Curado 300e problems :-(

[.:LOLLY:.]

Lately the handle on my Curado 300e has been feeling a little stiff. When I am reeling it in, it does not feel as smooth as it used to. Upon further investigation, it has something to do with the drag. I was messing with it last night and noticed when I completely loosen the drag it would be smooth-ish again (with the drag completely off). The more I tighten the drag the harder it is to move the handle. None of the handles on my other reels feel "tight" when I button down the drag.

Has anyone ever had this problem?

[tacklejunkie]

Doh!
Sounds like a weird one.
Something moved around inside the reel sounds like.

Or maybe the handle shaft bearing is being crunched for some reason. The one at the bottom of the handle shaft inside the reel under the gears?

[.:LOLLY:.]

Cool, that goes along the lines of what I was thinking. I also think that a bearing is being crunched which is why it stiffens when I tighten the drag. Since I've never taken any reel apart I wanted to get some input before I start playing doctor.

I took it to Sav-on tackle yesterday and they told me that nothing was wrong with it but I know it's stiffer then it should be. It wasn't until later on that night that I somewhat narrowed down the problem.

Thanks TJ

[.:LOLLY:.]

I was also trying to take off the roller clutch bearing but couldn't get it to come out.

It is #3910 on the link below:
http://schematics.planetseafishing.com/downloads/shimano/multiplier/curado-series/09CU300E_v1.pdf

Does anyone have any tricks for that?

[tacklejunkie]

Not positive dude but doesn't sound right.
Shouldn't be hard to turn it when you crank the drag down.
Good luck.

[.:LOLLY:.]

Thanks for your help.
Now that I have my hands on the schematic I feel more comfortable playing doctor.

I will post my results (if any) for anyone that might have the same problem in the future!

[tacklejunkie]

woops my last reply was to your previous post before the schematic post.
Usually the one way bearing is part of the housing in my Daiwas.
I cal still take everything else off the reel without removing it and never do.

You can tell if the one way is good by rolling a shaft in it maybe.
But sounds like you need to apply pressure to get the problem.

[simijab]

Shimano will fix almost anything for free if you send it to them and say the right things.

[kendo]

The clutch bearing should slide right out. If it does not there might be some corrosion in there that might be causing your problem. I have fixed these before and if your tightening the drag and it gets stiff usually means the bearing is bad / Drag grease is almost gone / or the washers on the under side of drag star are almost completely destroyed. Best recommendation is to take it apart and clean it completely and reassemble with it greased with PTF grease that has anti corrosion properties. Daiwa and Quantum make great grease which you can get both at SavOn. If you see any green grease spots this usually means corrosion. Good luck.

[.:LOLLY:.]

Cool, thanks for the tip!

[.:LOLLY:.]

The clutch bearing should slide right out. If it does not there might be some corrosion in there that might be causing your problem. I have fixed these before and if your tightening the drag and it gets stiff usually means the bearing is bad / Drag grease is almost gone / or the washers on the under side of drag star are almost completely destroyed. Best recommendation is to take it apart and clean it completely and reassemble with it greased with PTF grease that has anti corrosion properties. Daiwa and Quantum make great grease which you can get both at SavOn. If you see any green grease spots this usually means corrosion. Good luck.

Thanks for that Kendo I like to do stuff myself when I can. Last night I picked up some lube and now I will definitely pick up some grease.

[tacklejunkie]

If you need to replace it, I have a one way bearing tool from an RC helicopter that may help remove it from the housing if it's the right size. Might be a long shot. Usually you can remove one way bearings with a press fit tool.

That's if Shimano won't help.

[.:LOLLY:.]

That's very generous of you TJ. Thanks man, I'll keep that in mind if my tactics don't work.

[That Dang Guy]

Generally one way bearings are pressed out, but I've used a socket larger than the one way bearing as a support for the side plate. Then use another socket smaller than the one way bearing and use a rubber mallet to gently tap it out. Usually it takes one or two taps to loosen it out. If you're trying to remove it out of conventional reel, like a Trinidad, it definitely needs to be pressed out. You'll damage the sideplate if you try to use this method.

But! I don't think that's your problem. Theres a binding of some sort when the drag is applied. How does it feel when you turn the handle and it's 'tight'? It's a smooth or does it feel notchy?

[Nessie Hunter]

Im going to take a shot here and say it is most likely the Right side Spool bearing thats bad!!!

I know sounds weird huh??

But when you put more pressure on the drag it adds more pressure to the side load of the Spool bearings.
The Right one is always first to rust & corrode out...
Smoothdrags.com has them cheaper then Shimano...

