Hey guys,

 

took apart this old reel to learn and clean up and can’t get the bail assembly back together. Can anyone tell me how this metal piece is installed? Thanks in advance!

Take the make/model of the reel - EX: Pflueger Trion 30

Plug it into a Google Search with 'schematic' - "schematic pflueger trion 30"

Look through the results to find the schematic for that reel - that'll show you what goes where.

i believe that one goes inside the spring notch side down with the other end on a hole designed to hold it. 

Schematic won’t help you here unless you lost a part. I can’t see the shape of the bail piece from the one angle of the pic. Opening the bail should compress the spring. You’ll have to stare at it and try to picture what’s going on. Bails are arguably the biggest PIA in reel service. 

It will be a lot easier if you take off that red cover. Insert the pin with spring into the bail part first, then install the bail while pushing the whole pin/spring into housing. There might be another small plastic part inside the housing, so be careful when removing it.