b673d14.jpg) (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/bnznet/media/IMGP0191_zps5b673d14.jpg.html)
Quote from: akfish on February 05, 2014, 05:07:48 PM
Second, getting to the ARB bearing is very difficult -- and that means it won't be cleaned and lubricated enough to prevent an (inevitable) failure. I realize that the reels are now shipped with a back up mechanical dog, but if the ARB bearing gets some salt water in it, it's going to sound and feel horrible -- if it doesn't seize completely.
See above post.
Quote from: akfish on February 05, 2014, 05:07:48 PM
Third, I see no reason for using a single screw with locktite to secure the handle. Removing that screw is almost impossible. A handle nut lock could be designed to fit with the aesthetic of the reel. Finally, aluminum screws will reduce corrosion -- but so will grease. And steel screws are much, much stronger. These are all easily fixable problems, but until they are fixed I won't be fishing Release reels.
Almost impossible? Have you tried? From your comments I would assume you don't even have one to try with. I had no problems with mine and don't blame Bryan for not taking his off without a replacement since it was partially stripped.
You won't be fishing one? Well, that is certainly your loss. I've had no problems with my two. They are actually fun to use and catch fish due to their weight and strength.
(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d125/gaffe1/GOM/IMGP0120_zpse2dbb400.jpg) (http://s34.photobucket.com/user/gaffe1/media/GOM/IMGP0120_zpse2dbb400.jpg.html)
Has anyone tried removing the ARB to thoroughly clean and lubricate it? I must agree with akfish that it does look hard to get at.
I will shortly. I wanted to make sure I as able to get replacement screws.
Quote from: Bryan Young on February 05, 2014, 08:11:53 PM
I will shortly. I wanted to make sure I as able to get replacement screws.
Have you considered metric stainless steel Bryan? Most al alloy reels now have them.
Quote from: Irish Jigger on February 05, 2014, 08:53:21 PM
Quote from: Bryan Young on February 05, 2014, 08:11:53 PM
I will shortly. I wanted to make sure I as able to get replacement screws.
Have you considered metric stainless steel Bryan? Most al alloy reels now have them.
I don't have the time to search so I just contacted Wes at Release Reels and ordered a couple so I could take the reel apart further and have replacements as once is a fit tweeked.
I also found this video from CharkBait.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1XiNhRRjBs&feature=player_embedded
They are standard size metric screws if you guys are really worried.
Hello guys, our SG just arrived here in the P.I. thanks to a friend who brought it in for us from California. Planning to take the SG out early march for some bottom and jigging for AJ's as well. Would you guys suggest i take the reel apart first and redo lubrication/drag regreasing or just fish with it off the box? Will be using 50# braid with it.
@bnz...with blood all over the deck, looks like a massacre just happened!...hahaha!
Learning a lot here guys, learning a lot!
Hi DocJun,
Welcome. I would personally open up the reel to make sure that all things that should be greased is indeed greased, then go for them AJs.
Bryan
Ok Bryan will do just that... Thanks.
Another update on this reel and Release as a company. I was amberjack jigging with a guy who had just bought a new SG and brought it along for this purpose. On his first drop he hooked up and then bam!, the antireverse went out when fighting the fish. Release was contacted and the guy told to send the reel in with no questions asked. I sent Justin at Release a pm asking about this reel and he responded back letting me know this was actually one of the earlier versions without the A/R pawl in it. Then Justin pm'd me again when I asked how they made the repair on their first gen reels saying,
"I actually just swapped the side case with a new one, replaced his foot with a new one, swapped out his gears, packed his thrust bearing with light grease, added a new cam, and put on a new crank arm/power handle assembly. Oh yeah, I also polished his spool shaft and swapped out his spool bearings with some faster ones that didn't have any grease in them. "
Just wanted to give cudos to Release, and Justin, for their customer service and standing behind their products.
