Makaira 50sea drag setting issue

[shanara]

I have 4 makaira  50 sea's  on three the drag sets ok.

on one of them it goes like this

The drag lever is starts to get hard( much harder than my other reels) to push as it reaches the strike position lets say I have set strike at 10 lbs

I then hear a clunk or pop and the spool moves very slightly to the right and I have 20 lbs of drag and the lever is easy to move

I have loked inside the reel looked at the positions of the  belvile washers etc and can see no difference to one of my other reels side by side- it is as if something is preventing the drag plate moving properly then as i increase the drag with the lever it overcomes some sort of resistance i hear a clunk and the drag is correctly engaged. (Note i have greased the spool bearings on all my 50s but all my others are ok)

Can anyone help please.

Regards Gary

[alantani]

it's gotta be something along the spool shaft, a bearing or belleville that is getting stuck.  this one you should send back.   

[sundaytrucka]

I believe Alan is correct.

I recommend calling Okuma customer service and setting up a repair, you can also fill it out through Okuma's website online repair system.

All it will cost you is shipping the reel to Okuma in Ontario, Ca, and a fee for return postage.

-Scott

[shanara]

I think it may turn out to be a slightly bent spool shaft causing the bearing (0910448) that fitts into the drag plate assembly to partialy stick on the shaft on appication of drag, I have emailed eddie at Okuma late on friday I expect him to be in touch on monday

Thank you for your help

[shanara]

Well one last teardown and it is fixed.  I had noticed that the ears on carbon washer were very tight fit in the cutaways (as you know the drag washer is double sided carbon sandwiching somthing that is hard and rigid) so I carefully filed arround each of the six ears and a clean up on the od for good measure so that the washer nestled nicely with a tiny bit of clearence all round, testing it by pushing just before assembly it felt much smoother and lo and behold after putting it back together for the umpteenth time.
I Can set at 18lbs of drag at strike, and its 18 every time I put the lever to strike, and not a clunk in sight. and easy to move the lever just like my other 50s
I think it was just the drag washer was a bit big and partialy holding it off (maybe even why only haf the amount of drag untill the clunk ocurred  because only one side would be working - or is that being a little too smart)

I have to temper my know it all smugness because i put a good dose of Yamaha grease on the shaft before assembly ( it already had some cals on it)  it could'nt be the grease no way

Off  to Celebrate