Have a Heddon 230 reel in very good shape

FlipFlopRepairShoppe · April 19, 2019, 11:07:45 PM

Phil, I'm always on the hunt for the older cool ones, so would love to talk to you about the old reel sometime. I'm not going to lead you on, my reel budget is small, so if she's a super collectable, she's out of my league.

Midway, thanks for allaying my fears. I know it seems counter-intuitive but the older reels I buy that I plan to fish, I actually buy because the construction is better than alot of the newer stuff. Stellas and Saltigas are out of my budget, but I can rummage around and find some tough as nails older stuff for a fraction of what the new gen stuff goes for. Some of it I collect just for the cool factor, but I pride myself on always rocking vintage gear. Case in point, my free diving masks are all old Dacors. I've been using some of them for ten years and they're still going strong.

FlipFlopRepairShoppe · April 19, 2019, 11:12:16 PM

Midway, I also read those posts on how that Alcedo was put together. I hope this Columbian doesn't have that ball bearing setup. That would be a super pain to take down and reassembled. If she does, got any tips for servicing her without completely disassembling the bearing structure, like you did?

Midway Tommy · April 20, 2019, 02:35:14 AM

I almost bet it has sandwiched ball bearings like the Red Ram & Spin Mitey. I'm pretty sure they were all early Olympic made reels. Those were a little easier to take apart and put back together than the Alcedo 2CS. They really need to be totally taken down and cleaned if you want a complete service, just be careful not to lose any balls. Worst case scenario, you can purchase bearing balls at a lot of hardware stores or Menards in the same sizes they used for those bearings.

FlipFlopRepairShoppe · April 20, 2019, 03:20:29 AM

Oh boy, this thing is gonna get opened inside of a shoe box. I will definitely try not to lose my balls.

Sorry, couldn't help myself.

I'm going to be taking pictures of everything as I take it apart, and am going to be building a jig to hold the reel upside down to reassemble that ball bearing assembly. I foresee alot of scrubbing of small parts in a tupperware container of rubbing alcohol.

Midway, I'm going to be using your pictorials of those reels to guide me. Got any tips?

Midway Tommy · April 20, 2019, 05:28:10 AM

Go slow & take lots of pics along the way. They're really not that complicated. Maybe you'll be lucky and it will have an encased ball bearing. You should be able to tell as soon as you remove the sideplate and any grease at the top of the pinion worm gear.

FlipFlopRepairShoppe · April 20, 2019, 05:32:37 AM

Thank you, sir. Should be here Tuesday, so should be able to get her torn down that day or the next. It's funny, her shipping was almost double her cost, LOL. A complete steal for a worm-drive bronze geared reel. If a redfish can take this reel apart, then I'll be astounded.

philaroman · April 20, 2019, 10:44:35 AM

schematic seems kinda' generic (one for all sizes & variations)
but it's a surprisingly clear photo -- not, fuzzy drawing

I predict loose balls, but fewer of them & only on top (between body & rotor)
no balls in the gear-box; doubt you'll need a special jig
...certainly, not 2 X 16, top & bottom
[Tom, did you intentionally pick the scariest loose-ball example, so people know your pain?

]

Midway Tommy · April 20, 2019, 02:35:38 PM

Quote from: philaroman on April 20, 2019, 10:44:35 AM
schematic seems kinda' generic (one for all sizes & variations)
but it's a surprisingly clear photo -- not, fuzzy drawing

I predict loose balls, but fewer of them & only on top (between body & rotor)
no balls in the gear-box; doubt you'll need a special jig
...certainly, not 2 X 16, top & bottom
[Tom, did you intentionally pick the scariest loose-ball example, so people know your pain? ]

Phil,

The Spin Mitey & Red Ram only had balls at the top, rotor body connection, but they both had two sets. The RR had 30 (15 each side) & the SM had 26 (13 each side). Interestingly, neither example had a rear main shaft support, the main shaft free floated.

BTW, I have a few Italian made Ted Williams and Pescador examples that have ball bearings who's make up is a single washer with 5, 6 or 8 holes in them as the retainer with free floating balls in the holes sandwiched between two flat surfaces.

Those are kind of scary when you're not expecting them and everything just falls out onto the bench & the floor/carpet!

A few choice words come out about that time.

philaroman · April 20, 2019, 07:22:14 PM

in the other thread, you mentioned it was same as Airex 365 -- was that Italian[based]?
I think there's a later Orvis like the grey/blue Columbian (Orvis liked Italian designs & OEMs, correct?)

Quote from: Midway Tommy on April 20, 2019, 02:35:38 PM
...bearings who's make up is a single washer with 5, 6 or 8 holes in them as the retainer with free floating balls in the holes sandwiched between two flat surfaces...

CAVEAT, FlipFlop !!! ...that's EXACTLY IT in the Columbian "photographic" schematic
albeit, the actual balls are not shown

...wouldn't sit still, for the photo? ...censorship

Midway Tommy · April 22, 2019, 02:16:14 AM

Quote from: philaroman on April 20, 2019, 07:22:14 PM

in the other thread, you mentioned it was same as Airex 365 -- was that Italian[based]?
I think there's a later Orvis like the grey/blue Columbian (Orvis liked Italian designs & OEMs, correct?)

No, they're Japanese made. Orvis originally sold a few different makers' reels. One, the Zangi Pelican 100, in 1954 evolved into the Orvis 100. All of Orvis' mid '50s through late '70s reels were made by either Zangi or Coptes of Italy. The '80s & after Orvis rear drag examples all came out of Asia.