Shimano Calyx troubleshooting

Thanks to ALL who responded!

New notes:
1. There was no sign of this reel being repackaged. It comes in a
heat-sealed plastic-topped bubble-kind-of-a-thing and needed to be cut
open with a utility knife - no traces of packaging tape whatsoever.
2. The "jerkiness" occurs exactly SIX times for every crank of the
handle. This is why I thought it was related to the magnets (I opened
the reel to check for problems and saw what looked like a six-pointed
star that seemed to be part of a magnetic anti-backlash system.)
3. When opened, I saw no line wrapped anywhere but the spool and no
visible sign of gear problems.

Something else I just remembered - when I looked at the six-pointed
magnet star, there were what seemed to be tiny pieces of plastic
tubing stuck on the ends of each of the "star" points. Am I supposed
to remove these? The "manual" doesn't mention them.

Thanks again!

Dave

(Dave) wrote in message . com...
Hi,
I just found a Shimano Calyx on closeout at WallyWorld for $62...
brought it home and opened up the package. Pulled out some of the
pre-spooled line and went to crank it back in (waiting to feel that
silky smooth action I found with my Shimano Spirex spinning reel) and
was appalled to feel a jerk-jerk-jerk as I cranked in the line.
Is this normal for this reel? Or is it defective?
If I crank in fast, I don't really feel it, but at anything less than
a fast retrieve, it feels like it's pulsating. Is it a magnetic
anti-backlash? I don't get it.

Thanks,

Dave

The little plastic things on the 6-pointed star is actually the centrifical
sp brakes. They are either loose on the ends (on), or pushed back toward
the center (off).

To inspect for damaged gears, you would have to remove the handle and the
side plate. Not something easily done the first time. However packaged, I'd
still say you have a bad gear in the reel. The gear will turn faster than
the handle, so 6 turns to 1 sounds about right.

The gear could still be good and maybe have a bit of caked up grease/oil in
one certain spot. If so, a good cleaning and oiling would do the trick. Even
if it's the gear, you can have a shop replace it for about $20.00, or order
it yourself and replace it for about $3.00.

If you decide to tear into the reel, lay everything out in the order it was
removed. Take lots of pictures, and keep track of what screw came out of
which hole. Some can be different sizes or threads.

I hope this helps, and please don't let me talk you out of repairing your
own reels. Just exercise caution and take your time. Once you get past the
first reel... the rest comes easy.


"Dave" wrote in message
om...
Thanks to ALL who responded!

New notes:
1. There was no sign of this reel being repackaged. It comes in a
heat-sealed plastic-topped bubble-kind-of-a-thing and needed to be cut
open with a utility knife - no traces of packaging tape whatsoever.
2. The "jerkiness" occurs exactly SIX times for every crank of the
handle. This is why I thought it was related to the magnets (I opened
the reel to check for problems and saw what looked like a six-pointed
star that seemed to be part of a magnetic anti-backlash system.)
3. When opened, I saw no line wrapped anywhere but the spool and no
visible sign of gear problems.

Something else I just remembered - when I looked at the six-pointed
magnet star, there were what seemed to be tiny pieces of plastic
tubing stuck on the ends of each of the "star" points. Am I supposed
to remove these? The "manual" doesn't mention them.

Thanks again!

Dave

(Dave) wrote in message
. com...
Hi,
I just found a Shimano Calyx on closeout at WallyWorld for $62...
brought it home and opened up the package. Pulled out some of the
pre-spooled line and went to crank it back in (waiting to feel that
silky smooth action I found with my Shimano Spirex spinning reel) and
was appalled to feel a jerk-jerk-jerk as I cranked in the line.
Is this normal for this reel? Or is it defective?
If I crank in fast, I don't really feel it, but at anything less than
a fast retrieve, it feels like it's pulsating. Is it a magnetic
anti-backlash? I don't get it.

Thanks,

Dave

I'm certainly not against doing repairs myself; been doing it for
awhile on my Quantums, cheaper reels - just didn't cherish cracking
open a brand new reel if I could just exchange it for one that works
right.

The retreive ratio is 5.8:1... I'll check to see if it is 5.8 or 6
bumps per turn when I get home - that's a great thought.

The gears in the handle (right) side of the reel seem fine (once I
remove the left side and spool - there's two thumb screws and it's
off) VERY smooth just turning those gears that I can't get to so
easily.

Thanks,

Dave

p.s. There was no line on the reel - I wrote the message at work -
reel is at home and I was actually picturing a different reel I tried
out when I wrote about the line.



"Charles Summers" wrote in message ...
The little plastic things on the 6-pointed star is actually the centrifical
sp brakes. They are either loose on the ends (on), or pushed back toward
the center (off).

To inspect for damaged gears, you would have to remove the handle and the
side plate. Not something easily done the first time. However packaged, I'd
still say you have a bad gear in the reel. The gear will turn faster than
the handle, so 6 turns to 1 sounds about right.

The gear could still be good and maybe have a bit of caked up grease/oil in
one certain spot. If so, a good cleaning and oiling would do the trick. Even
if it's the gear, you can have a shop replace it for about $20.00, or order
it yourself and replace it for about $3.00.

If you decide to tear into the reel, lay everything out in the order it was
removed. Take lots of pictures, and keep track of what screw came out of
which hole. Some can be different sizes or threads.

I hope this helps, and please don't let me talk you out of repairing your
own reels. Just exercise caution and take your time. Once you get past the
first reel... the rest comes easy.

snip

It's already been mentioned, but send it to Shimano. I've done so more than
once, and was quite pleased.

--
Tight lines,
Citizen Fisherman

On 4-Mar-2004, (Dave) wrote:

I'm certainly not against doing repairs myself; been doing it for
awhile on my Quantums, cheaper reels - just didn't cherish cracking
open a brand new reel if I could just exchange it for one that works
right.

Those pieces of "plastic tubing" are brakes, don't remove them, I don't
think your reel has magnetic brakes. I am sure one of the guys who uses
Shimano reels can tell you how to set them.

The "jerkiness" occurs exactly SIX times for every crank of the
handle.

I have not seen the inside of a Calyx, but if its construction is similar to
the Curado, Citica, Chronarch or Calcutta, then finding the problem should not
be too hard.

The jerkiness does not sound like a main drive, pinion, or levelwind gears, but
more like the worm gear or levelwind pawl. These are the parts that go back
and forth and lay the line on the spool. The levelwind pawl can "hang up" in
the worm gear if everything does not fit correctly and cause a jerk in the
retrieve. The cap over the pawl may be loose, there may be a missing spacer
under the cap (an optional piece in most Shimano reels...depends on factory fit
when assembly is done) or you may just have a bad worm gear or levelwind pawl.

Since it is new, I would take it back and exchange it. Otherwise, send it back
to Shimano and they will fix/replace it.


Brad Coovert
2003 Angler of the Year, Greenfield Bassmasters
http://www.greenfieldbassmasters.com