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Old 09-19-11, 10:32 AM   #1
gonefishin3
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I keep reading about you guys tuning your reels what do you do? Do you upgrade bearings or something? How do you do this? A couple of you guys send them to pro reel to have it done I assume with a cleaning or something... Id love to see your guys comments on what the difference is betweened a "tuned" reel and just a stock reel. Im also interested in doing it to my reels. Thanks!,
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Old 09-19-11, 11:06 AM   #2
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Tuning reels is a process of micro fine sanding of friction points and polishing those areas to a mirror finish. This reduces friction and allows the spool to spin more freely. This is usually done in conjunction with a complete cleaning of the reel that includes flushing the bearings and then using better quality lubricants which also further reduces friction. There are also some treatments available that can be buffed onto metal parts or parts can be soaked in a solution that fills microscopic pores or leaves a micro thin durable film on metal parts, that is part of advanced tuning, I do that in what i call my pro tune service. Upgrading or replacing parts is not tuning, it simply upgrades. Upgrades may or may not show a significant performance increase, it depends on the parts used and the condition of the parts replaced. Most of this work should be done by someone that has experience doing it. It's very easy to ruin a reel if you do it wrong. Anyone could do a basic clean and or upgrade, but you would still need some training and the proper tools. It's very easy to damage or lose the small parts in some of these reels.
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Old 09-19-11, 03:03 PM   #3
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Tuning often refers to the polishing of internal parts as Kevin has said. I often hear this called "super tuning" as well.

Tuning can also refer to replacing stock parts with better ones. Bearings and drag washers are two common forms. This is often referred to as just upgrading.

To "tackle enthusiasts," tuning can also be strictly superficial. custom paint, handles, knobs, etc. These usually don't affect the performance of the reel.

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Old 09-19-11, 03:43 PM   #4
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Upgrades, in the way of parts , accents, or anything else is called customizing. Doesn't matter if it's a reel or an old car, it's customizing. Tuning is something you do to tweak the maximum performance from the current setup, just as you would do with a car when you tune the the timing and carb jets for maximum performance. Tuning of reels has been done by long distance casters in the Uk and other oversees countries for a much longer time than anyone here has been doing it. The techniques we use to polish or tune the internals were developed in an effort to get maximum distance performance from competiton distance casting reels. Many people now wrongly use the term tuning to describe anything they do to a reel. Tuning can also correctly be used to describe any work you do to the brake system to enhance it's operation. Again, I will use the auto industry to make it clear. If you replace your engine's stock parts with high performance parts, your not tuning the engine, you are installing performace upgrades. If you paint some racing stripes on your car, or put some chrome racing wheels on it, you are not tuning the car, you are customizing it. If you port and polish the inside of your manifold by sanding and polishing the internal surfaces to obtain the smoothest surface possible and to get better air flow, thats a tuning technique. If you adjust the gap of a sparkplug to burn a bit hotter, thats a tuning technique, if you set the timing, air and fuel to all be at the perfect settings, thse are tuning techniques. The work that a reel tech does to areel in the way of polishing, cleaning, flushing, lubricating, and adjusting the reels components are tuning techniques.
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Old 09-19-11, 06:24 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pro reel View Post
Upgrades, in the way of parts , accents, or anything else is called customizing. Doesn't matter if it's a reel or an old car, it's customizing. Tuning is something you do to tweak the maximum performance from the current setup, just as you would do with a car when you tune the the timing and carb jets for maximum performance. Tuning of reels has been done by long distance casters in the Uk and other oversees countries for a much longer time than anyone here has been doing it. The techniques we use to polish or tune the internals were developed in an effort to get maximum distance performance from competiton distance casting reels. Many people now wrongly use the term tuning to describe anything they do to a reel. Tuning can also correctly be used to describe any work you do to the brake system to enhance it's operation. Again, I will use the auto industry to make it clear. If you replace your engine's stock parts with high performance parts, your not tuning the engine, you are installing performace upgrades. If you paint some racing stripes on your car, or put some chrome racing wheels on it, you are not tuning the car, you are customizing it. If you port and polish the inside of your manifold by sanding and polishing the internal surfaces to obtain the smoothest surface possible and to get better air flow, thats a tuning technique. If you adjust the gap of a sparkplug to burn a bit hotter, thats a tuning technique, if you set the timing, air and fuel to all be at the perfect settings, thse are tuning techniques. The work that a reel tech does to areel in the way of polishing, cleaning, flushing, lubricating, and adjusting the reels components are tuning techniques.
Interesting fact about them tuning reels in the UK. I never knew that.

