Reel Repair by Alan Tani

I have this DQ 550, what a beast!  It needs some love.   

The handle arm is a bit bent and spotty, do any other arms fit this reels? I like the style from a DQ 1400

Upgrades or modifications?   

Thanks 

A lot of the DAM Quick reels have parts that will interchange, Joel —-

The limiting factors can be easily adjusted or machined —- such as the crank axle width, the crank slot width, the pin keeper alignment holes and hole diameters.

Some will not interchange due to the Spring-Loaded folding cranks, and other designs.

On a 550, it is easy and just a changeout process.  Either original or different —- both available.

Best, Fred

Quote from: Joel.B on December 09, 2025, 07:25:04 PMFred- how do you feel about puns?

 I see you have some D.A.M parts, do these 550 have some wobble in them by nature?  Is there a rebuild kit I  should procure?  I really like the handle on the bottom right in your pics. I should send you a PM

No DAM Quick reel should have any wobble, Joel —-

They are engineered to remain solid and square with tolerances that will not degrade over decades.

The issue with the large DAM's, or any other large spinner —- 9 of 10 were used in the salt —- and generally fished roughly — and maybe not maintained properly.

A wobble could be a few things —-

First, mount it on a rod with a full spool of mono.  That will narrow it down, since many spinners wobble when not on a rod and full of line.

If not that, it could be a warped spool, bad or missing counter-balance, missing or worn shims, bent spool shaft, loose rotor, worn out bearing, or something else.  No easy way to ID the culprit without having it on the bench with spare parts to eliminate and switch out.

I know you like to work on reels yourself —- but it might be worthwhile to send it to me, and I will figure out the issue, fix it, do a complete restoration/service, reassemble using modern synthetic greases and oils, test, adjust, etc.  Cost would be $40, plus any needed parts at about half of wholesale, or N/C.

Or we could keep guessing, but that is not productive to getting a reel completed properly.  There are a few wear items that should be replaced, and they are all pretty low cost.

Glad to help, if you wish.  Here is one I recently restored for one of our members.

Best, Fred

Joel - I am admittedly biased (and pretty sure that's my 550 in the photo) but if you want a 550 that can handle anything; listen to Fred.  How do I feel about my reel?  Properly set up it is my backup spinner for my DAM 5001 on Long Range, looking at Yellowtail and Tuna.  Offshore is a brutal environment (especially back when these reels were sold) but setup back to original - very up to the task! - john

Probably a good call, Joel —-

Best, Fred

Fred that 550 reel looks brand new!
John, I found the box for it...
Joel, how bent is it ?

Quote from: Joel.B on December 15, 2025, 01:22:47 PMWell- upon further review ...

It appears the "reel" is bent, the perch may be twisted or tweeked.

Fred you can just have this one for parts.

No, I'll service and restore it for you.  If the frame won't straighten to my satisfaction, I'll just install a new frame for you.  Not a big deal. 
N/C on the frame.  The reel deserves another 40 years.

Best, Fred