Pflueger President Malfunction

[fin]

Every now and then, I will cast and then when I start to retrieve, I feel resistance, like my line is wrapped around the tip of my rod. When this happens, I've noticed the spool is not oscillating all the way forward - the line doesn't get wrapped around the bottom quarter inch or so of the spool. The next cast it will function perfectly.

It's oiled and greased up, unless I've missed a spot.

I'm guessing the drive gear is getting worn out?

Maybe I've reassembled it wrong after maintenance? I know on Shimano spinning reels there's an alignment point, but I don't see that on the President.

 

I'm wondering if it fails, if it's worth the parts and shipping, or if it would be cheaper to just buy a new Daiwa.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

If your symptoms started suddenly after reassembly it could be an easy fix. How old is the reel? I don’t remember off the top of my head if the oscillation gear is round or oblong on those. Wear shouldn’t do what you describe unless teeth are actually missing but it seems like you’d have seen that or feel really rough. 

[fin]

1 hour ago, Delaware Valley Tackle said:

If your symptoms started suddenly after reassembly it could be an easy fix. How old is the reel? I don’t remember off the top of my head if the oscillation gear is round or oblong on those. Wear shouldn’t do what you describe unless teeth are actually missing but it seems like you’d have seen that or feel really rough. 

I'm not sure if problems started after reassembly, but it's possible. That's why I was wondering if maybe I had something misaligned, but that gear is round (parts diagram) and there's nothing I can see that's eccentric. After I started this thread I took it apart and lubed everything again. Everything looked fine, nothing dry, no sharp edges on any of the gears.

 

I've had it about 3.5 years. It might have a thousand hours on it. I've been lubing it regularly the whole time. The problem has only been happening for a month or two, I think, and that is about the last time I had it apart.

 

I'll take it out tomorrow and see if it happens again.

[PressuredFishing]

Spinning reels are fussy when put back together at times, tightening the nut to tight or putting screws in to tight has caused me troubles in the past, if you have not taken it apart in a while the gear could have lost a tooth or two.

[fin]

7 hours ago, PressuredFishing said:

Spinning reels are fussy when put back together at times, tightening the nut to tight or putting screws in to tight has caused me troubles in the past, if you have not taken it apart in a while the gear could have lost a tooth or two.

Yeah, I have over-tightened the rotor nut before, but that's the only one I can think of that's really a possibility. I just had it apart last night, everything looked good.

[garroyo130]

17 hours ago, fin said:

Every now and then, I will cast and then when I start to retrieve, I feel resistance, like my line is wrapped around the tip of my rod. When this happens, I've noticed the spool is not oscillating all the way forward - the line doesn't get wrapped around the bottom quarter inch or so of the spool. The next cast it will function perfectly.

 

That is really odd as on a spinning reel casting has zero effect on spool/gear position. Only thing I can think of is the momentum from the cast shaking something loose ...

[fin]

37 minutes ago, garroyo130 said:

 

That is really odd as on a spinning reel casting has zero effect on spool/gear position. Only thing I can think of is the momentum from the cast shaking something loose ...

 

I was thinking along the same lines. I think engaging the bail is connected. That's the only thing I can think of that could be "resetting" it so that it works fine on the next cast. I wasn't able to test my theory today because it only messed up one time out of about 50 casts, and that was when it hit me. The next time it messes up, instead of reeling in my line, I will open the bail and close it again, and I'm thinking it will temporarily clear the problem.

So does that ring any bells with anyone? That's got to be pointing to the problem.

The spool won't turn when the bail is open, and something in that mechanism is what's got to be causing the problem. I'd have to take it apart again to see. Maybe related to the bail spring, which broke like the first month I owned the reel.

[Skunkmaster-k]

The line roller could be part of the issue.    

[garroyo130]

3 hours ago, Skunkmaster-k said:

The line roller could be part of the issue.    

 

The line roller would not affect spool travel and closing/opening the bail should not affect the gears or internals that affect spool travel ... its just ... odd.

[fin]

6 minutes ago, garroyo130 said:

closing/opening the bail should not affect the gears

 

You're right, I don't think the problem is in the gear box, I think it's in the rotor/bail - something binding, not releasing all the way, rubbing against the frame body sometimes.

[fin]

I opened it up to look at the mechanism, and there is a piece called the trip plunger that slides up and down along a groove that was a little dry, so I lubed that real good. It all looked okay though, no obvious damage.
.
That plunger makes contact with a the body frame and prevents the spool from turning if the bail is open. There is a spot on the frame like a cam (probably not the right mechanical term) that the plunger hits to stop the spool from turning. I guess if the plunger was stuck half-way, it might rub against the high spot on that cam and cause the resistance and prevent the spool from oscillating. I dunno. I guess we'll see what happens when I try it out tomorrow.

 

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

The purpose of the ramp on the frame isn’t to kept the rotor from turning, it hits the trip lever to close the bail by cranking. None of it has anything to do with oscillation. 

[fin]

9 hours ago, Delaware Valley Tackle said:

The purpose of the ramp on the frame isn’t to kept the rotor from turning, it hits the trip lever to close the bail by cranking. None of it has anything to do with oscillation. 

Hey, it's my only theory, don't ruin it, okay? ?

 

All of what you say is true, that's how it's supposed to work. The primary purpose of the ramp is to close the bail, but it also keeps the rotor from turning, whether by design or accident. And none of that mechanism has anything to do with oscillation. Agreed.

 

My question to you is, what happens when the plunger doesn't quite return all the way to the closed position? Let's say it sticks about 1/16" or so from the correct position? Would that create resistance? Would it interrupt the travel of the spool?

 

I don't claim to know the answer to that for certain, but I have a suspicion, and I think it can be proven by flipping the bail the next time it malfunctions.

 

I hope I don't come across as argumentative. I know you're being helpful. I'm just trying to explain my point. I'm open to any other suggestions as to what is going on with this thing.

[fin]

No problems today, so maybe lubing that groove did the trick. We'll see if it keeps acting right on the next few trips.

 

That's an easy spot to overlook when lubing. I know there's a spring in there that can pop out, so I avoid opening it up.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

Spinning reel bails are a #1 contender for biggest PIA in reel service. 

[throttleplate]

On 4/24/2022 at 10:09 AM, fin said:

That's an easy spot to overlook when lubing. I know there's a spring in there that can pop out, so I avoid opening it up.

every other outing i put drops of Rem oil around that area without opening it up.

[fin]

6 hours ago, throttleplate said:

every other outing i put drops of Rem oil around that area without opening it up.

I'm not sure if that is really getting into that groove.

 

You can get to it by removing the rotor and putting some oil through the hole on the inside of the rotor and letting it drip down, but you'd need to hold it at the right angle.

 

Removing that cover by itself is not dangerous, unless you flip the bail while you have the cover off. Then the spring might go flying. If you lose that spring, which is easy to do, you can be put out of commission unless you have another one the right size.

 

At least now you know the symptoms if it starts sticking.

[throttleplate]

On 4/26/2022 at 5:47 AM, fin said:

I'm not sure if that is really getting into that groove.

i pulled the cover on my pfleuger superior and the spring come out, surprised it didnt fly away from me. I  lubed her up with hot sauce.

But i still drop rem oil around the cover. You would be surpised how easily rem oil flows. Also put drops on all the shielded bearings.