bulldog1935

You mentioned the rod, but haven't meantioned the reel. The only time I've had this happen was when either the reel foot was too long for the L3 thread engagement on the reel seat, or because the shape of the reel foot didn't engage deep enough into the rear reel seat pocket, producing the same effect. The ill result is that the reel seat nut can't engage enough threads to tighten. My suggestion is try pushing the reel foot deeper into the rear pocket before you tighten the nut. You need 2 fully engaged threads in the nut to prevent it popping open.

That will nail it - my Steez currently with AMO spool and PE#0.8 is matched with Y/B BCIII 82/B - the lightweight rod loves the light weight of the Steez BFS-mod, and I mostly fish 3-g microplugs with plug hook swaps

@redmeansdistortion needs to answer this question for you. I don't know enough about the sizing of these reels, but he loves to bench-race them. He has mentioned they share many Alphas/Pixy parts. I can answer about Roro spool for Daiwa SV reel - I've fished two very similar 34-mm Roro-X spools on Steez and Silver Wolf. Fixed-inductor spools like Roro-X and AMO change magforce into linear mag brake. That's all you need casting 1/4 oz (7 g) and lighter. Because of the extreme light weight (low inertia), they cast the lightest weights (1/16 oz) farther than any other spool option. They are unforgiving of start-up jerk casting heavy weights or with wrist snap. I pick these spools for fine braid (PE#1 and smaller) and fishing 2 or 3 g. You should be able to fit a current Daiwa BFS spool or a Ray's Studio moving-inductor spool - - that's where we need @redmeansdistortion to answer. The moving inductor spools are literally twice as heavy, let you fish a wider weight range, and the Daiwa versions will let you fish mono. (these examples are 34-mm, and won't fit your reel) These trade light end distance for improved cast reliability, and where I use them is fishing PE#1 and larger, generally casting 1/8 oz (4 to 6 g), but these will keep on fishing up to a full ounce.

Carbontex may give you less drag than the blue alumina abrasive (likely) You can always try adding a 0.5-mm or 1.0-mm brass washer just below the star drag for a shim.

Yes, there should be a pancake there of abrasive (or carbontex), metal washer, carbontex, metal washer, etc. Missing one both reduces total drag power and even the missing thickness in the drag stack may run out of star washer thread travel. I often add brass washer above drag stack on Ambassadeur for a shim to need less crank on the star washer to get the same drag result.

google your Curado model schematic and open the Shimano USA link - you'll find your p/n this is Ambassadeur o-ring, but it's exactly the same idea. Over time, they flaten out and lose their grip. (I always have these around for Ambassadeur)

replace the o-ring, p/n 28 on the schematic you can use a plastic toothpick or a needle to remove the old one

you're simply trying to get rid of the grease, which is a paraffin. DA is the best choice.

Mineral spirits "clean deeper" and don't flash away as quickly. If you use either, you will always smell a residue - that's what I use for bicycle chains. Denatured alcohol is really good to have around for cleaning reel parts.

The other 50% is water - higher content, like 94% would be better. If you can hold out for a hardware store, you can get denatured alcohol (iso-ethanol) or hexane.

Nail polish remover can have higher-order solvents, including MEK, which dissolves polar organics. I'd go with the rubbing alcohol, which will only dissolve paraffins. Other light solvents are hexane and ethanol.

Before you chase replacement drag washers, one thing to try. Soak the greased OEM washers in alcohol for an hour, and let them dry completely.

no, you need to replace them - either swap for carbontex or replace with OEM and take an alcohol q-tip to the mating metal surfaces. @BassSteve ps - the composition is used in abrasive cut-off wheels. The mat layer you're describing sounds like they punched the washers from fiber-reinforced cut-off wheel. The blue B-trap washers are the same abrasive compound, but punched from resin-bonded cut-off wheel.

Blue drag washers may be resin-bonded alumina abrasive, which is definitely intended to run Dry. My surf Ambassadeurs get these, sold by Valleyhill as B-Trap drag washers. When properly used dry, they double the drag capacity over carbontex. (Easy way to get big drag numbers on paper) Carbontex should get drag grease, but a whole lot less than most consider. The main thing is to get grease on the thin I.D. and O.D. edges, but you generally want to remove everything you can - all you need is the thinnest tenacious film. From where you're at, may want to find a Carbontex vendor who can match your reel. But I would consider the grease-soaked blue abrasive drag washers shot now. If you go back for OEM parts, take an alcohol q-tip to the main gear and metal surfaces exposed to the drag grease.