The Roller bearing should just tap out (some fall out) Toward INSIDE of reel..
Make sure and get it back in the right way, They are directional...
Oil only, no grease in the Roller, it needs to move to work...

While your at Smoothdrags replace the drag washers with Carbontex (Woven Carbon Fiber) Drags and a little Cals grease. Smooth as silk and last a lifetime with no worries....

Good luck.....


.

[.:LOLLY:.]

Generally one way bearings are pressed out, but I've used a socket larger than the one way bearing as a support for the side plate. Then use another socket smaller than the one way bearing and use a rubber mallet to gently tap it out. Usually it takes one or two taps to loosen it out. If you're trying to remove it out of conventional reel, like a Trinidad, it definitely needs to be pressed out. You'll damage the sideplate if you try to use this method.

But! I don't think that's your problem. Theres a binding of some sort when the drag is applied. How does it feel when you turn the handle and it's 'tight'? It's a smooth or does it feel notchy?

It feels smooth as if you're reeling in dead weight

[.:LOLLY:.]

Im going to take a shot here and say it is most likely the Right side Spool bearing thats bad!!!

I know sounds weird huh??

But when you put more pressure on the drag it adds more pressure to the side load of the Spool bearings.
The Right one is always first to rust & corrode out...
Smoothdrags.com has them cheaper then Shimano...

The Roller bearing should just tap out (some fall out) Toward INSIDE of reel..
Make sure and get it back in the right way, They are directional...
Oil only, no grease in the Roller, it needs to move to work...

While your at Smoothdrags replace the drag washers with Carbontex (Woven Carbon Fiber) Drags and a little Cals grease. Smooth as silk and last a lifetime with no worries....

Good luck.....


.

Thanks, I keep hearing good things about the carbontex drags and Cals grease

[DarkShadow]

If the reel is relatively new, there is NO WAY IN HELL i'd dish out 1 cent to fix a problem. Unless you have voided the warranty and the damage is due to excessive wear and tear, send it back to Shimano and let them take care of it.

Grant it, the turn around time these days are about 6 months, you won't have to deal with fixing someone else's problem. And because it seems that Shimano is now about counting pennies, you may get a phone call asking you to pay X amount for parts and labor, something that has recently changed from their 'no questions asked' policy.

I have a Core100 who's drag has been shot from the original purchase. I sent it back once only to be lectured on how the Core isn't supposed to be used in the salt (when ironically, literature INSIDE THE BOX says it's safe for use in the salt), and they returned it 2 weeks later, NOT FIXED, saying they swapped out certain parts, and gladly charged me for the return shipping.

While they were kind enough to call me to apologize for not having done anything and sent me a FedEx label to send the reel back, I mentioned that I had already wasted my time sending it back once, and that I'd send it back when I had some down time, which at this rate, may come in the year 2014, maybe.

So, if any of the advice here doesn't work, send it back to Shimano, and factor in plenty of lead time to get it back. If you used the reel as intended, you shouldn't have to be worrying about wasting your own time and money to getting it fixed.

[That Dang Guy]

Hm..smooth like dead weight?

I find it odd that it's smooth if it's binding somewhere. Nessie's recommendation about the right side bearing makes sense. How does it feel in free spool?

[.:LOLLY:.]

Dark Shadow:
That sucks about your situation.
The thing is I bought the reel on craigslist so I don't know if the warranty thing will still apply since I don't have a receipt. I bought the reel at the beginning of the year and hasn't given me any problems until recently. The reel is still usable and the drag seems to work fine (since I was catching fish with it this past weekend) It's only the extra tension while reeling. The more I investigate, the more I think it's a bearing.

That Dang Guy:
I also think it might be a bearing just have to find which one. While in free spool it does spin ok but I think it should be spinning more. The tensions is really only felt on the handle when the drag is buttoned down. The tighter the drag, the more tension there is.

[BassFreak]

its really difficult to diagnose a problem when you cant see the reel but it sounds like Nessie is on the money here from your description of the problem. If it is a bearing problem, it is more likely the outer spool bearing, or my suspect is the pinion gear bearing. the AR bearing and main shaft bearing is still "engaged" even when the drag is turned all the way down. while the pinion gear bearing is only under load when you tighten up the drag. try flushing and cleaning the bearings as they might just be fouled up and not broken. hope this helps.

Also a longshot here, but i would also check the wormdrive. this part is exposed and gets fouled up easily. this too is not "engaged" when you back off the drag which could explain why you only feel the "tightness" when the drag is set.