Calcutta 400TE Tune

K Nguyen · February 12, 2011, 10:46:11 PM

Sensei Alan or Other Member,

1st... Thank you for sharing your abundant knowledge with novices. I find your postings and postings from others on this site extremely helpful. I like being able to service and tune my own reels so I am checking out every thread on your site. I am a lurker for now but will contribute when I can.

OK... wiping the brown off my nose.

Can you recommend some tune up on the Calcutta 400TE?

I know Shinamo had put in many hours of R&D on their TE models but I am questioning their decision to used bushings on the worm gear assy? OK, the argument is bearings do not hold up to saltwater exposure as well as bushings. Fine, service the bearings more often.

Also, I think the schematic only show one spool bearing on the non cranking side, and no p/n on the crank side. But is looks like there may be a bushing retained by a pin. If so, would this bushing benefit with a bearing replacement? It seem cheesy that Shimano uses bushings on a +$300 reel. There must be some good unknown reasons. Hopefully not profit margin.

I am still debating on the stock drag washers. Dartainium is suffient but I know GREASED Carbontex will be better. Will there be a stack tolerance issue if I change to the thicker Carbontex?

I see that you have a tutorial on the Calcutta 400A... Will the TE be similar to the A model? I am cautious because a friend (Quan808), from Hawaii said he had to take his Calcutta 400LJV to a local tackle repair shop because it went "pop-goes-the-weasel" on him. I know Quan has way more experience working on reels than me. His warnings are telling me to leave alone what's not broken. But it would be nice to be able to service the reel without sending in to Shinamo.

Thank you for your advice in advance.

Best regards.

alantani · February 13, 2011, 01:12:41 AM

yeah, i really should do a calcutta te tutorial. carbontex drag washers are essential, you also have to be careful about keeping the dog in place. the rest is "straight in, straight out." don't worry about the bushings. they are in non-critical areas. alan

K Nguyen · February 13, 2011, 11:48:24 PM

Thank you Alan for your advice. I'll place an order of carbontex with dawn once I inventory a list of reels to upgrade. I have upgraded carbontex in three reels and am amazed at the low start up.

handi2 · August 25, 2014, 05:27:11 PM

The Calcutta TE 400 and Conquest 400/401 bearings are.

3x10x4 for the left and right side bearings.

The plastic bushing on the spool is replaced by a 5x11x3 bearing.

F-Minus · August 27, 2014, 09:02:03 PM

About the TE400 bellville washers, the parts manual shows three of them. Two thin ones, and one thick one. Which orientation are they?

I installed them ( )), its obvious that the thick one goes nearest the anti-reverse bearing, so it must be in "(" orientation, but how the other two fit in I wasn't sure, )( or )) ??

Thanks!

alantani · August 27, 2014, 09:36:22 PM

it is ()( star.

erikpowell · January 04, 2018, 01:59:04 AM

Bula from hot & steamy Fiji

I've been off the reel repair for awhile due to another workload, but a friend is forcing me back to my workbench, hopefully more permanently

....and I've been missing you guys btw

Calcutta TE 400 LJV - Lucanus Jig Version.

How do I remove the left spool cover, and get it's swivel shaft and knob out of the way so I can open the right side plate?
I need to change his drags out to Carbontex for him and will service the whole thing if I can get in and out without messing anything up.

Or do you remove the spool from the left side and work through that way?

Vinaka!

Bryan Young · January 04, 2018, 03:09:55 AM

Bula Erik,

The left side plate knob is in the right side plate. Once you loosen it up, the left side plate opens. There is a small screw near the swivel shaft. Remove that the you can pull the left sideplate off. Then I remove the level wind cage by removing the two screws. Then you can remove the spool. Then switch to the right side plate. Remove the handle, star, the square drag nut, Bellevilles, then the sideplate screws. There is a little screw that is not a machine screw. You will see it one you start to unscrewnit. If you find it, just screw it back in. It doesn't need to come out.

Then after you remove the sideplate screws, the sideplate should lift right up

Side not, I hope my memory is correct. There may be a little differences but I think you will see it immediately.

erikpowell · January 04, 2018, 10:00:21 PM

Thanks Bryan, I'll give it a go!

erikpowell · January 04, 2018, 11:55:46 PM

Bula Bryan,
Thanks, that was it!

You also need to unscrew the shift lever screw to remove the side plate..

So, after the handle, star, bellvilles...it's 3 side plate screws (of different size! ...so keep track, to whomever may follow this later)

plus back out the lever screw to get the RT side plate off. ( I did not pull the lever, just loosened the screw).
...and now you have both side plates off.

Man, the drag stack was really stuck together hard! Good thing it's getting a Carbontex upgrade!

Now,
Should the gear easily pull straight up and off the shaft once the drag stack is out?

It feels like something is holding it down.

Does it have ambassador style pawls I need to worry about crunching?

Edit- Ok, it does have the ambassador style pawl, which I gently disengaged from the main gear using a dental pick.
It moves easily out of the way to the side..while still riding on its post.

But the main gear is still stuck down....it wiggles a bit but won't budge upwards at all.

Erik

handi2 · January 05, 2018, 12:07:50 AM

I assume you got the main gear out. That reel has the click pin and spring down below the main gear. They are built very well and worth it.

erikpowell · January 05, 2018, 12:19:59 AM

Hi Keith,
Thanks
Not yet...it's just cleared the pinion gear but still stuck on the shaft.
It rotates freely but somethings holding it up.
I've got it about ¼" up from the ratchet plate...I can see the key posts in the ratchet.

I'm looking for a schematic now....

Any ideas? or should I just keep at it...wiggling it up and off

erikpowell · January 05, 2018, 01:29:00 AM

I've found these score marks on the shaft that I think are preventing the main gear from sliding off the shaft.
Been at this over an hour already!

I hope I didn't cause this...I don't see how I could've though, it's in the area where the drag washers ride.

exp2000 · January 05, 2018, 02:12:26 AM

Quote from: erikpowell on January 05, 2018, 01:29:00 AM
I've found these score marks on the shaft that I think are preventing the main gear from sliding off the shaft.
Been at this over an hour already!
I hope I didn't cause this...I don't see how I could've though, it's in the area where the drag washers ride.

You are correct.

Under high drag load, the metal drag washers will bite into the drive shaft creating these grooves which will tend to lock them in this position.

I usually file these out if they are just shallow but where a reel has seen a lot of use and the grooves are deep, it is best to just replace the drive shaft.

I think this situation has become worse over time due to the use of inferior alloys to save cost.
~

erikpowell · January 05, 2018, 02:12:52 AM

Finally it's off!
I made just enough room to squeeze 2 big screwdrivers in between the gear and ratchet from each side.
Took a couple moves and it eventually popped it up.. whew.

These old dartanium drags are sticky and messy as.

So I found this little piece pictured in the cup underneath the gear.
No sign of a little spring anywhere....should there be??

and What does that spring underneath the shaft retaining plate connect to?
Is it now ok to remove that plate?

Man, my old Calcutta 250 is way easier to service....