TUTORIAL: Cabela's Depthmaster II by Okuma

Started by WeyeFisherCO, April 24, 2017, 02:30:32 AM

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WeyeFisherCO

This is a complete disassembly and assembly tutorial for the Cabela's Depthmaster II DM30 and DM45 Levelwind Reels which are manufactured by Okuma.  The DM15, DM15a, DM30a, and DM45a are similar in construction, so this tutorial will also cover them.

Since there are tons of high resolution photos I wrote the tutorial in MS Word and converted it to PDF format; this reduced the total size from ~900 Mbytes to about 20 Mbytes.  I split the tutorial into 6 files (3 assembly and 3 disassembly).

The 3 disassembly tutorial files are attached.

Enjoy and Tight Lines,
David

P.S. I want to thank Alan Tani and to everyone else who has posted a tip or tutorial for inspiring me to put this together.  I have learned a lot from all of you.  Thanks!

WeyeFisherCO

#1
The 3 assembly tutorial files are attached.  

Part 6 also includes instructions for synchronizing the spool with the Levelwind mechanism after assembly.

WeyeFisherCO

#2
Schematics for DM30, DM45, and DM30a are attached for reference.

alantani

wow!!!!  that was impressive!!!!  when you get a chance, could you please send me a pm with your mailing address?  i have something that i wish to mail to you.  thanks!  alan
send me an email at alantani@yahoo.com for questions!

Bryan Young

Wow. Great work. I haven't done a tutorial in years because servicing complex reels are hard enough. But I guess I should do a few more. Thank you for re-inspiring me.
:D I talk with every part I send out and each reel I repair so that they perform at the top of their game. :D

WeyeFisherCO

Thanks guys, I'm glad you enjoyed it. 

My next tutorial will probably be for a reasonably priced spinning reel.  They have half as many parts, so it will be considerably shorter.  ;)


The DM30 and DM45 use identical ball bearing sizes.  If you need to order replacements the Spool Bearing Sizes are:
11mm OD x 4mm ID x 4 mm Thick
16mm OD x 8mm ID x 5mm Thick

Noviceman

Hi...I am about to undertake a Depthmaster DM30 thanks to your tutorial and have a question about drag washer sizes..You mentioned you got them from Dawn at Smoothdrag but done see anything on her site about this reel...Is this the same as one of the Okumas you mentioned..Might be easier to order for the Okuma if I know what one...Anyway hope this question makes some sense to you and appreciate your help....

sdlehr

Wow, Weye, that's a new standard set for tutorials! Very well done!

Sid
Sid Lehr
Veterinarian, fishing enthusiast, custom rod builder, reel collector

Gobi King

Quote from: Noviceman on December 12, 2017, 02:50:04 PM
Hi...I am about to undertake a Depthmaster DM30 thanks to your tutorial and have a question about drag washer sizes..You mentioned you got them from Dawn at Smoothdrag but done see anything on her site about this reel...Is this the same as one of the Okumas you mentioned..Might be easier to order for the Okuma if I know what one...Anyway hope this question makes some sense to you and appreciate your help....

From what I read here if you call and talk to her she will hook you up with the correct drag washer.
I have a dozen of these reels, I was going to send them off to a reel guy in ludington but I am building my confidence to undertake it myself.

Weye - Thanks, very well done Sir!
Shibs - aka The Gobi King
Fichigan

Noviceman

Have called Dawn before on Cabelas reels and she doesnt have any info unless you know who made the exact reel and matching number etc..anyway thats why I asked which okuma would be the same cf washers....Want to order before I rip into it...Good luck on yours..The tutorial looks very thorough..

Gobi King

Quote from: Noviceman on December 12, 2017, 04:04:06 PM
Have called Dawn before on Cabelas reels and she doesnt have any info unless you know who made the exact reel and matching number etc..anyway thats why I asked which okuma would be the same cf washers....Want to order before I rip into it...Good luck on yours..The tutorial looks very thorough..

Ok, sorry, good to know.
I will defer to OP to share his order details from Dawn.
Shibs - aka The Gobi King
Fichigan

Noviceman

#11
No need to be sorry for anything....I should be sorry for not reading all the notes...there is a website listed in his tutorial that has cabelas washers and parts available which I didnt notice earlier....

http://stores.tunasreeltroubles.com/dm-iii-30-dm-iii-30b/       .....Think I did this right?    Anyway hope this helps you....And Merry Christmas..

WeyeFisherCO

Hello everyone.

I bought my drag washer sets for Cabelas DM reels from tunasreeltroubles.com since they offer the set (very convenient).  There is a high probability that the levelwind parts are damaged and need replacement; you can order those at the same time.  Note that when you hover the mouse pointer over "Cabela's Reel Parts" a menu will pop up where you select if it is a "Depthmaster", "Depthmaster II", "Depthmaster III" or "Depthmaster Gold" reel and when you hover over the series it will bring up the different sizes of reels.  Select the correct size from that menu to display the correct parts catalog.  Cabela's marks the series name on the top of the reel, so there is no need to guess - just read the markings. 

The undergear washer I used is a Carbontex #10 that I bought from Dawn at smoothdrag.com because it was not part of the tuna's reel troubles set at the time when I did the upgrades on the Depthmaster reels (looking at the website today it shows the undergear washer is included in tuna's set).  I selected it by measuring the original washer with calipers and selecting the closest match from the list of smoothdrag washer sizes.  I have done this for many freshwater reels when Dawn doesn't have any washer set listed.

Many of the store brand reels are not exactly the same as the models the manufacturer sells, so I don't know if there is an exact Okuma match (I think the answer is probably no).  I usually google some of the part numbers listed on the exploded diagram to see who actually manufactured the reel.


Noviceman, enjoy yourself on the Depthmaster cleaning and upgrades - I put all the little tricks I figured out when working on these into the tutorial so it will be easier than the first one I disassembled. [It's easier for me too this way - it's easy to forget the quirky stuff.]

David

Noviceman

Well thanks for all the info.....Yours was about the most detailed tutorial I have ever seen....Must have taken a few hours/days etc...I used mine down in Marathon, Fl on the atlantic side for about 3 years and it worked great except the linecounter seemed sticky at times....anyway got into taking apart and  cleaning reels a fewmonths ago just for fun and have gotten about a dozen off ebay....Still looking for a cheap 49 but no hurry...anyway have this cabelas depthmaster and a Shimano tekota to clean etc....

Merry Christmas to you and yours....  Keep warm....Its 9 above zero here in NE Wisconsin...

WeyeFisherCO

Noviceman,

It's about 20 here this morning on the Colorado front range.  Reel cleaning is a great activity for those cold winter days/nights.  I use my Depthmasters with segmented leadcore for Kokanee Salmon, Lake Trout, and Walleye fishing.  The levelwind pawls wear out every few seasons for me, but no other issues.  For the price it's a surprisingly well built reel, and with the carbon fiber drag and improved handle they are a pleasure to use.   No linecounter issues yet, but that is sold as a unit so it's really easy to fix.

I spent a couple weeks of evenings on the tutorial and really enjoyed putting it together.  I figured that someone using it may have never cleaned a reel before, so I tried to cover everything.  I wanted to pay back the alantani.com forum posters for everything I learned by reading their posts, and Alan Tani for creating this awesome community.  I am hoping to find time this winter to put together a couple more tutorials while I dream of warmer water and big fish....

David