Spinning reels tight after service

[CaptKrunch]

So I've done several reels now and a few spinning reels. It's interesting to see the different ways the same thing can be accomplished.

Something I have run into is when completing a spinner is that it seems to be tighter than when I started. Now by tighter the best way to describe it is that when it would come in (and it is not broke or full of sand) spinning the handle will allow the handle to turn on its own.

After cleaning and lubing it back up, it feels like something was overtightened and the handle won't spin like it did initially.

I use Penn oil on the bearings then put Penn grease over the exterior of them. Penn grease on gears and Crosswind gears and block.

I have taken the reels back apart and nothing is binding. Made sure nothing was torqued down. Reel is smooth. Just feels tight.

Any ideas or suggestions?

Have only had 1 comment about it and that was from a guy who picked the rel up for a friend.

[handi2]

Many times it's the screws. I've noticed on Penn reels that the body screws aren't very tight.

You may have to go back in and remove a shim from under the bearing

[CaptKrunch]

Had not thought of that. Will give that a try.

[Paul Roberts]

Possibly the gears aren't meshing the same as they were? I do find that using the reel as a fidget spinner for a few minutes seems to loosen things up some.

But, if I put a reel back together and it's too tight, then something is wrong. Its the same parts going in that came out. Something was likely put in the wrong place, or something isn't seated properly. This is where I break out a schematic.

[thorhammer]

I've had this happen on different brands. Haven't figured it out yet but I need time to get at the shims, everything else being equal.

John

[Donnyboat]

Yes twiddle with the shim, good idea, also some time you can wash a grit or two of sand into the bearings, maybe give the bearings a good spray with carb cleener, or brake cleaner, whyle rotating them on an tapered paint brush, in the drill, then a little air presser, when drying, good luck cheers Don.

[Midway Tommy]

Are they actually tight or just slower? If just slower maybe your using too much grease for what you are trying to accomplish. My experience has found that after I'm done servicing it the reel will be stiff on my first forward cranks but 10 or 15 reverse cranks frees things up considerably. Every reel I service is like that, but then I use more grease than most guys.   

[philaroman]

did the spinners have several shims on main gear?
I'm sure you put them all back, but NOBODY bothers to
to put them back EXACTLY same order & facing the same way up, as before
sometimes, after years of no service, they're not perfectly flat... slightly cupped
the shim thickness uniformity is not that precise, to begin with, and the metal is pretty soft
might take a while for a reshuffled stack of shims to settle back to same shape & "offset thickness" as before
if the reel is just a little tighter, but the gears mesh smoothly, I'd leave it alone

EDIT: not disagreeing w/ Tom, BTW...  mo'better grease compounds the TEMPORARY slowness

[Paul Roberts]

Let us know how it turns out.

[CaptKrunch]

So the latest reel this happened on was a Spinfisher VI 7500. I did take the time to take a picture of how things come out of the reel. And bonus, no extra parts when done.

One of the other reels I had this happen on the guy asked if I put the shims back in right. I do try to make sure they go back where they came from, but can not say they went back facing the same way.

I do use brake cleaner to get things clean. It's a cheat I know but it does cut through the grease quicker. I check the bearings before and after cleaning.

First thing tried was to loosen the screws on the body slightly. A little better but I do not want to make it so they fall out.

Next pulled the shim on the left side of the reel. That did the trick.

Reel now works great. Thanks Handi2.

Thanks to everyone for their suggestions. This gives me several trouble shooting options if it happens again.

[JasonGotaProblem]

Others may have more useful input but if everything was reinstalled in the correct order then you probably have too much grease. And that grease on the surface of the bearings will slow them down.

The other thing to consider: the spool shaft. Did you put grease or oil on the inside of the pinion where it slides? If you want smooth operation, it needs to be oil not grease. Also I've noticed on some reels the pinion and spool shaft can be slightly misaligned. Not enough where you can't reassemble it and use it, but enough that you feel resistance that wasnt there before. So on every spinner after I've placed the pinion and bearing I'll slide the spool shaft down the pinion into its spot on the crosswind block, and only then do I tighten the screws holding the pinion/bearing in place, making sure to alternate sides so one doesn't tighten more than the other.

One other mystery item that kept a spinner from optimal operation til i chased it down: make sure all bearings are fully seated as deep as they can go. If one's out a quarter of a millimeter it's like having an extra shim in the wrong place, and it may be enough to create a rub that wasnt there before.

[Midway Tommy]

Just to be clear, I know well that additional, or too much, grease can slow my reels down but since I only use spinners I don't care. My preference is adequate or extra lube and smoothness, not speed. If I fished a conventional I might think a little differently but the line goes out freely on an open face spinner so I want lube when I need it if I hook into a big fish that's going to take my reel to its limits. I could care less about how many times the rotor or handle spins around freely on its own if I flick it. 

[handi2]

So the latest reel this happened on was a Spinfisher VI 7500. I did take the time to take a picture of how things come out of the reel. And bonus, no extra parts when done.

One of the other reels I had this happen on the guy asked if I put the shims back in right. I do try to make sure they go back where they came from, but can not say they went back facing the same way.

I do use brake cleaner to get things clean. It's a cheat I know but it does cut through the grease quicker. I check the bearings before and after cleaning.

First thing tried was to loosen the screws on the body slightly. A little better but I do not want to make it so they fall out.

Next pulled the shim on the left side of the reel. That did the trick.

Reel now works great. Thanks Handi2.

Thanks to everyone for their suggestions. This gives me several trouble shooting options if it happens again.

I use brake cleaner a lot. It's great for a quick spray and clean on all types of parts and reels

I almost always have to remove a shim after changing bearings on a reel.

The late model Shimano spinning reels get very noisy when their pinion bearing gets rusted. They get rusted a lot. 

During assembly I put a little grease on the top of the pinion bearing before adding the roller clutch. It doesn't affect the roller clutch.

I add grease in the handle and cap openings too. Water gets in there too.

Keith