Decided to clean my reel...

[USMCbassman]

This was an E5 that I purchased some time ago. I had never got around to cleaning it, when I received it I gave it a quick once over and noticed on the outside it was filthy. Whoever I purchased it from (can't remember where I picked it up) must have never cleaned it or had it cleaned.

I'm assuming Shimano uses red grease from the factory, there was still a lot of red grease in there and you could see where someone added a little here and there, but that was about it. I had chunks of "stuff" falling out and off of the reel as I was scrubbing it, you could hear the spool "grinding" as you reeled it from stuff being between the spool and reel body.

This was only the second or 3rd time I've had a reel down this far; it is now re-lubed with Cal's grease. Drag washers need to be replaced and bearings are showing a little sign of corrosion on the outside (assuming from neglect). Other than and lot of TLC (spend about 3 hours cleaning, scrubbing and re-lubing) it works like new and it spooled with 12lb flouro! Hopefully I can put it to use tomorrow...

[bamabassman]

braver than me,lol.

[kennethdaysale]

Originally Posted by bamabassman

braver than me,lol.

me too, just looking at that picture makes me want to gag

[USMCbassman]

LOL, it's not anywhere near as complicated as it looks! I only managed to lose one "e" clip, which I robbed off my citica until I can get one ordered. No left over parts and much, much more smooth than it was previously. Once I get the bearings and drag washers replaced it'll be ready for some serious work. I think it'll hold its own in the mean time.

I enjoy taking things apart and learning how they how work, I need find me a cheap Abu reel and get inside it. From what I hear they're a little different than a Shimano.

Since the E series are getting harder and harder to find I think the next reel I'll order is a Lew's Tourny Pro and that'll be a whole new learning curve I'm sure.

[kennethdaysale]

I like taking stuff apart too, been doing it ever since I was a kid, but unless it's something with just two parts......apart is where it usually stays.
Speaking of the E series Curado, there are more of them out there than you'd think. I'm out and about in little rural unincorporated "towns" all the time and any time I see one of those old school bait and tackle stores (you know the ones with a sign like "crickets-minnows-beer-ice" I always stop. Couple of months I go in one and ask the old man "yall got any reels?" after I made it plain I wasn"t talking about a Zebco 202 he pulls out a Curado E-7. Dusty old box with a bright orange "price gun" sticker $150.. I nonchalantly say "you know I'm pretty sure this was replaced by the much nicer G series 2 or 3 years ago...would you take $100 for it?" Sure why not he says..hadn't had a high roller in here for a while (kinda reminded me of when the Outlaw Josey Wales asked the ghost town barkeep for a whisky) Just because most of us are in tune with things like the E series phenomenom doesn't mean everybody out there is. Never hurts to keep your eyes open and just ask nicely.

[USMCbassman]

Out here on the left coast those small rural towns are hard to find and if you do most are in the desert where fishing is the last thing on their mind...LOL!

I've been picking them up here and there used, but in good to great shape for about the same price. I'd love to come across some deals like that!

Now if I was back home I'm sure could come across here and there like that. Biggest city near where I grew up is anywhere from a hour and a half to 2 hours away. All depends on how many tractors you get stuck behind on the way!

[keithdog]

Last time I tried to tear apart my reel like that I destroyed it. Now I send mine to Proreel. So, I really admire ya for that! My problem is I can't figure out how to get the handle side apart where all the gearing is. Once I take out the side plate screws, and take off the hanedle, nothing else seems to come apart.

[Jrob78]

Originally Posted by keithdog

Last time I tried to tear apart my reel like that I destroyed it. Now I send mine to Proreel. So, I really admire ya for that! My problem is I can't figure out how to get the handle side apart where all the gearing is. Once I take out the side plate screws, and take off the hanedle, nothing else seems to come apart.

Some reels have a screw on the inside, in the area where the spool is. When you take the spool out, you should see a screw in the inside side plate.

[USMCbassman]

Thanks Keith! It is a learning curve and what I enjoy the most about it is when you get to take it apart you get to see how one part interacts with the other and how it works. Like the anti-reverse pawl, someone could tell me about it all they wanted, but until I seen it and how it works it would have never made sense.

If you open the non-handle side towards the front of the reel you'll notice what looks like another "screw head" (the level wind guide) if you unscrew that then the side plate that is covering all the gearing will come off.

[Bassboss]

I was getting scared when I first opened the thread... thought you had opened it up and couldn't put it together at first.

Glad you got her running like new though, if ya treat your gear well it'll pay off for sure!

