Fishwhittler

Another thing: Once your reels are cleaned up and properly lubed, check out this video on casting light baits: The video is geared toward lure weights more commonly fished on spinning gear, but that casting technique also works for heavier weights. Also, KVD Line & Lure helps keep line limp and control casts, especially with mono and fluorocarbon.

Perhaps not on Shimano reels with the Super Free system or on reels with two-part spool shafts. On reels that have no pinion bearing and a one-part spool shaft, I've found that polishing and a light coat of oil on the friction surfaces makes a noticeable improvement in casting performance and casting noise.

If you oiled the gears, that partially explains the grinding. Gears should always be greased, never oiled. You should also clean off the old lube before adding new.

Shimano designs their own reels; the present Lew's does not. The clutch design in Lew's reels is exactly the same as that used by Abu Garcia, BPS on their Pro Qualifier and Johnny Morris Signature baitcasters (not sure about the Extreme), and by Pflueger in their metal-frame baitcasters. The Penn Sargus and Pursuit baitcasters also have the same nylon plastic clutch. Those reels are all different models from the same company. Incidentally, you actually don't hear a whole lot about the clutch in those reels breaking. Much more common are problems with metal parts and springs wearing out. That plastic clutch is surprisingly tough.

Here's what I'd try: 1. Remove the bearings from the palm-side cover and from the spool shaft. There should be a spring clip holding the bearing in the side cover, but the bearing on the shaft is held in place by a steel pin running through the spool shaft. This must be removed with spool pin pliers. If you've done this before you'll know what I mean. If you haven't it's still easy, but you must use the right tool for the job or you can easily damage your reel. 2. Stick the bearings on the end of a wooden pencil or a plastic pipette and spray them with a little WD40. Flick the bearing with your finger a few times to work it in. The bearing should spin slowly at first and then more quickly as the WD40 loosens up the factory lube. 3. Put 1/2" of pure acetone in a glass jar with a lid and soak the bearings in this for 10 minutes or more, giving the jar a shake from time to time. If you can see a lot of gunk in the acetone after the soak, repeat. 4. After they're rinsed in acetone, remove the bearings from the acetone bath and let them dry (or blow-dry them with compressed air). Test the bearings by putting them pack on the pencil or pipette and spinning them. When clean they should spin for at least 8-10 seconds. If the above doesn't work the first time, try more WD40 and spinning followed by a rinse in clean acetone. It's imperative to follow up the WD40 with acetone because WD40 leaves a thin film over the surfaces inside the bearing. The acetone removes this film. 5. Lubricate the flushed bearings with a single drop of light reel oil, spin them a few times to work the oil in, and reassemble your reel. A few other things that will also help are polishing the ends of the spool shaft, polishing the points on the spool shaft where it contacts the pinion gear, polishing the brake race, and polishing the inside of the pinion gear. The first two can be accomplished with a dremel tool and a standard buffing/polishing attachment. I like to use a liquid plastic polish or even car wax, just make sure you clean off the residue with acetone. Polishing the brake race and the inside of the pinion gear are a bit more tricky. What I do is take a q-tip, cut it down to a 3/4" stub, remove most of the cotton padding, and then chuck the stub in a dremel tool. Works like a charm for polishing the inside of the pinion gear. Rinse the polished surfaces with acetone to remove any residue. Put a drop of oil on each of the two spool-shaft contact points when reassembling your reel. Also put a single drop of light oil on the brake race and wipe it around with your finger. The brake race shouldn't be really oily, just enough so that your finger comes away shiny if you touch the brake race. I hope this helps.

What aavery2 said. I would also use some isopropyl alcohol on a q-tip to wipe down the tips of the brake shoes. Acetone might damage the plastic, but there's oil on the brake tabs that should be removed or it will contaminate the fresh oil. It won't hurt the reel, but it will detract from the effectiveness of the new oil.

Aluminum gears aren't necessarily rough. My sister's Pflueger Supreme baitcaster has aluminum gears and is extremely smooth, just as smooth if not more so than my Pflueger President baitcaster. You get grinding aluminum gears from poor tolerances inside the reel and/or poor machining. Aluminum is harder than brass and so for it to have the same silky smooth feel the tolerances and gear meshing must be perfect. A brass-geared reel may have looser tolerances and still feel smooth, thanks to of the comparative softness of the gear teeth.

Another bank-bound fisherman here, so grabbing pliers out of a toolbox isn't an option for me. I EDC a Leatherman Sidekick in my pocket on a clip, and the knife and pliers can together handle any fishing line or wire leader. The pliers are also useful for tuning baits that don't want to track straight.

