Mitchell 410

[Wayne B.]

What is the purpose of the large screw in the end of the body? I have a 410 that looks like new, opened it up and clean and freshly lubed lightly. Very sluggish operation. I have one just like it that spins like new. Any suggestions?

[foakes]

It is a grease port, Wayne —

All interior parts need to be cleaned, burnished, and as new for smooth operation.

Plus, the proper amount of rotor shims to operate freely.

Many folks forget to polish the spool shaft, spool shaft channel, main gear axle, main gear bushing in the case of a 300.

On your 410 — that is a high speed model with a bearing at the pinion and the crank.  These are a metal roller bearing in a plastic cage.  It all needs to be cleaned and the bearings oiled.

All of the gears need to be cleaned and shiny with no burrs.

Just picture anything that moves when the reel is cranked — and know that it all must be super cleaned, greased in places, and oiled in others.

Best, Fred

[Wayne B.]

Fred, thanks for your reply! In my more agile years I always had a car project going. When I opened up this 410, it reminded me of the difference in how the mechanism in an old Chevy to raise and lower the window consisted of a few in number and built to last. An old Mercedes had a hundred parts to do the same thing. This is what I am seeing when I sit an old Penn Greenie next to the internals of the 410. I am still interested to know what the large screw in the of the body is used for?

[Wompus Cat]

Like Fred posted in the first sentence of his post
It is a grease port, Wayne —


As far as old Mercedes window Regulators they were no more exotic than old  Regular Chevy Regulators except for the 1960's 600 Grand Series in which they were Hydraulic and they were A NIGHTMARE....lol
1950's  Packard Convertible was a Concoction of the INSANE too.

[foakes]

All too true, Wayne!

I mentioned in the first line of my above reply — that the large aluminum screw at the rear of the housing is a grease port.

These Mitchell's came with a tube of grease — so an angler could lube all six gears, mechanisms, and slides at once — just by squeezing as much grease as possible into the casing.

It is not unusual to open up a stiff operating Mitchell — only to find a case full of 4 types of grease — all at a different latter stage of hardness and dried out.

Due to the overly-complicated internal mechanisms on these Mitchell's — and much softer internal materials as compared to a Penn, DQ, or Cardinal spinning reel — they wear out sooner, need shim experimentation, and grease to keep them fishing.  (Aluminum alloy gears in a Mitchell 300 size reel — compared to bronze, brass, and steel in Penns, DQ's, and Cardinals).  Plus, the last (3) mentioned have worm-drive systems — which is much longer lasting and stronger by at least 100%.

The tiny 308's and 408's are a much longer lasting reel than the 300/400 size reels.

Leave it to the French to make something that has twice as many parts as necessary — and takes shims to adjust the wear over the years.

But they sold very well — because they were attractive, functional, available, — and held up OK when fished within their limits.

Best, Fred

[Wayne B.]

Thanks Fred! I sure did miss your first line! So it sounds like my reel needs some shimming. Looks like I have a user and a shelf queen.