Delaware Valley Tackle

Versatile in what way and to what degree? Wide lure weight range? Low to mid, mid to high? Action beneficial to single and treble hooks? Etc.

Good job. Goes to show what can be done. Limiting exposure to the air once retrieved and resisting the urge to crank on it before cleaning greatly enhances the chances of success.

Yes and more than you can list.

I have, with the customers permission, serviced mag seal reels replacing the lube with traditional lubricants with no ill affects. I’ll stop short of you that you should, but yes you can. as for casting weight, a 5” senko is well within the capability of any modern baitcaster even without adding weight. They’re much heavier than you realize. The Steez should handle even lighter rigs if the rod and line are right.

Sure. I offer an econo clean service at $18 that would likely cover that.

Always fill the spool for max casting performance

No, we can’t get the mag seal product. When I said service as normal I meant as a normal reel disregarding the mag seal feature. My understanding is a little different than Dwight’s and I may be wrong but I can’t see sealing a reel against water intrusion as a replacement for service. If they’ll service it for 5 yrs let them. Or like I said, either ignore the mag seal or the service interval going with the if it ain’t broke don’t fix it train of thought.

You’ll have to check with Daiwa in as far as them servicing a JDM reel. They certainly could if they wanted to but… As for myself, Daiwa won’t sell the mag seal fluid. There are a few online sellers offering an alternative but I haven’t messed with it. Given the lack of options in service providers and availability of materials for DIY I could see people putting off or foregoing services. This could negate any claimed advantages of magseal (of which I’m skeptical). If it were mine, I’d use it hard for a year to run out the warranty period then take the included service if available. If not, I’d service it as normal (or have it done) and sleep like a baby.

Mechanically it won’t hurt a thing.

You’re right in that it won’t hurt anything. U40 is a water based polymer so once it cures you need a solvent or abrasive to remove it. Nothing too aggressive is needed. Magic eraser and maybe some alcohol should work without harming anything. Be careful on a painted blank. You could make a bad matter worse.

Dobyns doesn’t put a lot of resources into their spinning rods. The new owners will going forward I suspect.

By sight and feel is the best tool can do. If you can’t get it out of the side plate I clean them by plugging one end with a finger and spraying with simple green, then swabbing. Flush with hot water, shake and blow dry and swab with acetone. Checking the feel as described by frnknsteen is a good step then check again during assembly.

To identify a bad bearing, it must be complete cleaned, flushed and dry. Spin the bearing at low speed on a pencil point etc. It should spin smoothly and quietly, coming to rest gradually. Obviously, you can spin test an AR bearing, but don’t overlook it. People don’t always realize that the AR clutch spins constantly during retrieve. I don’t recommend replacing gears just to possibly eliminate subtle noise because due to the likelihood of repeated symptoms. That’s your call. If you find you need to replace a bearing, ABEC3 SS frame bearings and ABEC5 ss spool bearings from a reputable supplier like Boca is worth the couple extra bucks. You want LD (less be dry) spec on spool bearings.

Weight is important in two ways. First, weight to stiffness ratio is an indication of sensitivity/recovery speed (often referred to as crispness). Secondly, the lightest possible components reserve the blanks inherent qualities by default resulting in a lighter rod.

I don’t find either Daiwa or Shimano to be better or worse than the other over all quality wise. They get points for largely having their own manufacturing systems but if I’m being honest, I service a lot of Doyo built rebrands that hold up exceptionally well and stay smooth. On paper they shouldn’t be close but in use the differences in quality are splitting hairs among the name brands at $100> msrp.

Aside from logos and maybe colors, there’s really no “match” of rods to reels. If you have a reason or just desire to try something new, browse Lews models and see what you find interesting. Otherwise don’t fix what ain’t broke and just put what you already like on it.

Rust and corrosion won’t really kick in till the air hits it. Contamination is the enemy here. Whatever you do , resist the urge to crank and test the reel upon retrieval. Be ready to either send it out or deep clean immediately. Don’t let it sit around. Let me know if you need help.

Some spinning reel AR assemblies are more difficult than others. Proceed with extreme caution. Contact me with questions or to have it repaired.

Look inside the bail arm and wire roller attachment and make sure that are clean and not corroded.

Don’t crank on reels with full length spool shafts without the spool in place unless you’re 100% sure the pinion has bearing support on both ends.

The problem with these little tricks is it’s almost impossible to prove or disprove. The confidence factor is the tie breaker imo.

I run 6 pin centrifugal brakes 3 on 3 off 99% of the time. 2 should be ok. It just depends on your preferences. You’re not doing it any harm for sure.

There’s nothing beefed up about it. While a nice addition, the non critical same rubber cap would fit over the original style. You never had to remove the AR to grease gears and still have to service the pinion and supporting bearings. Another case of fixing what ain’t broke. They already had the best spinning reel AR by a mile. You’re probably right about it sticking around but I’m not a fan.

Rooster tails are the worst when it comes to line twist. The blades don’t spin as easily as Mepps or blue fox for example. Brand isn’t as critical as making sure the swivel is a bearing style.

Heads up if you service your own reels, the new shimano AR assembly is no longer self contained. If you’re not careful the pins and springs will fall out all over the place. If you’re lucky enough to not lose anything, putting the pins and springs back in the labyrinth and getting the assembly back on the reel without spilling them out will baffle, bewilder, frustrate and infuriate even the most patient among us if you can even figure it out. I love shimano spinners but won’t buy another one until they correct this engineering nightmare.