Justin and Wes are very good guys...and seem truly concerned for fellow fisherman and their reputation for providing a quality reel.
That's good to hear bnz, only problem is that we are all the way here in Manila :(
What I would want to know are the parts availability specially the boca ceramic bearings which eventually may have to be replaced, the CF drags I suppose could come from smooth drags/carbontex . Could any of you gentlemen kindly share contacts or links with regards to other parts most specially the bearings. Thanks again.
I would contact wes and Justin via the site, email or facebook.
Thanks for the input Bryan...
thanks Bryan for the nice Tutorial on the SG Reel. i have an earlier 2013 model with the ergonomic grip. I just had in replaced with the magnum ball handle and looks a feel much better. I like the casting and all that drag for chasing Yellowtail in san diego. Would like to improve the freespool by using the brass sleeve you made. Is it possible to buy from you?
thanks Bert
Quote from: Bert57 on April 25, 2014, 12:48:23 AM
thanks Bryan for the nice Tutorial on the SG Reel. i have an earlier 2013 model with the ergonomic grip. I just had in replaced with the magnum ball handle and looks a feel much better. I like the casting and all that drag for chasing Yellowtail in san diego. Would like to improve the freespool by using the brass sleeve you made. Is it possible to buy from you?
thanks Bert
I've studied and studied and based on the design, I'm 90% convinced that I'd doesn't need a sleeve but the bearings needs to be opened, cleaned, and lubed with your favorite untrained thin lubricant.
Bryan,opened up the spool bearings, cleaned and oiled with TSI, but only 15 seconds of free spool. Would a brass sleeve help?
Hi Bert, I finally had the chance to compare the free-spool with and without the spool bearing sleeve, and I must say, it helps ALOT. I'm working to have a bunch made for those deep jiggers and casters that need a better free-spool. Will advise.
Well, I received another reel from Release Reel. Directly this time. The one of the left is my reel and the one on the right is the new Release Reel version that they are currently making today.
(http://alantani.com/gallery/10/medium_386_04_05_14_10_20_02_10987967.jpeg)
(http://alantani.com/gallery/10/medium_386_04_05_14_10_21_24_109881889.jpeg)
(http://alantani.com/gallery/10/medium_386_04_05_14_10_26_10_109922436.jpeg)
(http://alantani.com/gallery/10/medium_386_04_05_14_10_27_58_109941165.jpeg)
(http://alantani.com/gallery/10/medium_386_04_05_14_10_28_57_10995137.jpeg)
As you can see, not much different on the outside. So let's look on the inside. Internal areas are now well greased. I guess Release Reel is listening and with their lifetime warranty on workmanship, I can see why they would want to do it right the first time.
(http://alantani.com/gallery/11/medium_386_04_05_14_10_50_48_110172142.jpeg)
(http://alantani.com/gallery/11/medium_386_04_05_14_10_48_56_110152332.jpeg)
(http://alantani.com/gallery/11/medium_386_04_05_14_10_42_58_110092221.jpeg)
(http://alantani.com/gallery/11/medium_386_04_05_14_10_41_45_110081824.jpeg)
Check out the spring loaded anti-reverse system. This will definitely stop the handle from going knuckle buster on you. You will also notice that the teeth between each racheting of the dog is a very short throw...couple with a anti-reverse bearing, there is very little reverse handle play. Something that I like in any reel.
And lastly, the most common concern with push system lever drag reels is...you got it, the pinion bearing. The one on the left is from Release Reel and the one on the right is from an Avet.
(http://alantani.com/gallery/11/medium_386_04_05_14_10_52_03_11018832.jpeg)
Even at higher drag settings, the handle still rotates smoothly. I believe this is due to the bigger pinion bearing.
Hi Bryan,
Can you check your reel if it has the same situation as this guy? If not, I think this guy is doing something wrong with this reel.
http://www.thehulltruth.com/6773358-post10.html (http://www.thehulltruth.com/6773358-post10.html)
I would love to help him but I cannot remember my user name and password for that site. Have him come here and I could help.
