Avet SX as a kayak fishing reel

Alan Tani says the Avet's don't make good kayak fishing reels.  I broke mine down this weekend and yup, they do allow quite a bit of water leakage.  The good news is that they are easy to service.

-Allen

Alan Tani is hard to argue with, but I can't imagine that the Avet would be any more susceptible to leakage than the Abu's. (And a heck of a lot easier to service)
I have not drug mine through the sand yet, but I have not done that to the abu's either. I suspect neither would be very happy with that.

If you're dunking them, then yes, they'll both leak.  But for casual spray, I can see how the Avet's might be more susceptible.  The drag is more exposed.  And the mechanicals of the level drag means the get even more exposed when in freespool.

-Allen

Alan and Allen are probably right in that the Avet and any lever drag is probably more susceptible to water then a star drag, BUT I REALLY like the way this little Avet SX performed.

It's also the first reel that I have completely torn down and reassembled successfully. It got a full sand bath (don't ask ) and salt soaking, and after a thorough rinsing, had to be completely disassembled.

I broke out the schematic, tore into it and was amazed at the amount of sand that got inside. Everything got washed, rinsed, dried, rinsed and dried again.

 What impressed me most was the simplicity. Sealed bearing, no C-clips, and few flying springs made for an easy tear down with a low part and tool count. The whole job only required a couple of screwdrivers and a pair of pliers (no blow torch necessary ).

Every part was greased (other than the bearings and the drag) and went back in with a fresh coat. The one major problem I ran into was that it came with the 5.0/1 rather than the 5.3/1 schematic. I pulled the correct one from the website and reassembly was a cakewalk.

Back together, cleaned and greased again, the little Avet once more had that signature 30 sec free spool spin down time and more smooth drag than I can pull without a glove on.The first "tests" were all those under-Lings and that good Cab last Monday and it performed flawlesssly (and then went into a bag for landing).

Next? A magnet to tame that freespool and let me throw a terrified pogie in front of a hungry Tarpon without the attendant birdnest.

Avets are my reel of choice because I just can't see taking an Accurate out there.....

I love my Avets ... but geez, broke one down this morning after maybe a dozen uses.  So the handle shaft has 2 large shielded bearings on it with a spacer between them.  I noticed that the shield (plastic) were blistering so I yanked them out.  Yup, a bit of rust.  The outer bearing is only capped by a washer before hitting the outside.  I packed the bearings tight with grease.  I was considering packing the space between them with grease too just to keep the water out, but decided now was not the time to experiment as I'm re-building reels before a trip to La Paz.  The bearing on the lever drag had the same blistering so it got the same treatment.  The main shaft bearings didn't show signs of rust, but something wasn't allowing good freespool, hence the breakdown.  I used Extreme Reel+ for the first time on these bearings.  Man the things spins like crazy now.  But that stuff sure is thin.  I think I'll bring an extra tube of Corrosion X with me in case I need to service them in the field.  Alan Tani thinks the stuff doesn't last long enough, but I want to see for myself.  Putting a couple of drops of lube on the main shaft bearings is an easy field service so I don't mind experimenting on this.  The drag washer also had salt crystals at the edge.

I also rebuilt a couple of Pro Gears this morning, a 251 and a 255.  Love those things, but must remember to put extra grease on the freespool level/shaft.  The metal/metal connection there always starts to seize.  Some Extreme Reel+ on the shaft bearing and they spin better than I've ever seen.

Up tomorrow, another SX, a Pro Gear 454, and a TLD 15.  Gonna do a spinning reel too ... Shimano Symmetre 4000.  Never done one of those before.  That thing was a ladyfish killer last spring so it's getting called back up to duty.

-Allen

Well they sure are purty and I love lever drags.

Z

But the not so pretty side..

Yikes!!,
how long does it take for that to happen to the drag washers??

Zee, you been draggin that reel behind the boat???   Never saw one that scuzzy outside of my old Penn 209.

   I lOVE my avet, spins for nearly 90 seconds.  Gets a nice backlash with a cold thumb, tho!!! 

Zee, you been draggin that reel behind the boat??? 

Those aren't mine. They come from Alan Tani's reel repair website www.alantani.com.

Z

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that crusty white corrosion looking stuff between the drag disc and the spool the glue they use to hold it in place? (CA?) Seems I read that on Tani's page or Charkbait. Whatever it was, it was a PITA to clean.

BTW: I've been using ATF (automatic transmission fluid) to lube the bearings. I read that somewhere too. The ATF seems to give as free a spool as Hot Sauce and then magging it has REEEEALY tamed the birds and compensated for my dumb thumb without compromising distance.

BTW: I've been using ATF (automatic transmission fluid) to lube the bearings. I read that somewhere too. The ATF seems to give as free a spool as Hot Sauce and then magging it has REEEEALY tamed the birds and compensated for my dumb thumb without compromising distance.

What's the theory on using ATF?

I only use something "special special" on the spool shaft bearings as those are the only ones engaged during freespool, and coincidentally the ones least exposed to the outside world.  All the rest just get marine grease ... keep them moving, keep them from rusting, and keep the water out.

-Allen

What's the theory on using ATF?

-Allen

I dunno It came from some "guy" out there in the etheria who said he cleaned his bearings with starter fluid and decided that "Hot Sauce" was really ATF.

Did he do a chemical analysis and viscosity break down tests over time? I doubt it, but it seemed relatively reasonable and really appealed to my frugal nature. I think he did say he did an favorable A-B comparison to Hot Sauce and seeing as it was not a critical assembly on an aircraft, I gave it a shot. It seems to work great.

After a lil googling, it seems that some folk have done some "research". ATF seems to have "good antifoaming properties, antirust, noncorrosive, non-deterioration of rubber or gaskets, oxidation stability to moderately high temperatures, good stick-slip properties, antiwear properties and extreme pressure properties" and a 50/50 mix of ATF and acetone makes a really good penetrating oil.

Hmmmf, who knew?

And yes, the spool shaft bearings are the only ones that get the ATF.

You can always look up the MSDS on a product and find out what is in it and in what proportions.

ATF is intended to work under pressure, at high temps, and has a certain stickiness too it (to change gears).  None of that applies to reels.  I kind of think that any lube, applied regularly, works just fine.

Getting that extra freespool time doesn't apply for the majority of fishing I do.  In fact, if I didn't like tinkering, I'd just pack all the bearings with grease and be done with it.

Did the other SX this morning.  Decided to pack the handle shaft space anyways.  But I don't think that's where the majority of the water comes in.  I think it comes in at the endplate.  The SX endplate sits over the top of the end of the frame.  Water can go straight through there to the dragplate.  The progears, on the other hand sit inside the end of the frame, with sort of lip.

Anyways, the moral is still the same.  Service your SX's often.

-Allen

any room to put an "O" ring gasket in the end of the reels?

any room to put an "O" ring gasket in the end of the reels?

Hmmm ... maybe it's not the endplate.  Maybe it's the gap between the spool and the frame.  No way to plug that one ...

I guess perhaps it is just inherent to lever drags with the drag plate on the end of the spool.  On star drag systems the  drag washers are in a different area altogether an no where near water that might come in by the spool.

-Allen