Shimano Tranx: Service Tutorial and Maintenance Tips

Started by johndtuttle, March 30, 2016, 10:51:01 PM

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johndtuttle

Heya Fellers  ;D,

We have been through almost all of the "Large Low Profile" reels so far and no list of those would be complete without a look at the Shimano Tranx the grand-daddy of them all. The Tranx has been very popular in the West Coast fishery for it's mastery of casting straight braid (65-80#) for surface iron and Wahoo bombs. Plenty of Gator Wahoo have been landed too on this T-Rex of LP reels and we'll see that it's size does have some advantages for larger pelagics that like very fast retrieves:



The Tranx is a "500" sized Low Profile reel making it substantially larger and heavier than even the Lexa 400. That additional capacity comes at a cost and the first and most obvious is that it is much bigger than other reels in this class. Here is it next to the "350" size Abu Garcia Revo Toro Beast:

P1030728_zpse42onmcb by johndtuttle, on Flickr

The other is weight. Most of the "350" size reels like the Okuma Komodo or the Revo Toro Beast are in the 12-14 oz range. The Tranx tips the scales at a hefty 21 oz. Its still not much heavier than other conventional reels with the same capacity (ie Trini 16 is 19 oz) and for that extra weight you do get cast control features and level wind mechanisms that allow the casting of straight braid for even one with average casting skills:



MarkT generously provided a photo of the Lexa 400 side by side with a Tranx so we can compare those (thx Mark!). Though they appear somewhat close note that the spool on the Lexa 400 is much smaller and this is in proportion to the reel height. Realistically for most guys, the Lexa is the outer limit of truly palming a reel.



And then side by side with a Komodo:



So hopefully you can get some idea of the size. Its definitely on the edge of what anyone can palm whereas the Lexa 400 is still definitely palmable and about 17 oz with the "350" sized reels smaller and lighter yet so each of the big LP reels really has their own niche of weight versus capacity and comfort for casting and retrieving lures.

"350" size Revo Toro Beast:



"500" size Tranx:



Regardless, the main part of this post is to share some reel pr0n and innards and to discuss some of the engineering choices Shimano has made in this trendsetting reel for casting offshore. Hopefully Tranx fans will pick up some tips and others will be interested in this emerging class of offshore conventional reels for all day casting. We'll get back to some of the differences as we go along and at the end.

In this case I really wanted to show a reel with some use under it's belt so I put a post on BD asking for someone who had a well used Tranx for this tutorial as mine has barely gotten wet. "fishfish" responded with a reel he has landed a couple dozen yellows and tuna on over the last couple of years and we'll see some of the good and bad that comes with that having seen no service in the interval.

The outside of the reel reflects Shimano's commitment to fit and finish:







Shown here is the Turnkey Dial (4493) for opening up the Left Side Plate (4492):



That drops down to let us access the spool:



Showing the Centrifugal Brakes that would be clicked "on" or "off" as needed for cast control. The raceway in the LS Plate can be cleaned if your brakes are howling.



The inside of the LS Plate houses the spool Ball Bearing (4488) that is removed by carefully popping out the Bearing Retainer (4487). Keep a thumb over it or tears will flow :D :



Underneath that is a small Spacer B (694) and together they look like this:



We'll clean those up before we replace them with a soak in Acetone to remove dirt and old lube.

The other spool bearing is retained by a spool pin that is apparently considered part of the Spool Assembly (4501) so don't lose it! Shimano probably has replacements if you ask but it is not listed on the schematic as a separate part:



Hedgehog Studio spool pin tool to remove it. It should be noted that this pin is large and the HHS only worked for it after modification:





But out it came and into the acetone to soak. With these Shimano bearings I did not remove the shields as I would normally like to be sure to get them really clean. But not being a true service center of any kind I let "sleeping dogs lie" and did not mess with them for fear of damaging the cages and having to order them from Shimano. They spun well after an overnight soak in solvent and re-lube with Corrosion-x. Free spool afterwards was very good (~1 min) and fishfish will probably need more brake than he used before :).