Thanks. Guess I envision the guy sitting at bench H-g committing seppuku if this reel comes back to his bench. it was jokes Back to '20 world postal crash. Both JDM vendors and the couriers responded to make the world a smaller place. While supply chains stretched in US, it became evidently cheaper and much, much quicker to buy from Japan - 44 hours from Japan v. 2-3 weeks from a US vendor, along with saving 40-50%. Both Jun at JT and my broker Masamichi at noppin began using courier services at my recommendation.

It's really tough to go wrong with PE#1 - 0.165-mm dia - this is the trade-off point between small diameter and high strength (20-lb breaking strength in JDM braid). This is the same diameter as 4-lb mono, and Jun Sonada has always recommended as the minimum diameter to avoid line dig. I have two BFS reels that fish smaller, #0.8 and #0.6 to get more light-end distance, two fishing larger PE#1.2 for big-fish toughness, but #1.0 is a reliable go-to for all BFS. I'm also going to add fine braid backlash is tough to deal with. Initially with a new BFS reel, get used to it with 5-lb Ultragreen mono or 6-lb YoZuri Hybrid. After you know you're backlash-proof, make the switch to X-braid.

My F-150 so far had 2 warranty claims - both window lifts - hey, it's a Ford, window lifts are their worst thing. Otherwise, a warranty on a fishing reel just hasn't been a concern for me. I do think my '77 Ambassadeurs are probably out of warranty. But that's OK, there's no postal charge to send them back to my bench. I'm not sure why a single and only JDM purchase requires so much repeated affirmation as the only sensible way to do this. I've been buying from Japan for 20 years, since before any JDM vendors were able to sell to US, and buying in Japan required a broker for the language barrier, for the vendor to receive payment, and to broker shipping. From the current shops marketing to US, I've bought rods and reels from Asian Portal, Digitaka, Plat, Japan Tackle, Japan Angler, FishingShop.kiwi, Hedgehog Studio, Amazon.jp, Amazon Prime, Yahoo, along with Many brick and mortar shops across the 99% rest of Japan using my broker. Any of these routes allows warranty return for a defective product. While I've heard of exactly a couple, I've never received a defective JDM product.

This is for a minimum-size/weight parcel. It's more cost-effective to buy another reel than to send one to Japan. The only person I know of who received a defective JDM Alphas Air (frame was missing spool guide on one side), Asian Portal e-mailed him will-call return shipping. There's more than one way to buy JDM reels, some more cost-effective than others. While there are bogus Asian websites that google up with ridiculously low prices and pretend to be Japan, you won't find an actual JDM scam website or a bad vendor. Their integrity is so much a part of their culture, they're all good and conscientious vendors. When I was shipping to Japan, Priority Mail International to Japan or UK was $30. At that same time Royal Air Mail from UK to US was $12. '20 worldwide postal crash wiped that out, and EU post and courier is still nuts, though EU vendors combine ground across Europe with expedited transatlantic (contract) to ship to us for $30.

I fish down to PE#0.5 on finesse spinning, and PE#0.6 on BFS. It's all about extra distance. It's all pretty tough, too.

I ended up buying my Twin Power from a buddy, because he somehow ordered 2 from Asian Portal and received them on consecutive days. He discovered shipping back to Japan for refund was not cost effective. I've sold some high-grade tackle in Japan collector's market, myself, and the shipping cost from US has always been high. Shipping $700 antiques, the shipping cost is easily absorbed. The JDM vendors marketing to US have bulk shipping contracts - we don't. That said, Jun and son Kayo are the finestkind, and I've placed 15 orders with them, but only one reel.

If you're going to the trouble to customize, might want SLP Works Zillion, which is based on the '22 HD, and comes without handle and spool. Handle is Studio Composite RC-SC Ex Plus.

I fished my 4-yr '21 Zillion SVTW week before last next to SLPW Zillion, which is based on '22 HD. I like the HD better. It has an edge in drive smothness, clutch feels stiffer, more positive. This one I haven't been inside yet, but the main gear is reported to be brass. I was inside my '21 Zillion this week, for post salt-trip clean and lube, and it looks really good. Especially happy with the pinion gear, which is stainless steel. Alloy main gear still looks new.

BTW, with shields removed, you don't need soap. Grease is paraffin, and denatured alcohol or even hexane is a 100% solvent. Extraction chemistry is in my bailiwick.

That's Avail power handle T4S (complete kit). also sold as bare handle. But with lower gear ratio, you would likely prefer shorter Avail S-Trad. Note that the T4S takes Shimano-A/ Daiwa-S knobs, but S-Trad only takes matching (short) Avail knobs. Both handles are very light, with titanium knob spindles. Here's S-Trad on my Headhunter BC620 Maybe @redmeansdistortion will chime-in with Daiwa SLP parts.

Mid cast backlash is caused by gravity slowing the lure before it crosses the hump. It's also called wind backlash. You need either a heavier lure, or a higher setting on mag brake.