Delaware Valley Tackle

To identify a bad bearing, it must be complete cleaned, flushed and dry. Spin the bearing at low speed on a pencil point etc. It should spin smoothly and quietly, coming to rest gradually. Obviously, you can spin test an AR bearing, but don’t overlook it. People don’t always realize that the AR clutch spins constantly during retrieve. I don’t recommend replacing gears just to possibly eliminate subtle noise because due to the likelihood of repeated symptoms. That’s your call. If you find you need to replace a bearing, ABEC3 SS frame bearings and ABEC5 ss spool bearings from a reputable supplier like Boca is worth the couple extra bucks. You want LD (less be dry) spec on spool bearings.

Weight is important in two ways. First, weight to stiffness ratio is an indication of sensitivity/recovery speed (often referred to as crispness). Secondly, the lightest possible components reserve the blanks inherent qualities by default resulting in a lighter rod.

I don’t find either Daiwa or Shimano to be better or worse than the other over all quality wise. They get points for largely having their own manufacturing systems but if I’m being honest, I service a lot of Doyo built rebrands that hold up exceptionally well and stay smooth. On paper they shouldn’t be close but in use the differences in quality are splitting hairs among the name brands at $100> msrp.

Aside from logos and maybe colors, there’s really no “match” of rods to reels. If you have a reason or just desire to try something new, browse Lews models and see what you find interesting. Otherwise don’t fix what ain’t broke and just put what you already like on it.

Rust and corrosion won’t really kick in till the air hits it. Contamination is the enemy here. Whatever you do , resist the urge to crank and test the reel upon retrieval. Be ready to either send it out or deep clean immediately. Don’t let it sit around. Let me know if you need help.

Some spinning reel AR assemblies are more difficult than others. Proceed with extreme caution. Contact me with questions or to have it repaired.

Look inside the bail arm and wire roller attachment and make sure that are clean and not corroded.

Don’t crank on reels with full length spool shafts without the spool in place unless you’re 100% sure the pinion has bearing support on both ends.

The problem with these little tricks is it’s almost impossible to prove or disprove. The confidence factor is the tie breaker imo.

I run 6 pin centrifugal brakes 3 on 3 off 99% of the time. 2 should be ok. It just depends on your preferences. You’re not doing it any harm for sure.

There’s nothing beefed up about it. While a nice addition, the non critical same rubber cap would fit over the original style. You never had to remove the AR to grease gears and still have to service the pinion and supporting bearings. Another case of fixing what ain’t broke. They already had the best spinning reel AR by a mile. You’re probably right about it sticking around but I’m not a fan.

Rooster tails are the worst when it comes to line twist. The blades don’t spin as easily as Mepps or blue fox for example. Brand isn’t as critical as making sure the swivel is a bearing style.

Heads up if you service your own reels, the new shimano AR assembly is no longer self contained. If you’re not careful the pins and springs will fall out all over the place. If you’re lucky enough to not lose anything, putting the pins and springs back in the labyrinth and getting the assembly back on the reel without spilling them out will baffle, bewilder, frustrate and infuriate even the most patient among us if you can even figure it out. I love shimano spinners but won’t buy another one until they correct this engineering nightmare.

That’s probably from the way the trip mechanism is made. Just be sure the roller is on top and it should work fine. In general, the Kastking offerings give you a little more reel for the money in the budget reels.

The blank diameter itself might stretch the Eva enough to mitigate the size difference.

The SLX xt is reminiscent of the e series, seti and forget it dependable work horse but not unrefined.

Could be any number of things. Do a deep clean being sure everything is clean and that all bearings are thoroughly flushed, dried and spin tested. A good bearing spins easily, quietly and comes to rest gradually. If this is not the case, replace bearings as needed. I’ve never thrown them out due strictly to age. Make sure the AR clutch is clean. Make sure the spool shaft it straight, the rim is not dinged and frame races are clean.

Not just tight. You need backing, mono or tape for the braid to grab.

Yes but the “right” lubricant is just appropriate for the application. Nothing specialized or expensive will do anything for you. It’s snake oil (no pun intended) in most cases. You’re not doing any harm if spending the extra gives peace of mind, just letting readers know its totally unnecessary and not to stress over it.

Beyond making sure the pawl cap is tight, you’re looking at a bad pawl and or worm gear. Warranty it.

The reels performance is not dictated to a large degree by what lubricants you use. Keeping the reel clean and serviced is much more important. There is no magic in any lubricant and in the grand scheme of things, a reel is not a demanding application.

I haven’t read the whole thread but there is something ch a thing as tie-able wire for pike leaders.

That’s definitely not bearing noise. More over, fast spinning the handle doesn’t tell you anything.

Have you adjusted the spool tension to take slack out? Does the reel make noise when held in normal operating position?

Did you remove the dc module to service the spool bearing? If so, I’d take take it down again reassemble via the schematic going slowly and make everything is firmly seated. When reattaching the dc start each screw and tighten them a little at a time to be sure it stays seated flush. This kind of thing isn’t unheard of. Lots of times I’ve taken reels apart several times and call of a sudden it works again never knowing what exactly was out of whack.