When it is time to replace the clean bearing the spool pin goes back with a little grease to prevent it seizing in there:



I oil the spool shaft to keep corrosion from building up inside the Pinion Gear where the shaft runs:



To open the body of the reel the handle has to come off like all star drag reels and after removing the Handle and Star the Star Drag Nut (4441) was found dry of lube and beginning to corrode:



All of the Handle bits in order:



Above from R to L the Handle Nut (4426), the Handle Nut Plate (4425) with it's Screw (2119), the Handle Shank Assembly (4432), the Drive Shaft Shields (4434), the Star Drag would go next but is not shown (4439) then a Star Drag Spring (4439) that functions to keep the Star Drag set where you left it, the Star Drag Nut (4441), a "fibrous" Star Drag Spacer (2127), and then lastly the two Coned Disc Spring (1613 Light) and (1455, Heavy).

With those bits out of the way we can remove the 4 body Screws (4442) with only one on the inside of the gear cover:



Shimano uses a red goo on the Screws that is their equivalent of Blue Loctite (removable but keeps them tight). I think most of us prefer greased screws for better corrosion protection:



With the Right Side Plate (4494) lifted off we can see the gear box. There is a little patina on the Drive Gear (4499) and Pinion Gear (4500) but no real damage done:







The Pinion easily lifts off with the Yoke (4472) and Yoke Springs (4472):



The Pinion has some superficial tarnish as seen above. The "crown" at the arrow nests inside the "X-Ship" Ball Bearing (4479) and so it got a light burnishing inside and out with fine steel wool to take off some of the patina. This pinion and others with the X-Ship system are known to get sticky going in and out of that bearing or on the spool shaft when the patina builds up making the reel hard to get in and out of gear:



With the Pinion and Yoke out of the way we can remove the Clutch Cam Retainer (4473) via the Screws (1636) to get at that X-Ship Ball Bearing (4479):





Once you have it removed like this the Bearing should pop right out. Be careful with the rest of the assembly as now the Clutch Cam (4474) is just resting in there and if it pops out you get to play with the Clutch Pawl Spring (4474) which I try and avoid when I can. With the Clutch Cam retained by the plate I simply squirt some Corrosion-X under there and cycle it to work it in. the parts being nylon and stainless there is little trouble to be found beneath it usually.

The Bearing headed for the Acetone soak overnight:



Replaced nice and clean:



And then some grease for the underside of the Retainer before replacing it:



Lifting off the main gear more minor corrosion on the back side of the Drive Gear (4499):



The Drag Stack. I apologize as one of the carbon fiber washers can barely be seen beneath the Eared Washer (4496) so you might miss the last washer. This got a simple wipe down and light greasing:



This is a look at the Anti-Reverse Ratchet (4456) with its two Anti-Reverse Pawls (2914) that rest on the Anti-Reverse Pawl Shafts (4462) which in turn simply rest in receptacles in the One-Piece Frame (4484) so careful they don't drop out and go skittering who knows where:



Some drag grease for the under gear Drag Washer (4455) to prevent salt intrusion (corrosion and sticky drag):



And when it goes back it will look like this all clean, the washer greased and ready to go:



But we'll lift the Ratchet out of the way so we get to what I refer to as the "Holy Grail" of servicing these modern Star Drag reels and that is the Ball Bearing (4194) that supports the Drive Shaft (4457) under the Drive Shaft Retainer (2437) held by two Screws (11):



This is the "Holy Grail" as it is pretty deep into our service adventure and it also is a common problem area as discussed in other tutorials. This bearing sits in a natural collection sump for any saltwater that gets inside the body. We have seen some minor corrosion on the Drive Gear already and so it is with some trepidation that we proceed, fearing what we might find:



Yep, trouble and the Holy Rust Grenade of Antioch  ;D...but fortunately it is not as bad as it looks. Shimano uses a Washer (2144) that seems to be made of copper or brass that easily corrodes and is the source of the rust we see, so it actually isn't as bad as it looks in this case...Don't lose your E-Lock (686). Lucky for us the miracle powers  :D of Corrosion-X made rehabilitation of this bearing possible and it was returned to service. Unfortunately, the bearing is so small that pulling the shields and properly greasing it was not really an option. I used a bearing packer to fill it as best I could with grease.