[USMCbassman]

Originally Posted by Bassboss

if ya treat your gear well it'll pay off for sure!

No doubt...that's why I put the time and effort into ensuring it's clean. Just like your rifle when you're in the military

[joedog]

Very impressed, just doesn't adequately describe my idea on that picture.

I can switch a spinning reel from left handed to right, and back again in THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME.
Just felt you maybe should know that!

[nobass]

i tried that once got it apart clean it and put it together but did not know what to do with parts still on table. i go with keith send it to proreel. very impressive though braver than me good job

[keithdog]

Originally Posted by Jrob78

Some reels have a screw on the inside, in the area where the spool is. When you take the spool out, you should see a screw in the inside side plate.

Originally Posted by USMCbassman

Thanks Keith! It is a learning curve and what I enjoy the most about it is when you get to take it apart you get to see how one part interacts with the other and how it works. Like the anti-reverse pawl, someone could tell me about it all they wanted, but until I seen it and how it works it would have never made sense.

If you open the non-handle side towards the front of the reel you'll notice what looks like another "screw head" (the level wind guide) if you unscrew that then the side plate that is covering all the gearing will come off.

Thanks for that bit of info guys. I just might try it again this winter. My reels are Garcias and BPS brands mostly with a couple Cabelas Prodegys.

[pro reel]

All reels have hidden screws. Sometimes you can see where they are by looking at schematics, sometimes you can't. You can look for Utube videos that may show your reel being taken apart. Anyone with the right tools, a clean work area and a lot of patience can clean thier own reels. To do so, you would need to be willing to spend a lot of time researching everything about your reels. You would need to be able and willing to invest in the proper tools and equipment. Lastly, you will need to expect to run into difficulties. You will lose parts, thats a fact. I still lose parts. You can be very careful and still lose parts. Eclips and bearing retainers have a way of just flat out disapearing. If you have a good schematic, you may be able to find the part number of the lost parts and order them. Most schematics just point to a general area where a part went, therefore you will often have to just order every E clip the reel takes and then pick the one that fits. One of the first things I learned when I started cleaning reels was that schematics are not assemble directions. I very seldom even look at a schematic anymore, because they can be misleading and give you a false sense of your ability to put the reel back together. As I stated before, they generally just point to an area where a part went, they don't show you what direction the part faced, or what hole the spring went into, or what order the parts must go to all fit together. These are learned things that come from experience and even with experience, i still need a network of information to fall back on sometimes. I share info with reel techs around the country and even around the world through a website devoted to reel techs. I have contacts at all of the major warranty departments. All that helps to insure that I can put a reel back together, but I still need to make sure that I follow a set of guidlines when taking a reel apart. The forst thing you need to do is to find out if there are parts that will fall out of place when you remove something. Every reel has these parts and if it happens, you won't have any idea where that part goes or how to put it back. Some reels just have a few of these things, some reels are so hard to take apart that you just know several parts are going to fall when you lift the cover off. For those reels, you better know what you are doing. My sugestion to anyone that wants to do this, don't start with your good reels, start with junk reels. Do what I did. spend hundreds of dollars buying lots of broken reels on Ebay, then spend a full winter taking those reels apart and learn everything about them you can. Many reels are similar enough that after you have doen a few from that brand, you will have a good idea how to do others.

[DVT Mike]

x2 on the schematics. They are mostly a parts list and do not show orientation or order of assembly necessarily.

[USMCbassman]

I only use the schematics as a reference, I make mental notes of how I took it apart.

I've had the opportunity to fish this reel a couple of times since cleaning the reel and I must say the reel is extremely smooth now and quiet!

[Tavery5]

Great job! it is rewarding to do the job yourself, also helps understand your equipment better.

You should complete your disassembly by removeing the crankshaft as there is a bearing on the end of it. You can also remove the clutch cam and clutch cam retainer, there is a frame mounted bearing under it. These bearings do not have an effect on casting but when cleaned properly and re-lubed, they sure make a reel feel very smooth.

Again great job!

[Rebbasser]

Great job, jarhead!
Here is a trick I learned a long time ago and still do it sometimes:

Save your egg cartons. I usually use 3 to be on the safe side. As you take the reel apart, put the parts-in the order you remove them-in the spaces that hold the eggs. you can get as intricate as you like-one part per space or several parts depending how many egg cartons you want to use. When putting it back together just remove them from the egg carton in the opposite order you put them in. Saves losing a small piece as well as knowing if you have made an error by having too many or not enough parts.