TUTORIAL: PENN INTERNATIONAL 50 VSX, DRIVE GEAR & SHIFT MECHANISM

Started by josa1, August 06, 2013, 11:06:00 PM

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josa1

Just finished servicing my new (to me) Penn International 50 VSX.  I'll have to admit I would have had a lot more trouble with this if I hadn't had the help of Alan's great tutorial.  Alan didn't go into the break down of the main gear shaft and shifting mechanism so thought I would add that part.  I checked with Alan and he thought it would be a good idea.

This process starts after removing the gear shaft assembly which includes the high and low speed gears from the right side plate.  This is the first time I've done this and I'll describe my findings the best I can.  If I happen to miss something, you guys could please let me know.

Here are views of the full gear shaft assembly.  Note the Handle Screw was screwed back onto the gear shaft to hold components of the shift mechanism in place.

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View of the low speed gear side.

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Remove the handle nut and then remove Shift Button(172A) and Heavy Shift Spring (18H).

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Remove the Gear Stud Shim(s)(154).  The way I read the schematic, the number and thicknesses can vary.  In this case, there is one .010" spacer.

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Remove the Spiral Retaining Ring (195A) from the gear shaft.  This retaining ring is made to expand and it can be pried gently outward and it will expand enough to be removed from the shaft.  I like these a lot more than I like "C" clips!

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Remove the Low Gear Drive Plate (128A) from the cross slot in the shaft.  Note the orientation.  The word "TOP" is facing outward.

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When the Spiral Retaining Ring and the Low Gear Drive Plate have been removed, the Main Gear (Low Speed) (5L) can be removed from the shaft.  Now, note there is a push off hole drilled and threaded in the high speed gear.

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Insert a screw into the threaded hole to push the low speed gear away from the high speed gear.  One screw that fits is a lever quadrant mounting screw.  The H/L Gear Retaining Ring(69C) that holds the low speed gear to the high speed gear is a "flexible" retaining ring.  It rides in slots in the high and low speed gears, holding them together.

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As you insert the push off screw into the high speed gear you can see and feel the low speed gear being removed.  Here, with the screw partially inserted, you can see that the low speed gear is beginning to separate from the high speed gear.

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Here the low speed gear is completely pushed off the high speed gear.  Note the groove in the raised portion of the low speed gear which is now visible between the two gears.  This is where the low speed gear is attached to the high speed gear with the flexible retainer.  For you that have worked on them, this is similar to how a CV Joint is installed into a transaxle.

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In this photo, the end of the Shifter Plunger Screw (171) can be seen protruding from the H/L Gear Shift Plate (119).  Also partially visible is the H/L Gear Retaining Ring (69C), the flexible ring that secures the low speed gear to the high speed gear.

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Insert a screwdriver into the end of the shaft and remove the Shifter Plunger Screw (171). On this screw is the Light Shift Spring ((18L).

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Remove the H/L Gear Shift Plate (119) from the main gear shaft cross slot. If you examine this plate closely you can see that it is not orientation sensitive.

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You can now remove the Main Gear High Speed (5H) from the shaft.  Note within the interior of the high speed gear center bore is another partial view of the low speed gear retaining spring.

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Some of the operating components of the gear shaft and shift mechanism.

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To remove the H/L Gear Retaining Ring from the high speed gear...start by pushing the spring into the high speed gear slot on the side opposite of the split in the spring.  The ring in it's relaxed position is of a slightly smaller circumference than the I.D. bore in the main gear, so a goodly portion of the ring is then exposed in the split area.

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Force a sharply pointed awl behind the ring, pull up and out and lift that end of the ring out of the groove.

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Work around the gear until the spring is totally removed.

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All of the components, including the gear shaft and shifting mechanism return springs.

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To reassemble after cleaning and lubing....Start by inserting the low speed gear retaining spring into the groove in the high speed gear. Begin by forcing one side of the spring at the split into position.

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Then, work around the gear until the spring is totally installed.  It goes back into the high speed groove fairly easily.

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Insert the main gear shaft through the high speed gear and align the shaft properly with the gear..

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Install the Hi/Low Gear Shift Plate (119) into the slot in the gear shaft.  I could not find any indication that this one had to be installed facing a specific direction.

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Insert the Shifter Plunger (Screw) (171) along with the Shift Spring (Light) (18L) into the gear shaft bore, start the screw into the drive plate and just loosely tighten.  I found that by leaving the screw loose it is easier to install the low speed gear on to the retaining spring.  I think it's because it can then more easily center itself onto the spring.

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Install the low speed gear onto the assembly by pushing the split end of the retaining spring all of the way into the high speed gear groove.  Start the low speed gear onto the spring by tilting it slightly to engage the gear with the retaining spring at this point.  This was the most frustrating operation of this sequence.  I found that there is definitely a "feel" to knowing that the gear is going onto the spring.  I did this several times to see what worked and what didn't.  Once the low speed gear is totally in place, finish tightening the Shifter Plunger (Screw).

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Install the Low Gear Drive Plate (128A) into the shaft slot at the low speed gear.  Be sure the word TOP is facing outward.

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Install the Spiral Retaining Ring (195A) by placing one side in the slot and slowly working around the gear shaft until the ring is in place.

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Reinstall the Gear Stud Shim(s), the Shift Spring (Heavy) and the Shift Spacer back into the gear shaft.  Finally, put the handle locking nut back on to hold the shifting mechanism in place until you're ready to reinstall the gear shaft assembly back into the right side plate.

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Now, how does the shift mechanism work? Seems like I always want to know!

A good way to find out is to assemble the shift mechanism while out of the reel and see what happens when you push the shift button.  Please keep in mind that I'm explaining this as best I can, if you see something I miss please let me know.