Grease it up well before replacing it:



The Sump itself was free of any corrosion or pitting and will get a healthy dollop of grease before replacing the Drive Shaft. Dodged a bullet there...and the linkages to the worm were in good shape and simply got a little scrub with Corrosion-X and were good to go:



I did want to take a look at the Line Guide Pawl (4460) and that is easiest if we take off the Thumb Rest (4459) via three Screws (2384) two on the left side and one on the right:



This exposes the Pawl Cap (3595) nicely and lets us remove the Pawl. Careful to keep an eye peeled for the Spacer (60) sitting in the bottom of the Cap:









In this case the Worm Shaft (4465) rides on bushings so a well oiled Shaft requires little maintenance.

When its time to replace the Thumb Rest a little grease on the Screws seems prudent:



The Right Side Plate (4494) also has two important bearings to service the Roller Clutch Bearing (4447) with the Roller Clutch Inner Tube (4448) inside and the pinion Ball Bearing (4446):



The pinion Bearing pops right out and gets a soak in solvent to clean, the Clutch is in a little tight in its housing so it gets some Corrosion-X on the Inner Tube that is then spun inside the Clutch to distribute it. Corrosion-X breaks up old lube and rust well so if the Tube is clean then the Clutch is usually good to go. The inside of the RS Plate has an excellent anti-corrosion coating on it but I still gave it a little swish of grease:



The Bearing gets put back in with some grease in it's housing to keep salt out and then some oil:



From the other side:



When its time to replace the Cast Control Cap (4444) really, the spool centering knob, I always put a touch of grease in the threads to prevent it seizing and in conjunction with the black O Ring (3076) to protect the pinion Bearing from salt:



Getting ready to close up we have a nice light coat of marine grease on all parts:


And this gives us a chance to talk about the "Micro Tooth Gear" that Shimano uses in the Tranx and Trinidad/Torium (IIRC). Here it is shown next to a more traditionally cut gear of a Revo Toro S and note how much larger the teeth are in the Abu Garcia:



Shimano did this as their belief is that the smaller teeth are stronger and smoother than longer ones and (I believe) contend that the smaller teeth have more contact surface than those gears more traditionally cut (Abu Garcia, Daiwa and Okuma). Other engineers that I corresponded with don't agree as frame flex complicates the issue (as the frame flexes the heavier teeth hold up better in their testing) but we certainly have to give Shimano credit for pushing the envelope with an innovation that does promote their goal of smoothness and happy users of the Tranx are legion.

As well, note the extremely large size of both Drive Gears in these "low profile" reels. The Shimano measures 50mm and the Toro S 45mm...in the case of the Tranx it is effectively the same height of the spool (!) and the Toro S drive gear is bigger than it's spool...!

Let that sink in for a second and try and picture a Senator 4/0 with a Drive Gear as big as it's spool instead of ~1/2 or less...what this does for the LP reel is give it a massively stronger gear for the size of reel, it creates room for a powerful drag stack and the extra strength allows the use of longer stock handles for impressive cranking power for their gear ratios. The bigger/tougher the drive gear in relation to the spool gives you more drag and more cranking power in essence.

They are truly small reels for big fish.  ;)

Ok, lets finish up by taking a look at the Handle Assembly (4433) and it's two Bearings to make sure they are in good shape. The Handle Knob ID Plate (4427) comes off via two Screws (1930) and you pop off a Handle Knob Seal (4428) to expose the Screw (4116) and the top Bearing (4429):





The Knob will then slip off exposing the handle shaft and uh-oh...more trouble with the bottom Bearing leaving tell-tale rust on the shaft(4194):







Well, when I first got the reel from "fishfish" I noted the handle was stiff to turn and this explains it, the Bearing (4194) is toast. This is a VERY common place for there to be corrosion as any salt on the handle ends up here. It is again also made worse by a small shim Washer (4431) made of dissimilar metal (Brass or Copper) that doesn't hold up well. Interestingly it is the same size bearing as the one under the Drive Shaft (Bearing 4194) and this problem is so common that...wait for it...YEP, Shimano is out of stock...:( :(.