I think he needs a pinion bearing. Quite possible that he over stressed the bearing before he had line on the reel as many do when handled.
He should contact Wes or Justin at Release Reel. They will help fix the problem.
It seems that he returned the reel back to Charlbait and bought an Avet Raptor.
Quote from: Black Pearl on June 05, 2014, 10:08:55 AM
It seems that he returned the reel back to Charlbait and bought an Avet Raptor.
Hope he is happy with the Raptor. That's a nice reel, and like all reels, there are limitations...I hope he will realize that.
How is the freespool (out-of-the-box) on the new reel?
Cranking up 38" per turn is a lot of line and could take a lot of work/power, even with the high torque handle and gear. Has anyone fished this on bigger fish, say 40-50-60# yellowtail or tuna? (especially those on the West Coast who use the rail, instead of pump & grind?)
Sleeved is much better. I originally thought it wouldn't make a difference, but it did. I don't recall the numbers though. It's good but I wanted better. So cleaned the spool bearings, lubed with tsi301 and sleeved between the spool bearings and free spool increased like 3 or 4 times if I recall.
Hey bryan,i have a question for ya,bought a sg from sharkbait and outta the box only 8 pds of drag,so called justin and sent him the reel,reel works better but now i can only seem to get 16 pds at max b4 the handle becomes hard to turn and the lever is very hard to push to full,like the reel but just not what i expected,any ideas,really dont wanna send it back again,thanks bryan
My other question is do these come stock with a spool sleeve or is that something you made for yours thanks sean
Quote from: fastfishin85 on June 12, 2014, 06:52:27 PM
Hey bryan,i have a question for ya,bought a sg from sharkbait and outta the box only 8 pds of drag,so called justin and sent him the reel,reel works better but now i can only seem to get 16 pds at max b4 the handle becomes hard to turn and the lever is very hard to push to full,like the reel but just not what i expected,any ideas,really dont wanna send it back again,thanks bryan
I haven't had line on this reel yet. I need to line it up and try it out. If I have a chance to put line on it, I may send it with Alan to fish on his long-range trip for people to try out.
Regarding the spool sleeve, this is something that I made. the length is 24.8 mm I believe. It's mentioned earlier in the post.
I'm waiting for my metric tubing and I was going to make up a bunch of sleeves as it really helps the free-spool.
Bryan
Great to find all this info. I'm looking at buying a SG to use with my Shimano Beastmaster Slim 20-30lb boat rod, since these reels are sold at a good price and available with a left hand side handle. Really like the silver/red gunmetal/red looks as well. I'd like to try something new, I have Avet on the other rods. Hopefully I'll be happy with a Release SG - I just hope that I'll be able to find it with the T-bar handle, as the other handle doesn't feel right in my hand. :)
Has anyone compared it to a Avet SX 5.3 in use?
Might as well reply myself here :D
I took a chance and ordered a Release SG. I'm not used to ball handles, so I hope it will be ok to use.. seems that the left hand version only comes with the ball handle (for now).
IF it turns out to feel all wrong, do any of you know if it's possible to put a different kind of handle on one of these lefty versions?
EDIT: Turns out that the SG has been pulled from the marked and will be out of stock for a few weeks due to Release changing the handle on the reels. Hopefully it will be possible to get the same model with the new handle, eventhough it's dissapointing that this happened just as I had ordered the reel. Oh well, not much to do but wait.. :P
A question or three on Release Reels. First, somewhere in this thread I could swear I saw a reference to a thrust bearing. The desirability of a thrust bearing in a small lever drag usually pops up in discussions of the small Avet reels; has Release preempted the problem by use of a thrust bearing at one end of the spool? Second, is the SG a "push" or "pull" design? I'm seeing those words float around a lot, and it appears that the newer designs tend to the pull end of the pushpull spectrum. Third, did the Release Reels Surf make an appearance at ICAST or not? Most of my fishing's done from the surf line, and that's the one that was holding my interest.