Like you said, tuning is often used to describe anything done to a reel. Incorrect or not, it is used that way. I guess I should have specified that in my post, but I just wanted to cover what the term might entail had the OP heard it say over at TT where it is used synonymously with terms like "upgrading," "customizing," "modifying," etc.

Your use of a car as an example is great because I could easily see how the word "tuning" could come to be used as a term encompassing any modification. Just look as the guys who like to build "tuners." Those cars (often rice burners, lol) that are made to look/sound fast that a lot of times don't have any performance mods or tuning at all.

Like I said, I don't disagree at all. Just wanted to cover all the things that could have been meant when the OP heard the term "tuning."

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Old 09-19-11, 06:20 PM   #6
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dang it all this talk makes me want to send my reel out to u haha
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Old 09-19-11, 08:31 PM   #7
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My only problem with using the term incorrectly or in a broad sweep of everything is that it leads to misunderstandings. If everyone would try to use the terms tuning to describe the actual work, upgrades to describe performance parts and customizing as a broad term for modifications such as trim, parts and paint, then there would be way less misunderstanding about what to expect from a reel shop. It's true that a lot of the self described enthusiasts at TT call everything a tuning, that tells me that they don't understand the difference or are just repeating what someone else misspoke. You won't see any reel shops use that term as a broad spectrum or they would have customers that expect upgrades to be included in the super tuning price. And yes, long distance casting competitions are bigger in the UK than bass tournaments are here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvmW7LKRrO4
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Old 09-19-11, 08:54 PM   #8
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that cant be all trained thumb can it?
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Old 09-20-11, 09:20 AM   #9
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http://www.ultimatebass.com/-how-tos...ing-reels.html

There are definitely things u can do to tune your bait casters. If you have difficulty changing a flat tire on your boat trailer then doing ANY tuning on your reels should be left to a pro or at least a competent.

The link goes into details about what you can do and the tools you need to do it. Check it out.
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Old 09-20-11, 09:43 AM   #10
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Gosh that's cool... im pretty mechanically inclined id probably test it on a 40 dollar reel before I open up one of my quantum tours... that's basically what I have the article dosent say anything about the quantums though any thoughts? Id love to send my reels out but if fish year round so it would be a hassle :P do you guys have any videos out on how do deep clean your reel? Is there a good place you can buy those itsy bitsy parts when I screw things up or loose something? when you guys are talking about "customizeing" how is that done? I think it'd be pretty sweet if I painted my reels to match my rods wont the paint come off after a while? What parts can you put on there to switch things up? Im guessing the star drag and the handles? The reels I use are the quantum tours and the kvd series as well. I have one curado but don't like it as much. Thanks,
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Old 09-20-11, 10:27 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gonefishin3 View Post
Gosh that's cool... im pretty mechanically inclined id probably test it on a 40 dollar reel before I open up one of my quantum tours... that's basically what I have the article dosent say anything about the quantums though any thoughts? Id love to send my reels out but if fish year round so it would be a hassle :P do you guys have any videos out on how do deep clean your reel? Is there a good place you can buy those itsy bitsy parts when I screw things up or loose something? when you guys are talking about "customizeing" how is that done? I think it'd be pretty sweet if I painted my reels to match my rods wont the paint come off after a while? What parts can you put on there to switch things up? Im guessing the star drag and the handles? The reels I use are the quantum tours and the kvd series as well. I have one curado but don't like it as much. Thanks,
GF3
Connie and her husband have been at it for a long time. Her videos are great and they offer about everything you need including classes if you decide to jump in with both feet.
http://www.lakeforktacklerepair.com/reelclasses.html
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Old 09-20-11, 03:27 PM   #12
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Back when Daiwa first introduced the Magforce reels we would open um up then pack um FULL of Topal toothpaste...rig the handles to a cheap elec hand blender and let um run overnight. It did make a difference but probably not good for the reels??
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Old 09-21-11, 11:25 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Flippin TN View Post
http://www.ultimatebass.com/-how-tos...ing-reels.html

There are definitely things u can do to tune your bait casters. If you have difficulty changing a flat tire on your boat trailer then doing ANY tuning on your reels should be left to a pro or at least a competent.