The good news is that I had a better replacement on hand and that is with a sealed bearing that easily allows packing with grease. First, remove the shields (very easy to do):





Pack with grease:



And replace:



This should last far longer than the stock bearing. Packed with grease it won't "spin like a top" but will resist corrosion vastly better.

Ok, lets get the Handle back on. Remember your order:



"Cap" the Sleeve and Clutch with plenty of grease to prevent salt intrusion. This the Heavy then Light Coned Disc Spring (1455 and 1613) and the fibrous Star Drag Spacer (2127):



Plenty of grease for the Star Drag Nut and Spring (4441 and 4440), remember that corrosion we saw:



The Star (4439) and Drive Shaft Shield (4434) go next with a thumb to compress the Spring:



And then the Handle (4432) with the Handle Nut (4426), Handle Nut Plate (4425) and Screw (2119):



And we are closed!  ;D

fishfish had a rod clamp on the seat so we will put that back with greased screws or they will seize:







And then we wipe off the excess knowing that grease is protecting them.

Done!  Gee, seems so easy when I read back through it....;D



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ok, what have we seen and done and why a Tranx?

Servicing the Tranx is not hard at all and the key trouble areas (Drive Shaft and Handle Bearings) are not unique to this reel. Pre-service of these areas will keep your Tranx (or other star drag reel) humming along for years with normal use and care. Dive in and you can do eet!  ;).

Keep in mind with greater convenience typically comes a price in maintenance. These reels with advanced features need more attention to the potential problems of saltwater intrusion, not less. A little regular TLC and they will remain sweet  :-*.

Why a Tranx? First and foremost it is about casting casting casting and arguably other than a spinning reel a Tranx or other large LP reel remains as easy or easier to handle casting Wahoo Bombs and Raiders and heavier surface iron than any standard conventional reel in the world. It also still remains a top choice for Muskie guys for casting huge baits. And a Tranx can cast a live bait as well as any other reel the same size (270 yards of 65# Braid) so it is versatile as well.

In addition, although the Tranx remains the Grand-Daddy of all the LP reels in size and weight it still is King in one important regard and that is cranking power for inches per turn. This was a 500PG that has a 4.9:1 gear ratio and a modest 30" per turn....But for those 30 inches it will move them easier than just about any other Star Drag currently made due to the massive gear and consequently long handle in proportion to the spool height. The HG version moves 43" per turn with a 6.6:1 ratio and that can only be equaled among LP reels with a Daiwa Lexa HD at 8:1 (43 IPT) but with a corresponding loss in cranking power.

So, for that size and weight and extra cost you do get a more powerful reel. It is for the individual angler to decide how the scale tips for himself in that regard over a day's fishing, weight versus power. Some will certainly find that smaller reels fill their needs be it casting surface iron and poppers for warm water pelagics or burning D10's for Muskie, others will find only best in class power for inches retrieved will do.

I would say that it is a little disappointing for casting very light lures so I still advocate the 350-400 sized reels for anything much under 2 oz. ie the small poppers schoolie tuna love though the Tranx can be made to work...That big spool when it gets moving is a little tough to control with lighter baits and the weight (for me) has to be justifiable by the fish under the boat or the lure chosen.


best regards

MarkT

Here you go, TranX vs Lexa 400!

When I was your age Pluto was a planet!

johndtuttle

#2
Thanks for that Mark!   ;) The reader should note the difference in spool size which corresponds to a difference in reel height that is hard to see in the photo. :)

Sorry for the delays on the rest of the post (I see ya lurking :) ). But trying to cook dinner and watch the Warriors and Giants at the same time :D.

alantani

send me an email at alantani@yahoo.com for questions!

MarkT

A Tranx also can cast a live bait as well as any other reel the same size (270 yards of 65# Braid)."

