So I opened my new Tatula up and found out it has 7 bearings, but 2 are in the handle. These are the same size as the plastic spacers on the worm gear. So I thought why are they in the handle and not the worm? So I swapped them. BIG MISTAKE!

 

They are noisy and not smooth.   Guess that’s why they are in the handle but cause no noticeable difference over swapping the plastic spacers into the handle.

 

Bummer. Now I had to order two new bearings for the worm.

Was it broke before you started?

Did you clean the bearings? I don't know if they come greased from the factory but they shouldn't be rough. They should be perfectly fine in place of the levelwind bushings unless you just got bad bearings from Daiwa.

 

Also, I assume you then put the bushings into the handle? Are you sure it isn't the handle that is binding up and causing it to not be smooth? Generally the handle has little washers that allow the screw for the post to ride on the outside race of the bearings while the handle knob rides on the inside race (I may have that backwards). Using only bushings I believe will cause it to bind up, but I could be wrong. Try turning the handle without the knobs, if it feels fine then it's the bushings in the knobs causing the issue. 

Nah, it’s definitely the bearings. They are fast, way faster than the bushings, but noisier than ceramics on a high speed spin of the handle and just not refined like an abec bearing. And that’s after adding a drop of ReelX to them. In hindsight, no, I did not clean them as I usually do when I oil bearings.

1 hour ago, Choporoz said:

Was it broke before you started?

Nope. Fresh out of the box and never spooled with line.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. ??

3 hours ago, CrankFate said:

Nah, it’s definitely the bearings. They are fast, way faster than the bushings, but noisier than ceramics on a high speed spin of the handle and just not refined like an abec bearing. And that’s after adding a drop of ReelX to them. In hindsight, no, I did not clean them as I usually do when I oil bearings.

Nope. Fresh out of the box and never spooled with line.

Clean them, and put a little grease in them.  There is no benefit to using oil in the level wind bearings they are not high speed.  Should make them nice and smooth. 

Whipping the handle around is an unnatural motion for a reel and not an indicator of anything. 

3 hours ago, tander said:

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. ??

When other little kids were drooling and eating dirt and paint chips, I was taking something apart with a screwdriver. It’s been a problem I’ve had my whole life.

 

1 minute ago, Delaware Valley Tackle said:

Whipping the handle around is an unnatural motion for a reel and not an indicator of anything. 

Probably not, but I do often slap the handle to spin it while fishing for bait motion, whether or not that makes any difference, I just can’t help not doing it. Something about a smooth fast, quiet spin on a low profile bait caster just makes me feel good.

12 hours ago, CrankFate said:

When other little kids were drooling and eating dirt and paint chips, I was taking something apart with a screwdriver. It’s been a problem I’ve had my whole life.

 

Taking it apart is not the problem, it's getting it back together.

I sometimes have my reel knobs "buzz" when I spin them after a nice clean. Like DVT said it's not indicative of anything. They aren't meant to or designed to be run at high RPM like a spool bearings. They just need to be smooth at normal retrieve speeds. If you want to spend more than the reel is worth for 6 Abec 7 ceramic hybrid bearings to upgrade the handle and levelwind I'm sure it will feel great spinning the handle ?

I have never had a bearing on a worm gear on any of my Shimano reels up to the Chronarch MGL and can't say as I miss having one.

Kvd slaps his handle while fishing jerkbaits 

 

Your in a good crowd @CrankFate ?

4 hours ago, OnthePotomac said:

I have never had a bearing on a worm gear on any of my Shimano reels up to the Chronarch MGL and can't say as I miss having one.

They're a nice little extra but I agree not a game changer. 

On 12/28/2018 at 5:02 PM, NittyGrittyBoy said:

Kvd slaps his handle while fishing jerkbaits 

 

Your in a good crowd @CrankFate ?

I do it with everything, thankfully, I’m usually behind a rock deep off the main path and surrounded by trees and bushes.

On 12/28/2018 at 3:16 PM, OnthePotomac said:

I have never had a bearing on a worm gear on any of my Shimano reels up to the Chronarch MGL and can't say as I miss having one.

I got a JDM Abu about 11 years ago, which I though had a great feel that I attribute to worm bearings, been hooked ever since.

 

 

Got my worm bearings from SmoothDrag today. Just gave all the bearings a proper flush and CorrosionX and put everything back together, feels like fast butter now. $15 just made the reel feel at least $150 better ?

For the record I just got done doing some upgrades to my tatulas. I got some cheap Abec 3 RC bearings, put four in the handles, and moved the handle ones that came with the reel to the levelwind. No issues so far. 

On 12/27/2018 at 4:32 PM, tander said:

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. ??

Or fix it till it is 

23 hours ago, LionHeart said:

Or fix it till it is 

........must........take........it.........

 

........apart.......