The link goes into details about what you can do and the tools you need to do it. Check it out.
Yea that's an awesome write up but it doesn't apply to mag brakes. Amy idea on how to supertune a mag brake?


Quote:
Originally Posted by gonefishin3 View Post
Gosh that's cool... im pretty mechanically inclined id probably test it on a 40 dollar reel before I open up one of my quantum tours... that's basically what I have the article dosent say anything about the quantums though any thoughts? Id love to send my reels out but if fish year round so it would be a hassle :P do you guys have any videos out on how do deep clean your reel? Is there a good place you can buy those itsy bitsy parts when I screw things up or loose something? when you guys are talking about "customizeing" how is that done? I think it'd be pretty sweet if I painted my reels to match my rods wont the paint come off after a while? What parts can you put on there to switch things up? Im guessing the star drag and the handles? The reels I use are the quantum tours and the kvd series as well. I have one curado but don't like it as much. Thanks,
GF3
It's fairly simple especially if you're mechanically inclined. Get yourself the schematics, some small tools, and take your time. I find it to be almost as fun as fishing to tinker with your reels.
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Old 09-21-11, 02:47 PM   #14
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Yea that's an awesome write up but it doesn't apply to mag brakes. Amy idea on how to supertune a mag brake?
As far I know, mag brakes can't be super-tuned, and in reality don't need to be. There is no contact between mag break parts to create friction. Like the name implies, magnetic force it used to slow the spool down.



Since we're talking about polishing internal parts, I've got a question for you Kevin. Do you feel reels that use friction free (friction reducing?) spool shaft/pinion designs like Shimano's Super Free Spool, Daiwa's Free Floating Spool, or Abu's Infini II spool benefit from super tuning like a reel in which the spool shaft stays in contact with the pinion gear would?

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Old 09-21-11, 06:40 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BigBassin144 View Post
As far I know, mag brakes can't be super-tuned, and in reality don't need to be. There is no contact between mag break parts to create friction. Like the name implies, magnetic force it used to slow the spool down.



Since we're talking about polishing internal parts, I've got a question for you Kevin. Do you feel reels that use friction free (friction reducing?) spool shaft/pinion designs like Shimano's Super Free Spool, Daiwa's Free Floating Spool, or Abu's Infini II spool benefit from super tuning like a reel in which the spool shaft stays in contact with the pinion gear would?