My TranX pictured above has 315 yds of 80# Maxcuatro braid with a 50# leader.
When I was your age Pluto was a planet!

johndtuttle

#5
Quote from: MarkT on March 31, 2016, 09:50:02 PM
A Tranx also can cast a live bait as well as any other reel the same size (270 yards of 65# Braid)."

My TranX pictured above has 315 yds of 80# Maxcuatro braid with a 50# leader.

We gotta get that stuff tested and see what it breaks at. Seems to be great stuff. I just pulled the capacity numbers off of Shimano's website, I couldn't remember exactly how much I have on mine.  ;)

It looks like you have fished the Lexa 400 and Tranx side by side Mark? Anything else you would add to differentiate between them?


thanks again for the photo :)


MarkT

Yes I've fished them basically side by side.  The TranX on a Phenix psw809xhj and the Lexa 400 on the next lighter model psw809h.  The TranX is better for bombs.  It feels very smooth, solid and has a lot of cranking power. OTOH, I've caught more and bigger fish on the Lexa but then I've had it a couple of years longer. I've caught YT and YFT on the Lexa with poppers, big Luckycrafts, megabaits, swimbaits, other stickbaits. I got a Wahoo on a Megabait with an upgraded hook on the Lexa too... better to be lucky sometimes! My son has his Lexa 400 on the psw909xhj for surface iron and he really likes it for iron up to a 7x size.  I'll probably have both on Alan's 5-day and I'm really going to try to get a Wahoo on a bomb with the TranX this year! I've seen people really lay it to both YFT and Wahoo with the TranX since it's much easier to cast and crank fast than with a conventional reel.  I was going to get another TranX for my 10 day but decided to get the Saragosa 10k and Black Hole Challenger Bank s801h instead.
When I was your age Pluto was a planet!

johndtuttle

Quote from: MarkT on April 01, 2016, 01:00:50 AM
Yes I've fished them basically side by side.  The TranX on a Phenix psw809xhj and the Lexa 400 on the next lighter model psw809h.  The TranX is better for bombs.  It feels very smooth, solid and has a lot of cranking power. OTOH, I've caught more and bigger fish on the Lexa but then I've had it a couple of years longer. I've caught YT and YFT on the Lexa with poppers, big Luckycrafts, megabaits, swimbaits, other stickbaits. I got a Wahoo on a Megabait with an upgraded hook on the Lexa too... better to be lucky sometimes! My son has his Lexa 400 on the psw909xhj for surface iron and he really likes it for iron up to a 7x size.  I'll probably have both on Alan's 5-day and I'm really going to try to get a Wahoo on a bomb with the TranX this year! I've seen people really lay it to both YFT and Wahoo with the TranX since it's much easier to cast and crank fast than with a conventional reel.  I was going to get another TranX for my 10 day but decided to get the Saragosa 10k and Black Hole Challenger Bank s801h instead.



Thanks for that Mark and thanks again for the comparison photo. The Saragosa will be a little more versatile yet for casting poppers offshore (wind) but it sounds like you have all bases covered.


best

Cor

I have 3 of these reels (TRX-500HG) of which one is already showing wear on the wormgear and I am waiting on the replacement parts.

The reason I bought them is that I needed to make my tackle lighter in weight, while maintaining strength as far as possible and this was the only light reel that suits my purpose.   My needs were minimum retrieve rate of 40" per handle turn, good casting ability, strong (relative this) & Magnetic cast control (this was lacking)

I use the reel for art lure angling mainly for Yellowtail and mainly from shore based locations.

The reel that is giving trouble is now nearly 2 seasons old, but in fairness I must say that I work a reel in one season equal to what many would do in a lifetime.   To give you an idea, this one has now caught about 110 Yellowtail, one Yellowfin Tuna of about 150lb and a few odds and ends.   I can't really estimate how many cast of about 85 yards and retrieves it has made with a 2 to 3 oz lure.   A quick thumb suck with my calculator says it could conservatively be  35 000 casts per year.    On 2 March 16 I wrote the following:-  http://alantani.com/index.php?topic=17087.0 

On all three reels I made the following modifications:-
•   Removed the centrifuges cast control and replaced it with a static single magnet which I prefer by far.
•   Modified the Clutch Cam  BNT4474 to completely remove the self engaging mechanism.

