Tatula CT - Only One Upgradeable Bearing on Levelwind?

[CrankFate]

Hi, new member here. I read through posts here from time to time. I wound up getting a Tatula CT mostly from what I read here. Then I went crazy (because I like this reel a lot and it was <$100) by adding Boca Bearings, smoothdrag carbontex drags a smoothdrag ceramic bearing and a hawgtech ceramic bearing. This way I won’t know which is better :::facepalm:::  It’s too fast to cast now :::double facepalm:::  

 

I spend almost as much time playing with tiny reel pieces as I do fishing.  I also love crankbaits, even though I don’t always get fish on them. I am also a big fan of smoothdrag carbontex—But out of all the reels I have the Tatula CT is the only one that does not need them at all.

 

I actually ordered 2 ceramic bearings from smoothdrag to put on the levelwind, but it looks like only one of the plastic bushings can be removed. The one on the handle side of the reel looks to be attached under a not removeable gear. The videos I’ve seen online and the schematic show a removable gear on the levelwind.  Does anyone else have a CT with a no removable levelwind spindle gear? Or is this removeable if I pry on it very hard?

 

 

[MassYak85]

Can you post a picture? You should not have to really pry hard on most reel parts to get them apart. Any reel can be stripped down to it's frame and I remember taking that gear off when I serviced mine over the winter. Generally that plastic gear attached to the level wind is attached the end of the worm gear by an e-clip. Just be careful when you take those off as they can fly across the room and into another dimension. 

[Tywithay]

1 hour ago, MassYak85 said:

Can you post a picture? You should not have to really pry hard on most reel parts to get them apart. Any reel can be stripped down to it's frame and I remember taking that gear off when I serviced mine over the winter. Generally that plastic gear attached to the level wind is attached the end of the worm gear by an e-clip. Just be careful when you take those off as they can fly across the room and into another dimension. 

I take off those clips and bearing retainers inside of a gallon ziploc. It catches everything. I've had those little buggers take off more than once.

[OnthePotomac]

Gotta say that none of my 17 Shimano reels from the Curado 100B to the Chronrch MGL have worm gear bearings and while have "customized" some of them over the years, I have never felt the need to put bearings on the worm gears.  To each his own, but I saw getting them off and back on each cleaning a PITA.

[rippin-lips]

It can have two bearings added to it. You have to fully break down the reel to get the one on the gear side. The gear itself doesn’t come off but the whole piece does. You definitely went overboard though. No need for ceramic bearings on the levelwind. You honestly can’t tell a difference verse the bushing but it’s nice to know it has a bearing. You can also add them to the handle. Takes the same 4x7x2.5 as the levelwind. 

[CrankFate]

I will be adding a part or two this weekend and will get a pic when it’s opened. I like the worm gear bearings because I saw a video on YouTube adding them :) 

[rippin-lips]

Whatever floats your boat I guess. Remove part 58. 

[CrankFate]

20 hours ago, rippin-lips said:

Whatever floats your boat I guess. Remove part 58. 

I know that that’s what the schematic shows, but my part 68 is different and has a neck or collar that is attached to part 66. I could not see any way to get part 68 off of 66 to remove 67. I’ll get a pic next time I get it open.  I’m awaiting a few more parts.

[rippin-lips]

2 hours ago, CrankFate said:

I know that that’s what the schematic shows, but my part 68 is different and has a neck or collar that is attached to part 66. I could not see any way to get part 68 off of 66 to remove 67. I’ll get a pic next time I get it open.  I’m awaiting a few more parts.

PART 58 - it’s a small E clip on the non handle side as pictured below. It sits in a groove on the end of the worm gear. Trust me, it comes off. Daiwa has used this design to hold the worm gear in place for at least 2 decades. 

[CrankFate]

Well here’s the pics 

 

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And then I gave it a bit of a pull and it popped off with a literal “pop” like a mini suction cup.  So I was wrong. It does come off.  I think the corrosionX made it come off easier because last time I pulled so hard it felt like it would crack. 

 

 

 

Here is a video of how too fast it is now....

 

 

 

Now I just need that low mass shallow spool or i’ll never be able to cast this.

 

Thanks all. Because I would not have attempted to remove that worm  again if it wasn’t for the replies to this post.  

[Tim Kelly]

When I used to mess about with ABU 6500 reels, I went too far a couple of times and had a totally uncastable reel. I still have a couple of idler gears with bearings that some obscure company in Japan made sitting in their packages as they were just a step too far. Probably OK if you're tuning a 2500 for trout fishing, but not a 6500 for throwing huge jerkbaits for pike and musky!

[CrankFate]

The 6500 is so big that once there’s line on the spool, the weight just keeps it spinning forever. I have a vintage Chrome Rocket with level wind. The synchronized level wind does nothing to slow it down, like it does on any other reel. It’s a great reel, but it is uncastable because it’s too fast.  It works great for pitching on a boat though.