The same company builds the Revos, Pro Qualifier, Johnny Morris Signature, all Lew's baitcasters, and the Pflueger baitcasters. The clutch mechanisms are identical—the differences are in the drags, gear materials, brake types, and ergonomics. Those variations do make a difference, but the reels are really just different models from the same manufacturer. Actually, I'd be inclined to go with a Pro Qualifier over the new Revos for the reason that it's a proven reel, and I've been hearing of quite a few problems with the G3 Revos.

They did. The drag has been upgraded since that review was written in 2005. They tested the drag at 5.7 pounds, the current reels can generate more than twice as much pressure. I've worked on a few Johnny Morris Signature baitcasters. They're tough, heavy reels, a bit bulky compared to other modern reels (including the BPS Pro Qualifier) but very solid.

Okay, does the reel seat make contact with the bottom of the plastic front cover?

As jtesch said, the Chronarch's aluminum frame should never flex. Period. Have you checked the hinge pin the palm-side cover rides on? Sounds like the reel seat is binding on the hinge pin when locked down.

Another vote for the H2O Xpress reels. They're built by Daiwa and have the same insides as the Lexa 100.

Better add Lew's to the "Pure Fishing" trio—they've got the same insides. Though only Abu Garcia and Pflueger are actually owned by Pure Fishing. I like Daiwa, sort of—the H2O Xpress reels are built by Daiwa, and those are my current favorites. Shimano's my #2.

Looking better and better.

I'm going to keep the tip section and will probably have it reattached, sometime. There's a guy +/- 90 miles from where I live who could repair it, but I only see him once or twice a year and I'd rather not ship it both ways. The replacement tip will keep the rod in service until then.

…And it weren't no fun. Busted my 6'6" M Team Daiwa T 3" - 4" from the tip. It was my own fault for storing it in a bad spot; it got pinched between a stepladder and a shelf, and though there was no visible damage I flexed it to make sure it was all right. Then, SNAP! I now have a two-piece TDT. Really love this rod—it was my first good fishing rod, and it sure didn't feel good breaking it and knowing I could have avoided doing so. Ordered a Fuji Alconite tip so I can get it back in action. At least I like short rods for their close-range accuracy, and those 3" off the end might make the rod a little more handy in close quarters. Let's just say it's a modification I don't plan on repeating.

Flushing and re-lubing the bearings will help, as will wiping down the brake race and the tips of the centrifugal brake shoes with a q-tip dipped in isopropyl alcohol. Then put a small (small) drop of oil on the brake race and wipe it around with your fingertip. If you want to improve performance still further, you can also polish the ends of the spool shaft with a dremel tool.

It's called the Tatula…

I'd love to see a Citica 50. Heck, I might even pay full MSRP for one. My Citica 201E is good for light lures, and one with a lighter spool could only be better.

The hood looks wrong for it to be a T3. The nose on the T3 is much more streamlined. Based on the pics, though admittedly they're not very clear, I'd say this reel hasn't got a T-wing.

Getting curious as to what's coming, especially after seeing the video. So, anyone care to take a guess? I'll start the ball rolling: Abu Garcia - I think the Orra baitcasters are due for an upgrade. The Max and Revo series were both overhauled recently, as were the spinning reels, so that leaves the Orra baitcasters out in the cold. Could also be more high-end spinning reels. Daiwa - The Project T video doesn't show much, but I'd guess a $100 - $120 baitcast offering as well as a $180 - $200 baitcaster. Think there's a new spinning reel as well, but no idea as to price point. Lew's - More spinning reels at different price points. Heard a rumor that they'll be releasing LH versions of the Super Duty and the Team Gold/Pro, but otherwise their baitcast reel lineup seems pretty well filled. Shimano - Shimano probably won't replace the Curado G, but they might do the closest thing to it and introduce a $180 baitcast reel. And a $350 reel to fill the Chronarch D's slot. Any thoughts?

Look up Daiwa Project T. Heard about it on TT and watched the video. Captured some pics from it: Think there's at least a couple baitcasters and one spinner. Getting impatient for ICAST 2103…

Thanks for the info. So, I've got three Daiwa reels and didn't know it. I'll take it. For me, it's easier to order replacement parts because the nearest Academy store is 380 miles away in Missouri. I was mainly thinking of customization—the Aird's drag star would be a perfect match with the orange accents on the Menace II.

Junkyard814 nailed it. Your new setup is a jack-of-all-trades rig that will be excellent to build around later on. The quality is also good enough that if you take care of them, there will be no reason to replace either the rod or the reel with more expensive equipment in the future. I think you'll meet one or two people on this forum who like the Chronarch E…