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I can’t answer for Kevin but I would say yes. Although the reels with the bearing supported pinion greatly enhance the casting there are still other parts that can be super tuned…. It really does matter what make and model reel you are trying to tune. Take the Curado although it has a bearing supported pinion it still has centrificgual brakes so that friction ring is going to be a major factor. Some reels have metal shims and some have plastic or carbon fiber material, but even the non metal shims can benefit from having the spool ends sanded and polished. Like Kevin said a major part of tuning involves giving those friction points a mirror finish. Also as Kevin said different lubes can be part of the tune. For example I gave a friend of mine one of my reels which I tuned just like his went he gave it back he said it had a different crank to it and I didn’t do the same to his. The only difference was I packed my bearing at the end of the crank shaft with grease not oil…… it’s a personal preference….but it makes a difference. So yes those reels you mentioned can benefit from super tuning.
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Old 09-22-11, 02:11 PM   #16
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Quote:
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I can’t answer for Kevin but I would say yes. Although the reels with the bearing supported pinion greatly enhance the casting there are still other parts that can be super tuned…. It really does matter what make and model reel you are trying to tune. Take the Curado although it has a bearing supported pinion it still has centrificgual brakes so that friction ring is going to be a major factor. Some reels have metal shims and some have plastic or carbon fiber material, but even the non metal shims can benefit from having the spool ends sanded and polished. Like Kevin said a major part of tuning involves giving those friction points a mirror finish. Also as Kevin said different lubes can be part of the tune. For example I gave a friend of mine one of my reels which I tuned just like his went he gave it back he said it had a different crank to it and I didn’t do the same to his. The only difference was I packed my bearing at the end of the crank shaft with grease not oil…… it’s a personal preference….but it makes a difference. So yes those reels you mentioned can benefit from super tuning.
I may have to disagree where the two piece spool shaft designs are concerned. Once the clutch is disengaged the part of the spool shaft that the pinion rides on is completely disengaged from the spool. I'd suspect that gains noticed on these reels are from deep cleaning and proper lube more than anything else, bearing treatments aside.
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Old 09-21-11, 05:46 PM   #17
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All reels get differnt amounts of benefit. All reels touch the spool shaft ends. Look at your spool shaft ends. If you have dozen of the same reel, look at them all, some are decent and some still have the grooves from the machine that cut them. I make them perfect.
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Old 09-21-11, 06:47 PM   #18
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Pro Reel is very good at tunning and super tunning reels. He has done 7 or 8 for me and everyone of the reels showed vast improvement over when they were stock. Some show so much improvement it is uncanny. He tunned some BPS Pro Lite reels for me and they are smoother and actually outcast my Shimano Curado and Core 50's. Do not believe me, send him a reel.
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Old 09-21-11, 07:12 PM   #19
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I got hyped up over ABEC 7’s and 9’s but that hype died down a little when I started to really get into my bearings and cleaning and lubing them. But I’m just as hyped now about a super tuned reel as when I did my first reel. I did a reel for a guy it was an old Diawa he said it was at least 20 years old. He took it home and he said it out casted his brand new Shimano Calais. Now I’m sure his Calais would have shown some improvement with a simple rinse of his casting bearings in my ultrasonic cleaner…..but he was still impressed. Super tuning will blow you away with what even a simple old reel can do. My buddies were wondering how I was out casting them until I did their reels……than they understood. I’m sure Kevin would agree…..it’s just something you have to experience
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Old 09-22-11, 12:00 AM   #20
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Along with mirror polishing... do you guys upgrade inside parts? What do you guys upgrade? How do you select parts for upgradeing?
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Old 09-22-11, 08:44 AM   #21
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Along with mirror polishing... do you guys upgrade inside parts? What do you guys upgrade? How do you select parts for upgradeing?
The main internal upgrades people make are upgraded drag washers and upgraded spool bearings. The most popular drag washers are probably the Carbontex washers from Smooth Drag. And the most popular bearings are probably ABEC 7 Orange Seals from Boca Bearings.

Bearings can also be added/upgraded in other areas of the reel like the level wind bearing upgrade. There isn't as much of a performance gain from this, it mostly is to improve smoothness of the reel.

Spool bearing upgrades will give you most of a performance boost. And even properly flushing and re-lubing stock bearings will increase casting performance.

When it comes to higher end Daiwa reels, spools are also changed. Spools that are lighter, or with R+ tuned braking.

Among the minority of anglers that do upgrade reels, handles are often changed on reels as well. This is mostly for aesthetics, but if you upgrade to a handle with more bearings, it does improve the smoothness a bit.

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Old 09-22-11, 09:47 AM   #22
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Also you can change out your pinion and main gear to change your gear ratio…….not sure if that would be considered tuning though. Shims can be changed to if you have plastic or carbon fiber and you can match them up with some copper ones then you can polish those puppies to.
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Old 09-22-11, 03:29 PM   #23
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For those who want to get into super tuning, here is a good site showing the ABC's.
As a former tool and die apprentice years ago, I might add that you had better know what you are doing before using abrasive material on a precision surface.
http://jdntackle.home.mindspring.com/index%20page.html
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Old 09-22-11, 08:41 PM   #24
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Has anyone tried "supertuneing" a spinning reel? How do you clean one?
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Old 09-23-11, 10:36 AM   #25
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Has anyone tried "supertuneing" a spinning reel? How do you clean one?
Modern spinning reels can be a real challenge, especially high end reels like a Stella. The basic idea is the same as far as cleaning. Strip to the frame, degrease, lube and reassemble. Dependin on the feel the customer prefers, bearings can be oiled or packed. I like a compromise and use a heavy oil. Gears are greased. The line roller guide should get attention to minimize line twist.

As far as super tuning a spinning reel, you could gain some smoothness. I am experimenting with polishing the main shaft, inside of pinion gear and mating surfaces of oscilating gear. I haven't drawn any definite conclusions about advantages or value for this service.
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