Well, today my SG (the new and improved version, that is) was shipped - now I just have to wait a couple of weeks until it arrives here in Norway. The seller wrote me yesterday, and he sounded slightly dissapointed with the new handle solution that Release has put on the SG. I figured that I'll give it a go and see how it feels, and if it feels uncomfortable, I'll just have to look for a different handle/knob. My ideal solution would be a T-bar handle that would match the size of the reel, but I've been told that the T-bar handle is not made for left hand versions of this reel. Why, I have no idea.
Here's a pic of the new version, feel free to let me know what you guys think of it:
(http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s297/jonkolst/ReleaseSG_zps49009e04.jpg)
Looks OK to me. I would give it a good try out before changing it. You may find it`s good.
Basto
In everyone's honest opinion is the Release SG/surf $50-100 superior to a comparable Avet (say MXL or MXL MC or whatever) as it's price would suggest? Let's say stock out of the box. My application would be casting braid from the shore; distance and casting forgiveness top priority.
Not sure if I want to wait for the new Release Surf, get an Avet, or pick up a used Avet for half the Surf's cost.
We know both reels are capable but what does your extra $50-100 give you?
In a Release VS. Avet (non Raptor) you get a ARB as well as a dog in the 2014 Release reels as well as more drag pressure in reels around the same size. What you don't get is a stop from strike to full like the Avets have. This is a feature missing in the Release reel that I would like to see.
Personally I'm not a fan of round knob handle grips and Release went to a rubber style now vs. the machined aluminum one the had eariler. Also their T-bar style grip I'm not a fan of but others seem to like them, they just seem too big for their smaller reels for me.
cool thanks for the insight socalangler. But do you think its worth the $100 price difference?
The main thing going for Avet is that it's a tried and true, although that in itself shouldn't be reason to "settle". Release (no offense) keeps pushing back the Surf and couldn't even bring it to ICAST.
Not sure what I think about the lifetime warranty on the Release; it's not something i intend to exercise.
Just recieved my SG this morning. First impression is that it's quite the exciting reel, it looks great and the feel is promising - even though I have to get use to it not feeling like the Avet SX MC that I've used earlier. This reel will be matched with a 20-30lb rod for various sea fishing (not casting), now I just have to see what type of braid I'm gonna go for.
Really looking forward to testing it, and I hope that I'll get used to the handle. I'm used to the standard knob on the Avet SX and on my Avet LX 6/3 I have the T-bar handle, so this knob on the SX will probably take some time to get used to.
Quote from: pullrachet on August 14, 2014, 07:24:23 AM
cool thanks for the insight socalangler. But do you think its worth the $100 price difference?
The main thing going for Avet is that it's a tried and true, although that in itself shouldn't be reason to "settle". Release (no offense) keeps pushing back the Surf and couldn't even bring it to ICAST.
Not sure what I think about the lifetime warranty on the Release; it's not something i intend to exercise.
Is it worth the extra $100? Well thats up to you to decide. I see people pay way too much for gear all the time. I'm not saying Release is charging too much, like some other manufactures do, but if your looking for the best bang for the buck Avet is hard to pass up.
A lifetime warranty is a nice feature if your hard on your gear by either pushing it to its limits often or by using your reels a long time between services. I do neither and I have some pretty old reels that don't have any problems and I still fish them.
I'm lucky enough that I can go to a tackle shop and play with both Release and Avet reels which I have and my last reel purchases was a SX and not a SG. This had more to do with the handles and the bigger frame on the SG than the price.
Great tutorial and photos Brian. You donated a lot of your time to the cause. Thanks for all.
Thank Gary,
That reminds me, I need to get that reel spooled so that I can take it to Hawaii to try out. Alan, I'll be calling to spool it up.
