Pro Gear Reels

[reelgood]

Just something I noticed, and many of you probably already know, but recently in buying a couple of Pro Gear Classic series in very nice looking condition outside, and the usual full factory grease treatment inside with no sign of rust or salt water ingress anywhere EXCEPT the right side spool bearing on both reels.  One had some corrosion around the outer race and inside the bearing, the other also had corrosion on the outer race as well as the inner race and inside the bearing.

I am thinking the culprit is the proximity of the stainless steel pinion, because when you run a cue tip through the middle of it there is some rusty looking residue that always comes out. 

Some people may not realize that there is anything wrong because as long as the left side bearing works and the shaft can rotate inside the inner race on the right even when the rest of the bearing is frozen, the reel will still freespool a little bit, enough to not know something is wrong if you are a casual fisherman and never saw the reel when it was perfect.

Not sure if leaving the bearing open would have solved this since the rust was as much on the outside as inside the bearings?  Any thoughts?  Should I leave the bearings open and packed with grease if using one reel only for bottom fishing (1 minute free spool not needed)?

[Bryan Young]

Have only seen this on sealed bearing that were not 80% packed with marine grease or properly cleaned and lubed open bearings.  With 80% + packed bearings, there is very little room for moisture to get into your reel.  With open bearings, the moisture has somewhere to go.  This not only happends on Pro Gear reels, but all reels using bearings.

For bottom fishing reels, I have used packed bearings and open bearings (because of Alan), and prefer open bearings as I want my jig/lure to get down faster with the least amount of resistance, and allows the jig/lure to do it's magic that it was designed for, like the butterfly style jigs.

On the other hand, if you are sending down 8 oz or more, packed or open bearing probably will not have much effect on the lure/jig.

Trolling, on the other hand, packed bearings for sure.

Tossing jigs/lures/lugs, open bearings.

[reelgood]

Maybe I will open them all, I take my reels apart often enough to keep them lubed and clean.  I guess it just seems like the rust starts at the pinion.

Yesterday I took apart a brand new Cabo 70 spinner, the bearings were packed on one side (the inside) but had nothing on the outer side.  The reel is actually smoother now after I went through and packed all the bearings.

Back to pro gears - do I understand correctly that the limitation on most of them are the main gears?  If the Wahoo Special had a steel main gear, how heavy could it be fished?

[Bryan Young]

Sorry, I forgot to address the dark yellowing from the pinion gear.  It's probably not rust, but varnished from lubricants used between the spool shaft and the pinion gear.  If there was any signs of rust, you should see it on the spool shaft.

With regard to your limitations of a reel and your reference to the reel, I'm not absolutely sure what your understanding is with using non-steel gears.  Are you referring to stripping of the gears due to material?  Possible drag range if the gears were made from Steel?

Unfortunately, I haven't lined my reels as of yet because I want to use spectra, so I do not know what hte maximum drag pressure, but know that individuals have used 80# spectra on these reels and have not heard of any failure.  Maybe someone else has this answer.

[reelgood]

What I mean is assuming you keep increasing the drag and then have something pull on it for a while, what is likely to fail first? I would guess shearing of gear teeth would happen before anti-reverse failed.  everything else seems bulletproof.  So if you have 80# spectra and can get 27+# drag, what keeps that reel from being a legitimate 80 class reel?  Just 1 steel maingear or something else as well?

[Bryan Young]

Very good question.  My guess would be the main and/or the pinion gear would give out first.  Quite possibly the bearing may go as well.  It's all about pressure and distribution.  Stainless Steel gears would be nice though.

In the past, reels were classed by the amount of line (mono) the reel could hold.  So, with this in mind, the Wahoo special will never be a true 80# class reel.  Reel classification has not been truely defined with respect to using spectra, but I think it's moving in that direction as reel manufacturers are starting to indicate both mono and spectra line capacities.

I guess the real question is "Will the Pro Gear Wahoo Special hold up to the performance specifications of a true 80# class reel?"  I don't know the answer yet.  If I'm lucky to get back to the Hawaiian Islands, I may have an opportunity answer your question with real experiences vs. theory.

[reelgood]

I hope you get to find out without having to handline the fish in too far    

Those bearings are pretty strong, I tried crushing a rusted one with pliers without much luck, maybe bigger pliers would do it.  It would have to be the gear or the pin that goes thru the spool shaft, everything else is anchored in machined aluminum that has nowhere to give.

The steel newell gears made for penn 113H reels will fit this reel, correct?  I see them going for $40-50/ set on ebay I guess they are no longer made?  They are 4:1 though

[reelgood]

The funny thing is that the 551 and I guess 500 have the same drag stack as the 461.  Actually, my 461 had a red shiny, very low friction washer under the main gear whereas the 551 had a standard CF washer.  Also, the drag washers on the little 500's are actually larger in surface area since the recess in the main gear is greater in diameter by a mm or 2.  The schematics show the 461 having an extra metal keyed washer atop the stack under a non-keyed dome washer, but my 461 just had a keyed dome washer like all the others.  All that's missing is the double dog, otherwise they have about the same capability, though the gear teeth are thinner on the 6:1.  now I see why Alan like the 500's so much.

I stuck the carbon washer from the 551 under the main in the 461 instead of the red thing, it pushed the star and handle out just a bit more but it's going to really max it out now I think, need to find a scale.

[Bryan Young]

Probably a steel main and pinion gear, but I don't know. The gear in the Wahoo special may already have the strength to be a 80# class reel.

[alantani]

the main and pinion gears are the first to go.  i have a few extra sets, and randy at progear has a few extra as well, but they will run out and then they will be gone.  alan

[reelgood]

None of the Newell or Penn gears will fit?

Someone must still own all the tooling for the Pro Gear reels, shame that it is not being used while all those fashionable Avets are on their way to being sold in lexan packages at sports authority   jk 

[alantani]

not for the classic series 500/501/550/551's........

[Bryan Young]

I do not know if other gear sets will fit as the ID on the main gear is much smaller that most reels.  I wish I had access to a bunch of different gear sets just to compare the dimensions.

With regards to drag setting, I keep on forgetting that others are much bigger than I and I will probably be taken overboard if my drags are set at 27#.  Mine will probably be no more than 20# as I have a hard time with 18# drag setting as it is.

My drags are set based upon the line, but my ability to hold on to the pole with that drag setting without 1) loosing the pole or 2) going for a swim.  So at my drag setting of probably 15-18#s, and therefore, may never need another gear set if I keep it lubed.  But some of you may, and if you have this reel, you may want to have a set or 2 on hand for replacements if you are pushing the limit of this 50# class reel to 80#s.