Level winder problem.

[jack2964]

I have this cheapo Shimano baitcaster that has served me well but is now intermittently jamming/getting stuck at end of travel resulting in line piling up on the spool.

I have taken it apart including the level winder worm gear and the gears that drive it and all seem to be fine with no observable physical damage. I couldn't get into the line guide assembly though.

Not knowing what else to do, I tightened the screw on the guide assembly and seem to have fixed the problem but am doubtful. So, what does this screw (accompanying pic) actually do?

As always thanks in advance.

[tingtongfarang]

I think this screw tensions the spring loaded pin which runs runs in the slot of the worm drive thus taking the level wind back and forward, on all my baitcasters the level wind does not move while casting,

Just tried to check on a shimano antares i have, seems its not possible to get to this screw on my model without taking the reel apart.

[jack2964]

I think all baitcasters have their drive trains disengaged once the thumb bar is depressed and the level winder stays in its last position.

Had a look at the Antares HG and that particular screw is easily turned with a flat bladed screw driver whereas on my problem cheapo reel the screw is pretty much inaccessible and I only turned it by wielding a pair of long-nosed pliers. For now the winder isn't getting jammed at the end of travel anymore and I hope it stays that way. Still unsure my turning that screw has made any difference.

[impulse]

Google "Shimano reel schematic" and you'll probably be able to drill down to your answer.

Not knowing which of the hundreds of Shimano models and the exact vintage, I can't point you to the exact schematic...

[NeverSure]

"I have this cheapo Shimano baitcaster that has served me well but is now intermittently jamming/getting stuck at end of travel resulting in line piling up on the spool."

Jack, I'm not tracking sorry. Is this happening when you cast? In cases where my level winds "result in line piling up on the spool" the spool is running too free and over speeding the line playing out. (When I cast.) I can't think of a case where I would ever describe it this way if the spool jammed. Obviously I'm just not understanding what you're saying.

I agree that the screw most likely is what Tingtong said and I don't see it being a problem. If someone was using one of my reels and told me about the line piling up on the spool up I'd assume they were casting and tell them to use a thumb to add some drag.

BTW I don't consider any Shimano reel el cheapo even if they cost less than my Shakespeare units. I've used them when they were provided by fishing guides, even in Alaska and they did fine.

[jack2964]

No, the problem isn't during casting.

The line winder guide sticks during retrieve intermittently on the extreme right just before it is supposed to reverse direction causing line to pile up on the right of the spool. The crank handle has a lot of resistance when the winder sticks. I have to forcibly crank the handle to free the sticking. It'd be good for a few cranks and then sticks again.

Per my first post, I have taken it apart and found no physical damage. Turned that screw clockwise maybe a turn and it is behaving itself so far hence my question about what that screw does.

[tingtongfarang]

Took a couple of my reels apart the other day for cleaning, one being the shimano antares DC the other a daiwa J Dream jdm, the level wind system on both are very similar in that under that screw there is a spring loaded pin,

I pondered jacks jamming problem for a few moments and checked, this system will indeed jam if the spring pressure is not enough to hold it in the slot which takes it back and forward,

The reason for the strip and clean was that i had been fishing a whole day on a lake with a thick film of algae which had in the course of the day built up, i had given them a wash down with the bum gun after arriving home but that was,nt enough.

[NeverSure]

No, the problem isn't during casting.

The line winder guide sticks during retrieve intermittently on the extreme right just before it is supposed to reverse direction causing line to pile up on the right of the spool. The crank handle has a lot of resistance when the winder sticks. I have to forcibly crank the handle to free the sticking. It'd be good for a few cranks and then sticks again.

Per my first post, I have taken it apart and found no physical damage. Turned that screw clockwise maybe a turn and it is behaving itself so far hence my question about what that screw does.

I think TTT just answered it. It's sure worth a try. Thanks for taking the trouble to explain.

Cheers

[jack2964]

Took a couple of my reels apart the other day for cleaning, one being the shimano antares DC the other a daiwa J Dream jdm, the level wind system on both are very similar in that under that screw there is a spring loaded pin,

I pondered jacks jamming problem for a few moments and checked, this system will indeed jam if the spring pressure is not enough to hold it in the slot which takes it back and forward,

The reason for the strip and clean was that i had been fishing a whole day on a lake with a thick film of algae which had in the course of the day built up, i had give them a wash down with the bum gun after arriving home but that was,nt enough.

Thanks TTF your findings explain why that reel is now behaving well. This means baitcasters need this screw to be 'tightened' periodically to ensure proper performance of the level winder. I've had this reel for over 2 years with some heavy usage.

