Need help lubing my Daiwa Procaster-X 153i

Hi Everybody,
I hope someone can help me with my Daiwa Procaster-X153i. Shes a great reel. I have used her for saltwater fishing for many years, and have subdued some swimming beasts that you wouldnt have thought possible with this small reel. Including striped bass, bluefish, blackfish, fluke allmost anything thats swims.
My problem is that after many years of hard use the casting distance started to decrease. At first it was just a small amount, than it got worse and worse. Now I can hardly cast a 1 1/2 jig 30 feet and thats if I am lucky.
I cant cast any of my small minnow lures that I used to toss very long distances. They sadly fall to my feet.
I have never serviced the reel before other than rinsing it in fresh water and changing the line. It was never needed. Worked great for many many years.
Now my old pal is in need of help. I took her apart. There was no corrosion or salt. The factory grease was a little dry, but not bad. I assumed that the poor casting distance was from the spool bearings needing lube. So I took them out (3 of them) I soaked them in alcohol overnight. I than took them out and used a can of compressed air to push any leftover fluid out. Than I let them dry for a few hours.
I stuck the bearings on the end of a pencil and when I spun them they spun for a long time. They made a small whirring sound, but normal for a dry bearing with no oil. I used my fingers to turn the bearings and they seemed smooth, no binding or rumbling. One bearing has a small amount of slop, but spins just fine. I dont know if the little bit of slop is normal or not but its spins great and no binding or grinding of any kind.
I than put one drop of Quantum Hot Sauce on each bearing and let it work in . I than inserted the bearings back in the reel. While the bearings were soaking overnight, I degreased the reel and greased her better than new using Penn blue grease.
Now I figure my problems are solved, and since the striped bass are running big time I go out that night to get them. My first cast almost made me cry, my baby was still not casting well. I dont even need to turn the magnets on, this thing cant birds nest the spool wont turn fast enough, and my distance only slightly improved.
I made sure there was no grease in the wrong places like the spool shaft or elsewere that might affect casting.
I dont have much experiance with baitcaster maintainace because it is my first. Does anyone think that the bearings might be shot even though they dont make noise and spun well dry after cleaning?
I hope someone with baitcasting knowledge can help me. I am so blue that my baby is sick.
Please help,
Lovefishing

[Fishing Forum Admin]

Welcome to the fishing forum


MMM Im no expert on baitcasters but it sounds like your bearing have gone or the lub you are using is contaminated

As I said Im just shooting from the hip

I know there are members who are very switched on to this and will be along later with help

[Old Smoothound]

Welcome to the forum. I have a friend who works for Daiwa Technical department here in the UK. Will pass on a copy of your post (if that's ok with you) and ask him the question.Will report back later.

I agree with Forum Admin sounds like bad lube in ballbearings, but will wait for my "Expert" to come back with his answer.

Cheers
Shaun

Hi Guys,
Thanks for the replys. I dont think the lube is bad. Its brand new and I just opened it. The Quantum Hot Sauce is supposed to make baitcasting reels cast better because its a thinner viscosity than factory lube. I made sure to put only one drop, because I read that to much lube in bearings will ruin casting performance.
Please forward my post to your friend at Daiwa. I would rather fix the problem myself than to send it for service. Its the only way to learn.
Thank you very much for any help you can provide
Lovefishing

[Old Smoothound]

Its on its way tonight. Hope he will come up with the right prognosis for you.

Only too glad to be of help.

Cheers
Shaun

Thanks Old Smoothound,
When you contact your friend please let him know that the end shims were slightly dimpled. So I turned them over to the other side. Also I adjusted the end cap so it was properly adjusted so that isnt the problem.
Thank again very much,
Lovefishing

Hi Old Smoothound,
Thank you very much for going thru the trouble to contact your friend at Daiwa. However I have solved the problem.
Tonight I put on my thinking cap and sat for hours attempting to acertain what the problem with my reel was. The bearings had been cleaned and oiled, plus they spun freely when put on the end of a pencil. Ifigured it had to be something else. I checked the housing, I checked for grease were it shoudnt be, I checked for end cap adjustment.
Finally I stumbled (by sheer luck) on what it was. This reel has a magnetic adjustment to help control backlash on casting. There is a plastic gear that contains a round magnet, which by turning a knob controls the magnetic adjustment. The magnet had broken loose of the plastic ring, and since it sits inside you couldnt notice it. Unless you looked really close while turning the adjustment knob. So the magnets were always on at full strength, which of coarse ruins your casting distance.
One drop of crazy glue later and my old baby is singing like never before. I highly recommend Quantum Hot Sauce Reel Oil. It casts further than when it was new with this oil. And real smooth. And thats with old bearings.
Thank you to everyone for your help,
Lovefishing

[Fishing Forum Admin]

The magnet had broken loose of the plastic ring,

Great news mate - would not have thought of that but now I will never forget it

[Old Smoothound]

Yeh,

Good news my pal suggested you e-mail a photo of the reel.... seems he could not find it in his technical data base! Thats computers for you.

Glad all is ok now.
Cheers
Shaun