Hi guys,
Release vs Avet vs Cost??? Having fished at length with both in a distance surf fishing situation – I would have to come down on the side of the Release. But that said, they are both exceptional reels and certainly exceed the products from all the major manufacturers.
A lot of comments are available on this site regarding the design weakness of the Avets when they are overloaded in the drag settings and the resultant failures in the pinion gear bearing. These issues have both been addressed in the development of the Release reels, in that they have a by far greater drag potential for the same size reel, and have cured the problems of failures through good design – so when viewed from a potential performance point of view, they have addressed this at design level.
The issues of handle shapes is always going to be emotive, I like the original 'T' shaped handle once I overcame the radical and seriously different design – very comfortable. I can see why some folks comment about the aluminium ball handle, and now they have evolved to a softer ball shaped handle. The fact that as a very new company they are prepared to test the market with different designs and challenge existing thinking is a creditable approach.
Personally, I haven't yet tested the star drag 'Surf' model, but again this is something of an adaptation to what the market is looking for. While I personally have absolutely no issues with using a lever drag reel in the surf – conventional think is that folks must use a start drag reel in the surf, rather than develop the surf anglers to the benefits of a lever drag.
Release also attend the spool bearing issue straight from the factory with ceramic bearings as standard, rather than fit cheaper stainless steel bearing. As well as fitting slightly larger, and perhaps more robust sizes on the spool, a factor that in surf fishing we have found as a weakness in the Avet.
Finally, there is the issue of location, and predominant fishing that is carried out between the East and West coasts. The now quite old design of the Avets is very suited to their original market that was to use nylon lines to cast very light baits from boats, and in this they succeeded very admirably. However, through changes in fishing materials folks are now using the same reels with braid and finding that they are failing because the original design parameters have been exceeded.
Release on the other hand are a much newer company, with their base on the East coast looking to supply a reel for the local fisheries, kayak, deep dropping and obviously big tuna as well as small game fishing – with braid. They have recognised the need for something more specialist for the surf angler, and have started down that road – is that because there is more surf angling on the East coast to the West?? Developing products for particular local markets is the right thing to do for all manufacturers – I build 1 piece 14' long surf rods for my clients based in Namibia, where we can transport such poles. While I recognise the need for a 3 piece, 14' long rod is much more suited to my clients that travel here from South Africa. Models according to markets.
So, at the end of the day, we do have to critically look at exactly what we require from a reel, as to the benefits of one particular model. For my personal use, the Release is tops, but I still have my old Avet in the tackle bag for 'back up'.
Just my humble opinion.
Cheers from sunny Africa,
Jeri
FYI the pinion bearing is 7x19x5.
Well, Alan graciously spooled up my reel with 40# Hollow ProChallenger Braid and is ready for action. :) I hope to use it a few times in the early AM while I am in Hawaii. Will post my success or flops when I get back.
A quick question: Recieved a ReelX bottle today (1 fluid Oz), and I'd like to ask if there's any point in using this in the spool bearings of the SG reel, when I won't be using the reel for casting? I reckon it's better to use grease in them, regarding protection against corrosion etc? I'm not familiar with ReelX, this is the first time I've bought it.
Any input is much appreciated.
If you are going to take the bearings out and service them I would first apply the ReelX and then a light grease. You will have any corrosion covered and since you are not casting it will work just fine.
I assume you will be jigging and bottom fishing. That's what I do since I never learned to cast..
Quote from: handi2 on August 29, 2014, 09:30:32 PM
If you are going to take the bearings out and service them I would first apply the ReelX and then a light grease. You will have any corrosion covered and since you are not casting it will work just fine.
I assume you will be jigging and bottom fishing. That's what I do since I never learned to cast..
