Shimano stella 4000 FE HELP!!!!!

Joakim W · September 23, 2012, 11:54:57 AM

Hello!

i bought a Stella 4000 Fe from the Us a couple of months ago(i live in Sweden), brand new. When i turn the handle and reel a lure inn it feels heavy. What is wrong with it.
I know i can send it to shimano but just in the us because Shimano in sweden didnt want to look at it when it is not bought in sweden. Is their anything i can do to fixe it or is it a lost cause?

Many Thanks from Joakim In Sweden

Tile · September 23, 2012, 01:08:09 PM

You can attempt to disassemble the reel yourself. There is a guide on how to maintain and lubricate a Stella: http://alantani.com/index.php?topic=2540.0

Joakim W · September 23, 2012, 02:34:54 PM

do you think i have to lubricate it, it is just heavy when i reel with some resistance like a lure in the water not when you reel it with no resistance at all.

Irish Jigger · September 23, 2012, 02:44:33 PM

Welcome aboard Joakim. I would remove the spool only at this stage and see if the handle turns freely before dismantling a new reel.
There are a number of fellow Scandinavians on here who should be able to offer advice on dealing with "Shimano Sweden."

alantani · September 23, 2012, 03:12:04 PM

i'm not the spinner guy, but it sounds like you have bearings that are frozen up. $:-\$

Nessie Hunter · September 23, 2012, 05:44:47 PM

Brand new??
Shimano is Shimano - same co & product.

For the price for a Stella I would think they would provide Limousine service to get it to 'any' repair spot and back!!

Irish Jigger · September 23, 2012, 06:35:53 PM

I had the same problem with Daiwa (UK) when looking for spares for Daiwa reels I bought in the US. They advised me to "get your spares from the US where you bought them."

johndtuttle · September 23, 2012, 10:22:17 PM

Quote from: Joakim W on September 23, 2012, 02:34:54 PM
do you think i have to lubricate it, it is just heavy when i reel with some resistance like a lure in the water not when you reel it with no resistance at all.

depends on many things, hard to know without you doing some basic maintenance yourself on it.

1. What lure? Spinning reels have little cranking power (especially the small ones) and it may be just the lure.

2. Have you opened the maintenance port on the body and put some light oil on the gears? Keep some in the Line Roller too or it will freeze up on you.

3. If it only feels "heavy" but has no grinding sensation of any kind it probably just needs lubrication.

4. If you are not comfortable servicing the reel yourself you have to pay some one to do it. Anyone competent to work on a spinning reel can do it (a low standard, heck, I work on mine

).

best

Bunnlevel Sharker · September 25, 2012, 12:13:58 AM

Alright, if your having trouble getting them to help you, try this
Step 1: Aquire chainsaw
Step 2: Walk into office, crank, rev several times, and cut desk in half
Step 3: Ask for service
Step 4: If still refused, continue slicing through desk and chairs until service is recieved

Joakim W · September 25, 2012, 12:50:39 PM

Wow!!! thank you all for the kindness of taking your time to answer my post. The thing is that it is a Stella with higher gearing 6.2 not the 5.2 wich is the one they sell here in Sweden. there is no resistance when reeling it without the spool or when just reeling it with the spool on. Is there any chance one can over lubricate it, so it is to much oil?

johndtuttle · September 25, 2012, 02:56:02 PM

Quote from: Joakim W on September 25, 2012, 12:50:39 PM
Wow!!! thank you all for the kindness of taking your time to answer my post. The thing is that it is a Stella with higher gearing 6.2 not the 5.2 wich is the one they sell here in Sweden. there is no resistance when reeling it without the spool or when just reeling it with the spool on. Is there any chance one can over lubricate it, so it is to much oil?

What are you trying to reel in with it? Heavy Jigs or surface lures?

Heavy jigs will feel heavy. That reel with it's high speed gearing was designed to fish light surface lures and is very small, hence, no cranking power. Yes, you can over lubricate it. Only a few drops of oil are needed in the maintenance port. Ideally, you would use Shimano spray grease and just a bit to get on the main gear and pinion.

best

Joakim W · September 25, 2012, 05:45:34 PM

I have fished with pretty heavy baits, from jiggs to big swimbaits, it is mounted on a Danish made Edge rod 8,6 ft with lure weight up to 140 grams, its just that ive heard about the power in the smaller stella reels that it takes no effort to turn the handle and so on. i just got confused because it felt a bit heavy to reel it with like a cisco kid 1800 and lures like that in the other end.

johndtuttle · October 24, 2012, 01:10:49 AM

Quote from: Joakim W on September 25, 2012, 05:45:34 PM
I have fished with pretty heavy baits, from jiggs to big swimbaits, it is mounted on a Danish made Edge rod 8,6 ft with lure weight up to 140 grams, its just that ive heard about the power in the smaller stella reels that it takes no effort to turn the handle and so on. i just got confused because it felt a bit heavy to reel it with like a cisco kid 1800 and lures like that in the other end.

Yes, effortless to turn the handle when nothing is attached

.

A 4000 size reel has no cranking power. It only sounds what you are experiencing is perfectly normal.

best

Clem · October 24, 2012, 04:47:45 AM

Also, 140gm (5 oz) is a fair weight for a 4000 to be working...add water resistance etc

Killerbug · October 27, 2012, 03:29:55 PM

Quote from: Joakim W on September 25, 2012, 05:45:34 PM
I have fished with pretty heavy baits, from jiggs to big swimbaits, it is mounted on a Danish made Edge rod 8,6 ft with lure weight up to 140 grams, its just that ive heard about the power in the smaller stella reels that it takes no effort to turn the handle and so on. i just got confused because it felt a bit heavy to reel it with like a cisco kid 1800 and lures like that in the other end.

Hejsan Joakim, I service the Stella on regular basis, though only the larger models, in the 10000-20000 range.

If only feels hard to wind while fishing, everything is normal, if it's giving some resistance just by winding it, let Shimano have a look at it.

If the reel is new, it's unlikely that any bearings are broke, more likely the rubber band that brakes the rotor(so it do not turn while casting) is rotten. If the reel have been lying on a shelf for some years in the store, this is possible.

I rip the Cisco kid 1800, as well as Super magnum Dawgs with a baitcaster, if I just wind them in, the result is heavy resistance. That's why I(and 99% of pike and musky fishermen) use a baitcaster with a power handle for this kind of fishing. The torqe on most spinning reels are simply not high enough. If you used a stiffer rod, you would also feel less resistance, but that's another story. The Stella is a very popular reel among jiggers and poppers, but they rip their baits to,seldom they just wind them in. Try ripping that would for sure work great with your reel, you might even catch more pike