Hi everyone, I'm familiar with breaking down reels and cleaning them. However, when I was looking to simply oil up the bearings on my Daiwa baitcasters, I noticed that some Daiwa baitcasters have some kind of brace that's blocking the bearings on the handle side. I'm sure this is part of the zero adjuster feature. How do I remove this brace to access the handle side bearings to apply oil? I'm not looking to tear down the entire reel, I simply want to expose the handle side bearings to put in a drop of oil. 

 

I tried researching YouTube videos, googling online, and researching forums, but I couldn't find anything. I've attached a picture to show what I mean.

I always remove the handle side plate and oil from the inside often removing the bearing and inspecting it.  Daiwas have always arrangement even before they called the spool tension knob a zero adjuster.  

I pull the spool and use an oil bottle that has a long needle cap.

That’s a full floating spool design. There is no spool bearing in the side plate, it’s on the spool. 

There isn't a spool bearing there, but there should be a pinion bearing.  I can't remember if you can get at it without removing the side plate, but to the pinion shaft out, a T-pin with a bent tip is a useful tool to get it started.  The pinion shaft, part of the free floating system, transmits pressure from the spool tension cap to the spool shaft, and gives the pinion an axel to ride on with alignment, but still slide in and out of gear.  It is free floating and slides right out.