Meanwhile, on the fishing front, it has been a very tough 2 months with the exception of 2 or 3 days when the Krasoob were fired up and hit almost any lure presented.

3 weeks back got a decent 5.5kg chado on a 7cm Yozuri popper replaced with single Owner circle hooks. Now I know why you guys target Chado more than Krasoobs!

[tingtongfarang]

Took a couple of my reels apart the other day for cleaning, one being the shimano antares DC the other a daiwa J Dream jdm, the level wind system on both are very similar in that under that screw there is a spring loaded pin,

I pondered jacks jamming problem for a few moments and checked, this system will indeed jam if the spring pressure is not enough to hold it in the slot which takes it back and forward,

The reason for the strip and clean was that i had been fishing a whole day on a lake with a thick film of algae which had in the course of the day built up, i had give them a wash down with the bum gun after arriving home but that was,nt enough.

Thanks TTF your findings explain why that reel is now behaving well. This means baitcasters need this screw to be 'tightened' periodically to ensure proper performance of the level winder. I've had this reel for over 2 years with some heavy usage.

Meanwhile, on the fishing front, it has been a very tough 2 months with the exception of 2 or 3 days when the Krasoob were fired up and hit almost any lure presented.

3 weeks back got a decent 5.5kg chado on a 7cm Yozuri popper replaced with single Owner circle hooks. Now I know why you guys target Chado more than Krasoobs!

I one time went fishing with a couple of young guys from singapore, at some point in the day we swapped tackle for a while, they were both using shimano calcuta, on the first cast i did a mega birds nest, he forgot to tell me they had both taken out anything they deemed unnecessary such as the cast control or level wind, also these reels were tuned with ceramic bearings and very free running spools,

Yep, surface strikes from chado certainly get my heart pumping, often in the wild they might hit the lure 3-4 times before getting a hook.

[NeverSure]

I've had this reel for over 2 years with some heavy usage.

That picture looks a lot like the reels that the guides provided for us in Alaska. Those reels worked really well and of course guides can't have them fail for guys who flew all the way up from the mainland and paid out of pocket for a fishing trip. Ever since then I've had a lot of respect for them even though they aren't real expensive. The drag is really smooth and easy to adjust for bigger fish.

I pulled in a 50+ pound salmon from a drift boat in strong current in the Kenai River with one of those and it was flawless. I was used to doing the same thing on Oregon on coastal rivers with my Shakespeares but the fish run smaller there. The biggest we caught would run around 30 pounds and we caught a lot of them because one of the rivers was right there and I had a boat.

Good luck and have fun. It sounds like you fixed your issue.

Cheers

[NeverSure]

Thanks TTF your findings explain why that reel is now behaving well. This means baitcasters need this screw to be 'tightened' periodically to ensure proper performance of the level winder. I've had this reel for over 2 years with some heavy usage.

Meanwhile, on the fishing front, it has been a very tough 2 months with the exception of 2 or 3 days when the Krasoob were fired up and hit almost any lure presented.

3 weeks back got a decent 5.5kg chado on a 7cm Yozuri popper replaced with single Owner circle hooks. Now I know why you guys target Chado more than Krasoobs!

I one time went fishing with a couple of young guys from singapore, at some point in the day we swapped tackle for a while, they were both using shimano calcuta, on the first cast i did a mega birds nest, he forgot to tell me they had both taken out anything they deemed unnecessary such as the cast control or level wind, also these reels were tuned with ceramic bearings and very free running spools,

Yep, surface strikes from chado certainly get my heart pumping, often in the wild they might hit the lure 3-4 times before getting a hook.

I never trust a cast control and my reels don't have it. I hate nothing more than getting a snag when I want to fish. For some reason I can cast just as far and accurately with a tiny bit of drag from my thumb as I can without it and I always do that.

Salmon and steelhead (large ocean going rainbow trout) lie just above a rapid in the calm water and wait for the current to bring something interesting to eat. They are found in the deeper holes and we learn where those are. By deeper I mean only about 15 feet/5 meters because it's already a shallow area which creates the rapid.

We cast above them (upstream) because the are facing that and then drift our bait or lure down to where we hope they are. When we are in a drift boat and hook one we let them pull the boat downstream and basically bring the fish and boat together wherever that winds up being. We could never pull one of those fish upstream through the rapids. We're reeling in both the boat and the fish until they come together.

It took me more than an hour doing that to net that 50 pound King salmon and I know I was more pulling the boat to him than him to me. It doesn't matter once someone gets a net under him and lifts him out of the water.

This is the river we usually fish.

Rogue River Oregon