Here is the shift button.  It's position dictates the drive gear engaged.  Of primary importance, note the slot cut at the base of the metal shaft near the plastic top. When the button is depressed for low gear operation, the Shifter Retaining Plate (133) seats into the cut and keeps the reel in low gear.

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Here is the shaft assembly with shifter button attached. It is in the high speed, non depressed, position.

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In this configuration, the Low Gear Drive Plate (128A) is not engaged with the low gear.

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and the high gear is fully engaged with the main drive shaft.

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Here the shift control button is depressed, selecting low gear operation.  The button shaft is "captured" by the Shifter Retaining Plate, maintaining the gear selection..

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The main shaft is disengaged from the high speed gear.

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and the Low Gear Drive Plate is fully engaged with the low gear, putting it in service.

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If you put together what actually happened as the button was was pushed....The button shaft pushes on the shift button, which pushes on, and depresses, the heavy shift spring, which pushes on the shifter plunger, and depresses the light shift spring, which pushes on the Hi/Low Gear Shift Plate, which, at the same time, pulls the high speed gear away from the shaft drive points and pushes the low speed gear on to the low gear drive plate.  Power from the handle now is transferred to the low gear.

To return to the high speed gear, the shifter button retaining ring is rotated which forces open the slot in the Shifter Catch Holder (173A) which releases its hold on the Shift Button shaft and the compressed springs then drive the assembly back into the high speed operation... Simple huh! :)

alantani

send me an email at alantani@yahoo.com for questions!

josa1

Just returned from my annual June Heat, Red Rooster III 15 day.  I caught fish on both my 16 VSX and the 50 VSX.  The catch on the 50 was a 213 pound YFT that won me the prize of the day, an Accurate Boss Fury 600 fishing reel  :D  :D  :D!

Before I dismantle the reels for cleaning and service, there is one problem I want to mention which occurred on both the 16 and 50 VSXs,,,,,,When the reels were in low gear, and under heavy pressure, the handle would occasionally "jump" for about 3/4 of a turn which I think means the low speed shaft had become disengaged from the low speed gear.  The shift button didn't pop out from its low speed selection position and the reel did not go into high gear.  It was pretty darn annoying to say the least.

I'm relatively sure the reels are assembled correctly, but, as you know, things happen.

Has anyone had this happen before?  I'm going to look into it closely during service and if I learn anything I will post it here with pictures.

As usual, thanks for your help!

josa1

gottaway

Josa1,
I have the same exact problem with low gear on my 50VSW. I removed the housing and you can see the low gear drive plate does not fully engage the low speed gear.
If you press the low shift pin in fully past the detent it does fully engage.
All of the parts look good even the handle nut is not bent like the Penn service bulletin shows. Seems the shift pin is too short? Was wondering if anybody had a fix for this, seems to crop up quite often but I have not read any solutions.

josa1

Well, Regretfully I don't have a fix.  When I took the reel apart for servicing I didn't see anything obvious that would cause the problem.

Maybe some one else has some ideas.  Let's hope so.

josa1

Rothmar2

I have never seen this problem occur in this series of reels, so what I'm about to say is only a guess.
But I wonder if the shift shaft springs have crept a little, so that they have possibly lost some of their free height, and thus building up enough spring energy to make the whole assembly shift properly. Do you always store your reels in high gear? (ie. shift button out, with shift springs not compressed?). It seems like a similar problem to leaving a lever drag reel in storage for long periods with the drag engaged, and thus the preload bellevilles are left under compression and can creep over time to lose their free height. Is the plastic spacer which is under the crank nut also unmarked without a divot in it from the shift button shaft? I actually was never a fan of that plastic piece, and it's possible (but unlikely??) that that piece could creep a little if left under compression for long periods with low gear engaged.
I wonder if anyone has unused shift springs that they can measure the free height of for comparison?

As I said, this is only a "best guess".

akfish

Very nice tutorial! But as I worked through it, I couldn't help but to wonder: Isn't this mechanism needlessly complex? Shimano, Avet and other mechanisms work just as well and are **so** much simpler!!
Taku Reel Repair
Juneau, Alaska
907.789.2448

Alto Mare

Forget about all the reasons why something may not work. You only need to find one good reason why it will.

gottaway

Rothmar,
I think you are onto something. Your theory is very plausible. I removed the plastic spacer. It is 1/4" x 1/4" , I made another spacer out of nylon 1/4" diameter x 5/16" long. This resolved the issue. Now the drive dog is firmly planted into the low gear drive. I will have to make a few more for the other reels I have.

Rothmar2

Quote from: gottaway on June 28, 2018, 11:40:04 AM
Rothmar,
I think you are onto something. Your theory is very plausible. I removed the plastic spacer. It is 1/4" x 1/4" , I made another spacer out of nylon 1/4" diameter x 5/16" long. This resolved the issue. Now the drive dog is firmly planted into the low gear drive. I will have to make a few more for the other reels I have.

No problem, glad I could help. Thanks for sharing your findings and solution. Nice work with the fix!

thorhammer

Nice! Bt way above my paygrade. I'll send my two-speeds to you guys!

J

josa1

That is just brilliant, Rothmar.  I'll modify my spacer and see what happens the next time I connect with a nice tuna.

So many smart people here on AT's site.  What a pleasure to work with you all!

josa1

Rothmar2

Actually without your very detailed tutorial josa1, despite being very familiar with these reels, I probably wouldn't have been able to offer some suggestions unless I had a reel in front of me.
Vote from me to have this tutorial stickied.

alantani

send me an email at alantani@yahoo.com for questions!

Roller

Hi I'm not sure who Bryan is  :) But I was directed to this post.  I was wondering if Bryan has any 600h drag  kits?  Many thanks Roller...