Cheap BFS reel is wonderful, except...

[desmobob]

I have a couple of really nice BFS type reels but I have a lot of fun messing around with cheap Chinese BFS offerings like the Tsurinoya XF50 and Spirit Fox, KastKing Zephyr (just got it), and Fishband GH100 Brilliance.  They share the deck with my Daiwa PX Type R and Alphas SV105 and have landed some big fish.

 

The GH100 has been one of my favorite cheap BFS reels but it's not without its issues.  One is the spool rim to frame fit, which allows the 4lb. test mono I use to sometimes get behind the spool.

 

The other issue is some kind of internal hang-up with the position of the pinion gear, I think.  Every so often, the reel starts clattering or grinding on retrieve.  Hitting the spool release and re-engaging it doesn't clear it, but manually turning the spool with my finger will.  It doesn't happen a lot but it's annoying, and a reminder of why these kind of reels cost around sixty bucks rather than three hundred or more.

 

I had the reel completely apart to carefully clean and lube it and check it for worn or broken parts.  Any idea where to start tweaking things?

[bulldog1935]

we know what's happening - the spool pin is riding the ramp on the pinion gear without finding the slot.  

Here's an old Abu pinion showing the wear that results with that over time.  

One thing to try, the red Hot Sauce Grease that everyone derides here is soft enough, it might get by the friction problem causing your second dilemma.  

 

I wouldn't live with the first problem you reported, and would jack that one up and put a new one underneath - sub-PE#1 would be right out.  

[desmobob]

4 minutes ago, bulldog1935 said:

we know what's happening - the spool pin is riding the ramp on the pinion gear without finding the slot.  

Here's an old Abu pinion showing the wear that results with that over time.  

 

I wouldn't live with the first problem you reported, and would jack that one up and put a new one underneath.  

Thanks.  I'll take a more careful look at those parts.  This little reel might be my most capable at throwing very light baits.  The line-behind-the-spool issue does sound very annoying but it usually only happens in conjunction with a backlash, so I can sort of say it's my own fault when it happens. (For instance, like when my lure hit the top of the trolling motor on a roll cast yesterday... world class rat's nest.)

[Deleted account]

"I love my reel that works great except that"...

One normally needs to attend a good performance of a Neil Simon work to experience sadness and humor intertwined just so, Author!, Author!

[desmobob]

In the context of their relative cost, it's a matter of expecting little and sometimes getting a lot.   Sadness and humor... When dealing with these reels, I find no sadness but need to maintain a sense of humor!

 

"Whaddya expect for sixty bucks?"  ?

[Deleted account]

38 minutes ago, desmobob said:

"Whaddya expect for sixty bucks?"  ?

A decent balcony ticket to The prisoner of 2nd Avenue...

[roadwarrior]

53 minutes ago, desmobob said:

"Whaddya expect for sixty bucks?"  

 Flush sixty bucks or buy a reel that might last a lifetime?

 

[desmobob]

17 minutes ago, roadwarrior said:

 Flush sixty bucks or buy a reel that might last a lifetime?

 

So far, none of the reels have been a throw-away.  In fact, the GH100 is the only one that's been giving me any trouble at all.  I just came inside from lawn-casting the new KastKing Zephyr and it's seems very promising.

 

I did make the investment in a couple of quality BFS baitcasters (and I do have a king's ransom in high-quality casting, spinning and fly reels).  

 

Playing around with the cheap ones is just a little facet of the fishing hobby for me.  Kind of like my small collection of automatic fly reels, except I use the cheap BFS reels often enough that I can probably justify their cost...  I know plenty of guys who spend a whole lot more on cigarettes, a few beers at the bar on the way home from work, lottery tickets, etc.  I don't think my little vice is too harmful!  ?

 

 

[roadwarrior]

Big boys have their toys. I really meant my reply for those that are watching their pennies.

[desmobob]

1 minute ago, roadwarrior said:

Big boys have their toys. I really meant my reply for those that are watching their pennies.

Absolutely.  I believe it is false economy, or at least a gamble, to try to save money by buying these cheap reels.

[desmobob]

 

 

BFS fun with the good stuff today...

 

Daiwa PXL Type R and Major Craft Volkey 682L BFS Series rod.  We had torrential rains on Monday.  I parked myself at the outlet of a big culvert that a huge marsh empties into the lake through.

 

I got seven big bass, green and brown!  Every one of them felt like I had the bottom when I set the hook.  ?  They hit a T-rigged 3" Pit Boss or T-rigged 4" Kalins grub behind a 1/8 oz. weight.

 

[desmobob]

On 6/19/2021 at 8:20 AM, bulldog1935 said:

we know what's happening - the spool pin is riding the ramp on the pinion gear without finding the slot.  

Here's an old Abu pinion showing the wear that results with that over time.  

One thing to try, the red Hot Sauce Grease that everyone derides here is soft enough, it might get by the friction problem causing your second dilemma.  

 

I wouldn't live with the first problem you reported, and would jack that one up and put a new one underneath - sub-PE#1 would be right out.  

 

Some of my reels have a long spool shaft that I guess goes all the way through the pinion to keep it in line as it moves outwards when the cast button is pushed or in to engage the spool pin when retrieving is started.  

 

The GH100's spool shaft has just a short nub on the pinion side extending past the spool's cross pin.  I took that reel apart today to look for potential issues that might be causing the pinion to hang up and not move back in fully to engage the spool pin.  

 

The only thing I found was a very tiny and very sharp "step" cut into the very end of the spool shaft (pinion end).  I'm guessing it isn't supposed to be there and I can imagine how it could possibly stop the pinion from easily/completely sliding back over the shaft.  I took some 1200 grit paper and smoothed it, without completely removing it.

 

While I had the reel apart, I swapped in some ABEC-7 stainless/ceramic hybrid spool bearings.  ?

 

Back yard testing  seemed to show that I didn't hurt anything.  And I also didn't experience any hanging up of the pinion.  But that has only happened out on the water during more extensive use and hasn't shown itself in the back yard (where I do cast with that reel occasionally to compare BFS rods, experiment with throwing very light baits, etc.).

 

Hopefully, I'll get out soon for some on-the-water, fish-catching tests to see if I may have corrected the problem.

[bulldog1935]

@desmobob

that's kind of what I'm talking about - anything on the pinion that causes friction with the spindle pin can prevent it from finding the slot.  And worse - over time it makes its own slot there.  

Ambassadeur pinions are really bad about that, and a part that always needs replacing when you rebuild one.  

[NOC 1]

6 hours ago, bulldog1935 said:

@desmobob

that's kind of what I'm talking about - anything on the pinion that causes friction with the spindle pin can prevent it from finding the slot.  And worse - over time it makes its own slot there.  

Ambassadeur pinions are really bad about that, and a part that always needs replacing when you rebuild one.  

I had a PX68 that started doing that. It was easier for me, because it started right after I changed out the spool. Took me a bit to find it though. It turned out to be that I had scarred up the spool pin just a tiny bit in one spot and just that little rough spot on the pin was hanging it up. New pin and problem went away. It doesn't take much for sure.