How do you upgrade spool bearings on a BPS reel??

[The Rooster]

I'm considering upgrading the spool bearings on a BPS Extreme reel.  I can get two of them out of the sideplates, but there is a thirt one on the spool shaft itself and unless this shaft is physically separated from the spool the bearing cannot be removed at all.  Anyone know how to get this off??  Looks like the shaft is pressed into position and likely cannot be done with basic hand tools or by someone in a home workshop.

[tennwalkinghorse]

Need to make a bearing puller I used a small allen wrench cut the the bottom of the L off leaving about an 1/8" then grind both top and bottom flat ( kind of like a screw driver would look),then sandwich it between two bolt and one nuts by drilling one hole just small enough for the allen wrench to fit in one flat of the center of one of the nuts insert the allen wrench and tighten the two bolts together making a T - puller, slip it under the bearing in the side plate and work it around and pulling up at the same time and it should pop out. After the bearings are out mic the I.D / O.D. and thickness this would be in millimeters go on Boco bearings web site and cross reference the right bearings. As for the one on the spool is there a T type engaging pin on the spool? If so you will need to make Pin pliers to remove and install the pin. Hope this was of some help   

[J Francho]

I just measure them with a set of calipers. I think they were like $5 at the hardware store.  A T-pin from the office, with a bent tip works fine to pull bearings.

Spool Bearing removal: http://www.***/education/spool-shaft-bearing-retainer-pin-removal.html

[The Rooster]

Yes that is it.  Didn't know that pin could come out.  Any chance I might bend it if I use a pair of pliers like what you show here to squeeze it out??  If' it's bent then it's ruined.

[burleytog]

Yes, you can use a set of smooth needle nose to extract the pin (what I use before Jimzee gave me a set of customs).  Just takes a little more work.

Sometimes those scoundrels are in there so tight that you pretty much have to use a hammer & punch.  I'll never buy another reel made in that manner.

[TheBeast]

How do you upgrade spool bearings on a BPS reel??

Buy a Daiwa or Shimano.

[Grey Wolf]

How do you upgrade spool bearings on a BPS reel??

Buy a Daiwa or Shimano.

BINGO!!!!!!!!!!!!

[J Francho]

The current Shimano design does not feature bearing located on the spool shaft like this.

[The Rooster]

Can a person buy these pliers or do you have to "make" them by drilling the hole yourself??

[burleytog]

I'll never buy another reel made in that manner.

Now that would be a problem, as all BC reels have the engagement pin on the spool shaft. The pictures posted are of the old spool from one of my green Curado's 200's...

To answere the question if the pliers have been drilled right the holes line up and can prevent the bending of the pin (BTW the factories do not sell the pins)....Use a punch alone and you have a bigger chance of bending the pins...

Tight Lines All!

Yes, but how many new Shimanos have a bearing behind the pin?   :

[burleytog]

Can a person buy these pliers or do you have to "make" them by drilling the hole yourself??

Make them.  Google 'spool pin pliers' and you'll get a ton of results.

[burleytog]

Citica D, Curado D, Citica E, Curado E, Core are all made the right way.

Haven't had my hands on a new enough Calcutta to see if they're still putting the bearing behind the pin. 

[BobP]

I have a bunch of Curado 200's with bearing under the axle shaft and have never changed that bearing, though I do clean and lube them. Frankly, if you have any doubt about removing it, I'd just upgrade the spool end bearings and forget about that one. You definitely don't want to bend that pin. I've been told that the middle bearing doesn't come into play unless the reel is under extreme pressure during the retrieve (I've been told but I don't KNOW). Bearing come measured like this: hole size x bearing outside diameter x bearing thickness, all in millimeters. Curados and many other reels use 3x10x4 mm spool bearings. It's easy to measure with a ruler and I don't think I've ever seen spool bearings that have partial mm specs. You're sort of in a bind because many reel services won't work on BPS reels and BPS probably can't/won't provide upgraded bearings. But you can do it!

[tbird]

I agree , if you have bearings on  both sides of the spool  the bearing on your spool is for support under heavy load. There really is no gain achieved by replacing this bearing.

  T

[The Rooster]

I don't think I'd agree with that completely. Besides providing support, I think when casting the reel that that bearing will need to turn as freely as the others or it will pose some resistance. Granted, if the two end ones are replaced then there will be less resistance, but as long as that one is still there then the spool will not be as truly free spinning as it could be.  I think if support were it's only function then a bushing would suffice. 

[tbird]

I have no experience with BPS reels but if there are 2 bearings on each end of the spool shaft it makes sense that the bearing mounted on the shaft serves the same purpose as a Shimano. Some Shimano's have the same set up.Here is a reply from the tackle tech at Tackle Tour on this question.

Q: ChuckE , I have read your bearing tutorials and found them to be very informative. Maybe I am missing something, but what is the advantage of upgrading the bearing on the spool shaft ?

A:Shimano does have a few reels that have a bearing mounted on the spool, that is only used during the retrieve under heavy load. That bearing does not affect casting performance. If there is enough spool deflection, that bearing will pickup the load and prevent the spool shaft from deflecting too much.

T

[ksbasser]

Some reels have a bearing that suports the pinion gear. That bearing has nothing whatsoever to do with the spin of the spool other than to center the the pinion and decrease resistence on the spool shaft. That bearing would only need to be changed if it's rough. That type of reel will usually only have 2 spool bearings , one at both ends. To upgrade spin performance, you change both of those bearings. If your reel actually has 3 spool bearings and it has a fixed, non disengaged , spool shaft, then you can get a performance increase form only changing the outer two bearings, but common sense should tell you that if the 3rd bearing, behind the spool pin is spinning during the cast, which it does, then if it has more resistence than the other bearings, it will decrease performance. The statement that it would only come into play during a hard fight could only be true if it was not in solid contact with the spool shaft and the reel frame at all times. Every 3rd bearing that I have seen is in full contact at all times. Perhaps you have seen large trucks that have extra wheels under them, some of these just barely or not at all touch the road, those would come into play when hauling heavy loads becuase thats the only time they are in full contact with the road and the truck. I have never seen a reel with a 3rd spool bearing thats similar to that condidtion. I have seen some with plastic bushings that don't have full contact though, so I can see that those were there for suport and might not slow the spool if they dont touch it. If you don't agree with this statement, then you could test the theory. Replce the 3rd bearing, behind the spool pin, with a rusty seized or very rough bearing. If you still have a perfectly smooth casting reel with full distance, then the tackle tour article must be correct in thier opinion, but I just don't see how that could be posible when the bearingis in contact with the spoolshaft and the frame of the reel. it has to spin for the spool to spin. If it creats more drag than the other bearings, then it should slow it down.

[Glenn]

Hmm.... this "I'm right and you're wrong" thing just rubs me the wrong way.

It's fishing folks.  It's supposed to be fun! 

So let's back down from our stances and move on now. 

[NOVA Angler]

http://shop.proreelservice.com/

I didn't have access to a drill press to make the pin punch tool so I bought the pliers from here. I received them today and have already pulled the pin on one of my Curado B's. Worked like a charm. Make sure you support the spool shaft as shown in the pictures from the link J Francho provided.