Vermillion
2013-05-16 03:59:44
My gurdies worked great for one trip. The next morning the break release would go from tight to free spool with hardly any movement. I could not let them down at a steady pace. Does anyone know what I did wrong to make them do this? Is there anything I can do to repair them? It took a day or two to finally get the hang of working them at a decent speed, now all I want to do is fish rods because they are too much of pain.
yak2you2
2013-05-16 06:04:48
I had a set of these. 2 huge problems caused me to get out of them. First, the little Allen screw that holds the brake handle in place, would back out, and allow the break handle to fall over the side. Didn't matter how tight you got it, lock tight didn't help either. In addition to this, the main nut the that holds the break at spot you want it would vibrate loose, which sounds like whats happening to you. Second, in no time you'll notice that the plastic sockets that the main handle slides into, get rounded off. Now, when your cranking, the darn handle would slip out of the socket, bash you in the face with your own fist, and free spool all the way to the bottom or backlash. I got into a set of old Pacific Kings. They quit making them 25 years or so ago, but you can still find em. They have a simple, yet dependable brake, and a solid handle. This means reel it up, and reel it down. In no time you get used to it, and just as fast. I had no more problems after that. Lack of parts, eventually made me go get a set of the the new, machined Kolstrand gurdies. They are expensive, but worth every penney. I still don't use the handle release.
Back to the gurdies you have. Some guys get a good metal nut machined, with a solid bolt to hold the handle on, and those Ive seen do this have no complaints. I dont know how they deal with problem 2. If it was me, I would somehow screw the main handle solid to the drum. I will try to snap a picture of the brake fix next time I'm at the harbor and send it to you.
In the mean time, if your going to fish for a while, might consider moving up to the cadillac Kolstrands, they will pay for themselves in no time. It is so much easier to crank heavier leads, and or a line full of cohos. Check out a thread in pictures called "Mai Tai gets a long awaited overhaul."
Good fishin'
yak2you2
2013-05-16 06:19:41
I saw an old picture once, thats important. It is the basics that matter. An old boy in the 60's had him a home made hand gurdie. It amounted to being a drum full of wire on a pipe shaft. He had a solid handle welded to the outside of the drum, and thats it. When ever he wanted to stop, he had a loop of line fastened to the gunnel that he simply slipped over the crank handle. There was no brake at all. Crude, but effective, and virtually nothing to go wrong. I'm saying this because it's good to know. If all else were to fail you in a bite, you could always improvise in a similar fashion. Ask around where ever you are, sombody has modified a set like yours you can copy. Either retool them into something you can depend on, or get into another set.
Vermillion
2013-05-16 17:34:52
Thanks for the advice. I gotta go out fishing now so I'll run them for now with a glove on my left hand to help the brake. But when the fishing gets better I'll have to look into some new ones.
bodegablue
2013-05-18 17:39:33
I dont think you did anything wrong .I have a set of these and after a few trips they do the same thing. I believe they get wet and salty and make the inner workings stick. i take them apart make sure to clean off the brake pressure washer good and put a good coat of grease on everything-kind of a pain when it happens though.