Oh, great! I wasn't aware that both the ReelX and grease could be used together in bearings, thanks! I will be using it for bottom fishing, that's correct. I spooled it with 20lb Tuf-Line XP just the other day, and I'm really looking forward to giving it a try as soon as I've got the time to do so.
hello and greetings from the P.I., we currently have 1 SG paired to a JM power spell 52B loaded with 500 mtrs. of 50 lbs. berkley whiplash. we fish mainly bet 80-150 mtrs and do a lot of jigging and bottom fishing and this has become my wife's personal favorite, at first though i thought that she would find the gearing of the SG at 6:1 kinda heavy since she is on the petit side at a 120 lbs. and that the combo would eventually end up with me, but she found the retrieve to be just right even if working with 200-220 gm jigs all day long and so the set up never leaves her sight. the reel has been with us for 7 months bought from the New World Camping Fishing and Tackle store in CA., after 3 trips she complained to me that the retrieve sort of became heavy so i decided to service the reel. i proceeded to opening the reel and checked all bearings and all were in order except for the pinion bearing which turned out to have seized. so i took out the covers of the bearing, placed them in a kerosene bath for a few minutes dried them out and the bearing became free but already had a coarse feel. i tried to repack the bearings with marine grease and ran the bearings but i suppose they were already shot. i suppose i will be replacing the pinion bearing which i measured with a calliper OD 19mm x ID 7mm X thickness 5mm. since we are all the way here in the Philippines sending the reel all the way to VA. would be too impractical ($20.00 for shipping for a simple bearing replacement) i will just replace it myself. i was not able to check the reel bearings for proper lube/grease packing before heading out to our fishing trip as allan and bryan advised because i had too much confidence in the company and honestly just completely forgot about it ;D, my bad i guess and so it is what it is. not to be deterred we have another SG coming since my wife and i love the reel so much, i guess this time i will open up the reel and check for proper lubrication. i honestly find this reel to be very simple and solid! design is purposeful, not as smooth as our ocea jiggers but very powerful and robust Wink was not able to take photos of the disassembly but will try to document the process soon as i replace the pinion bearing. Smiley
the right main side plate bearing (pinion bearing) is always the first one to fail. these bearings should be available in stainless steel. pack them in grease as best you can. if the shields can be removed without damage, do that and pack them with grease by hand, then replace the shields.
thanks again alan! i sent someone out to look for the bearing specified but was unsuccessful in getting the 7x19x5 mm abec 5's :( i was however able to secure the bearings from boca but will have to wait for the items to arrive here i the P.I. oh and i already got a couple just for good measure. :) this time i'll make sure they are packed with grease!
I would also try to contact Release Reel directly. If you are on FB, they can be found https://www.facebook.com/release.reels?fref=ts. Send them a personal message. They may be up to sending you a or few replacement bearings.
thanks bryan, that we did and justin of release was so swift to reply. he wanted us to send the reel back to the states for bearing replacement and other parts upgrade but when we told him about the logistical situation he agreed to just send the replacement parts to my son in vegas, shipping care of me of course. that said we couldn't be more happier with the company's after sales service. thanks again bryan and alan and heres hoping to getting the SG back in action real soon!
Justin is a great guy. Very helpful. Glad he was able to assist.
If you or your son doesn't have a bearing packer, send the bearing to me and I'll pack them for you and return to your son.
Bryan
thanks bryan, fortunately we have one at the shop. oh and a very nice lady at release by the name of Tracy was soooo kind to send us the part plus some more spares! top that! what a great bunch of people! except for this issue the reel works great, so much so that the wifey asked me to get another one. how do you expect me to argue with that? ;) thanks again guys!
Anthony the t bar handle you have on your sg reels are those the ones from smoothdrag.com?