I've had the following issues/wear & tear with the reel:-
•   At the end of the first season I replaced bearing BNT4194 that sits under the drive shaft as it was quite rough.   None of my reels that have a bearing there last, so that was acceptable to me.
•   The pinion gear had some burring and I "refurbished" it a bit with 1000 grit water paper.
•   After the event that led to the successful landing of a "too big fish" for the tackle, the reel felt somewhat rough with the retrieve as if the gears are showing some wear.
•   The pinion now again shows some more significant scarring.
•   and in the middle of the current season the level winding mechanism packed up.
•   The material that the spool is made of is very soft.....I dropped one on to my work bench from probably less then 1 ft high and it has quite a dent in the side, but is still useful!

When I bought the reel(s) I accepted that they would not give the same service as my normal 40 and 50 wide Shimano's or Diawa's and particularly the level winding mechanism I did not really expect to last which seems to be the correct assumption.   As for the rest, I will give it another complete service when I receive the new worm gear parts and look at everything and will then perhaps be able to give a further opinion.

At this stage I think for such a small reel it has performed reasonably well, or as expected is perhaps a more accurate statement, though I had hoped that the worm gear would last a little bit longer.
Cornelis

johndtuttle

#10
Quote from: Cor on April 21, 2016, 07:59:38 PM
I have 3 of these reels (TRX-500HG) of which one is already showing wear on the wormgear and I am waiting on the replacement parts.

The reason I bought them is that I needed to make my tackle lighter in weight, while maintaining strength as far as possible and this was the only light reel that suits my purpose.   My needs were minimum retrieve rate of 40" per handle turn, good casting ability, strong (relative this) & Magnetic cast control (this was lacking)

I use the reel for art lure angling mainly for Yellowtail and mainly from shore based locations.

The reel that is giving trouble is now nearly 2 seasons old, but in fairness I must say that I work a reel in one season equal to what many would do in a lifetime.   To give you an idea, this one has now caught about 110 Yellowtail, one Yellowfin Tuna of about 150lb and a few odds and ends.   I can't really estimate how many cast of about 85 yards and retrieves it has made with a 2 to 3 oz lure.   A quick thumb suck with my calculator says it could conservatively be  35 000 casts per year.    On 2 March 16 I wrote the following:-  http://alantani.com/index.php?topic=17087.0 

On all three reels I made the following modifications:-
•   Removed the centrifuges cast control and replaced it with a static single magnet which I prefer by far.
•   Modified the Clutch Cam  BNT4474 to completely remove the self engaging mechanism.

I've had the following issues/wear & tear with the reel:-
•   At the end of the first season I replaced bearing BNT4194 that sits under the drive shaft as it was quite rough.   None of my reels that have a bearing there last, so that was acceptable to me.
•   The pinion gear had some burring and I "refurbished" it a bit with 1000 grit water paper.
•   After the event that led to the successful landing of a "too big fish" for the tackle, the reel felt somewhat rough with the retrieve as if the gears are showing some wear.
•   The pinion now again shows some more significant scarring.
•   and in the middle of the current season the level winding mechanism packed up.
•   The material that the spool is made of is very soft.....I dropped one on to my work bench from probably less then 1 ft high and it has quite a dent in the side, but is still useful!

When I bought the reel(s) I accepted that they would not give the same service as my normal 40 and 50 wide Shimano's or Diawa's and particularly the level winding mechanism I did not really expect to last which seems to be the correct assumption.   As for the rest, I will give it another complete service when I receive the new worm gear parts and look at everything and will then perhaps be able to give a further opinion.

At this stage I think for such a small reel it has performed reasonably well, or as expected is perhaps a more accurate statement, though I had hoped that the worm gear would last a little bit longer.


Thanks very much for sharing your experience with the reel, Cor. You certainly get to fish more than most and your comments are welcome.

Despite the outward appearance of "bling" with a Tranx (all shiny silver and such) there are several areas where Shimano could upgrade the reel...first and foremost being the worm. It is a simple chrome plated one but a better choice for a $500 reel would be coating with Titanium Nitride over Brass like Abu Garcia uses on the Revo Toro Beast. Its a harder coating that holds up better to the repeated use reels like yours get.

Bearing 4194 (Drive Shaft Bearing) is a victim in any number of reels as noted in the tutorial. It really should be a sealed bearing that can be packed with grease. I can see forgoing such things in other bearings that affect casting etc but this one needs all the salt protection it can get.

As far as gear wear goes, that is going to come with the territory of light tackle reels and over a hundred of big fish. Theoretically Shimano could go to stainless steel gears but for reels used for all day casting I am partial to Brass for feel. I love stainless for a straight bait or trolling reel but casting and retrieving all day the smoothness and relatively light weight of Brass is welcome. Its just a preference that only casting and retrieving for days makes apparent as I hope you can appreciate.

A little roughness after a 150lb YFT is the price you pay for light tackle that is a joy to cast. :)

Thanks again! Keep the updates coming as many reading the thread love to hear about the service life of the reels.



best

Cor

It was time for a complete after season service for this reel.    It is now 3 year old and has earned its keep.  This is a follow up on my comments above.   The past season I have used this reel for 95% of my fishing.

Some feedback on how the reel is standing up to heavy use:-
•   I now have a fair stock of wear & tear parts for these reels, sourced mainly from the UK and even some from Shimano SA.
•   The shim I fitted above the Line guide pawl worked well for about a month, then it packed up finally!      
•   During May 16 I did a full service, I replaced the line guide pawl  (BNT4460)  and replaced the right side pinion bearing (BNT4446)
•   and during December 16 I replaced the Worm Shaft (BNT4465)
•   During March 17 I noticed the friction leaves on the anti reverse pawls were showing some wear and I replaced one AR pawl with a modified spring loaded one that is still working fine.   http://alantani.com/index.php?topic=21001.0
•   The rubber on the handle knob has become loose along the edge and has been glued back in place, but does not look very nice now.

Following advice from this forum I started to oil my level wind shaft rather then  grease.   I clean and oil it once a week (or two) while on the reel and dismantle and clean it monthly depending on how much I fish.   My impression is that oil (I use Corrosion X) is indeed better then grease.

The slight roughness I experienced on the gears after landing a very heavy fish the previous year has worn itself away!

I have started to experience some sticking of the clutch mechanism, which is caused by the Clutch Plate (BNT4480) flexing and jamming itself against the sides of the reel.   My solution has been to put some oil or grease on both sides of the  Quick-Fire II Clutch Bar (BNT4482) but that only seems to help for a day.

During this service I've done the following:-

•   The friction AR pawl was not working reliably and I replaced it with a new one. (BNT2914)
•   Once again the right side pinion bearing is slightly rough but not so that it needs replacing yet.   The left one is 100%.
•   When I assembled the worm gear it was stuck, or very tight to turn.    What caused this is a bit of a mystery to me as the only part I replaced were two E Clips?    http://alantani.com/index.php?topic=21521.msg233993#msg233993


Just a conclusion on this reel.
It has given me far better service then I had expected and has suited my specific needs very well.
It does need a lot more servicing, attention  and replacement  parts then any reel I've used in the past, but that was expected.
It is far more complex to service as it has many more small parts which I find a nuisance, but is the price I have to pay for wanting to use a reel like this.
I would recommend this reel, to anyone who is clear on what he is going to use it for and does not have unrealistic expectations.

Cornelis

MarkT

When I was your age Pluto was a planet!

r8rs4lf

Today my Tranx 500HG took a swim in the ocean along with my 900 Monster. Luckily a couple of guys were able to hook it before it sank into the depths as I ran for the gaff.

Question, do I need to get this serviced or will a rinse/soak in fresh water be good enough? I probably won't feel right until I get it serviced, but just wanted to get some opinions.

TIA

Cor

I would immediately dunk it in fresh water and give it a complete service afterwards.
Good luck!
Cornelis