Ok, so here's an update, I just took out my 2nd SG after it arrived almost 5 months ago. I noticed something different & very unusual, while setting the drag on strike position the reel worked just fine but with the drag on full setting the drag actually slipped more and the handle became very hard to turn. To my disappointment I had no choice but to decommission the reel for the rest of the trip. When we got back the following day I stripped the reel apart to see what was wrong. Everything seemed ok except for the drag material. Upon inspection the drag material was bone dry. Also the the drag thickness was measured at an average thickness of 0.92 mm and drag material from my other SG was measured at 0.98 mm. First thing I did was to rid the drag material of the dried up grease and applied cal's drag grease, reassembled the reel and tried her out. The drag significantly improved but at full drag setting cranking presented some resistance unlike my other SG. We have sent Release an email this morning & have yet to receive an answer. Just a bit disappointed with the issue since it's already supposed to be the improved version. Planning on putting some masking tape where the drag material rests to make up for the thickness deficiency while waiting for a drag replacement from Release. And yes I placed the drag from my other SG and it worked just as it should. Bummed for now but hopefully this helps other people should anyone else encounter the same issue.
docjun, I am curious to know the results. Was it fixed? If so, what was the fix?
I just finished another SG today with bad results. The owner had sent the reels back twice because of no drag and hard to turn.
The no drag was Spectra slipping on the spool. That was a quick fix after re spooling the reel and another pinion bearing.
Then when testing the drag at 12lbs the handle goes backwards!!!
I went back on and made sure everything was correct and it was. I cleaned out some of the sticky grease so I could barely hear it click. No Bueno.
It will have to go back for replacement of the pawl, or main gear, or both.
I just ordered two SG.
Hoping they will be perfect for Halibut off Langara Island....
I purchased a Release SG in oct 2013, at the same time i also got a Accurate Boss Fury fx400n ($30.00 dearer). On its first trip the release suffered the hard / tight to crank problem with reel engaged but very light drag. FX400N was great.
Put the release on the shelf where its sat for the last 2 years. Got it down the other day and googled to see if there was a answer to the problem. I found this thread. Iam making the brass bearing spacer sleeve & going to replace the pinion bearing and see if that helps / fixes the problem. Living in Aust doesn't help in regards to life time warranty.
Hopefully the new bearing & sleeve will make the reel work as it should. Currently there is no way it would take 15lb drag let alone 30. Was glad to see i wasn't the only one with problems.
Sorry to say, i have got another Accurate, a fx500 since and its been flawless also.
PS, love the frame design with the "barrel" shape for clearance.
Made the brass spacer tube today & fitted. While better, the reel still can't handle more than 15lb drag. Haven't got the pinion bearing yet, so there is still hope.
heloo FoulHooked, unfortunately the issue was never resolved as Release company then never got back to me. as mentioned the problem was with the drag washer...my fix was to make a spacer mor e specifically duct tape shaped just like the drag washer placed adhesive side on the spool to push the drag washer out...it did work since the wifey fought and landed a good sized doggie...maybe they where in transition during that time? that said i think the washer needs to be replaced just the same...
I'm unhappy to report that my Truth LG #0132 is having the same issues that others here are having. It would lose drag (no, the line was not slipping on the spool) and then it would screech. With the first few uses I thought it was user error after all the rave reviews so I sent it back (add $42 to the reel price) and after a month or so with no correspondence I called and was told "it will go out tomorrow". Five days later it came back. The screech was gone but the drag would still intermittently just go away, regardless of where the lever is, part or full drag. Besides the slip, cranking a grunt can sometimes feel like a big mutton.
I am hesitant to return my essentially new reel a second time on my dime to sit on a bench and maybe get a look. I will check out the Accurates.
Why can't I see the pictures of this tutorial?
Quote from: nik33134 on September 30, 2017, 06:34:31 PM
Why can't I see the pictures of this tutorial?
you need the plug in! http://alantani.com/index.php?topic=22861.0
Quote from: tosserlures on January 01, 2016, 06:24:43 AM
Made the brass spacer tube today & fitted. While better, the reel still can't handle more than 15lb drag. Haven't got the pinion bearing yet, so there is still hope.
The new pinion bearings are here & time to go fishing. Will fit tomorrow & see if it fixes the "hard to turn on full drag "problem.