Hi Dennis, Nice to see an example of the "old excess line hiding under the spool and see if I can find it" fix !!! As always, Well done Maestro !! Cheers, Cons
Dennis, Thanks for showing us the line issue but I would have liked to see how you attempted to fix the reel problem with the bail not locking into the open condition. I think that would be very interesting to the viewers.. Roger
That video was a great tutorial, the reel I'm working on is a 496 it's big and heavy and I,m wondering if it has some kind balancing weight because it really vibrates when you reel the line in.
There is a balance in the rotor to offset the weight of the bail arm. If that is not right there would be a wobble, but not a vibration. The vibration may be worn gears - Dennis
😢you know this trapped line is far less likely to happen in a 396, 496, or 498 because of the skirted spool on these Mitchells. The other big saltwater Mitchells have cup rotors and line can sometimes wrap or get behind the spool. Moral is don’t leave loose line hanging off your reel. Either secure it somehow or remove the line entirely when you do your annual service. Dennis, I just discovered that the only one of these big saltwater Mitchells that I don’t have duplicates of is the 486. All the others I have from 2 to 5 of each. The ones I have the most of are the 302N (4), 386 (5), 396 (3), 496 (3), 488 (4), and 498 (3). As you can tell I love these reels for surf fishing. You can horse a pretty big fish with these vintage masterpieces! - Chris
Dennis, there is an axle shaft for this and the other big Mitchell saltwater reels asking $49.95. I have 1 spare but I have 19 of these big saltwater Mitchell’s. Still that’s a steep price. You might find a parts reel for a lot less money. -- Chris
Parts costs for these reels have silly. As you note it's best to find a parts reel rather than chase and individual, over priced piece - Thanks Chris - Dennis
Try this - spray both bail arm posts with a penetrating oil and work the bail back and forth. My guess is you have old dirt or dried grease that does not allow it to spring back. If that does not work, you probably have a bad bail spring that would need to be replaced
You would have to try really hard to put this reel back together wrong. A Mitchell 300 or 302 is much more complicated. The block or slide is definitely symmetrical. As big as these reels are they are perhaps the simplest of all the saltwater Mitchells. The bail release mechanism and the bail spring can be a pain in the butt but the gears, pinion, and bearings are pretty simple. This line problem can be solved by always putting a loop in the end of the line and put a band of some kind looped in that line loop. Don’t use plain rubber bands! I use plain black hair bands that have cloth around the elastic. Wrap the line tightly around the spool and end by putting that band around the spool. I do this on all my reels. That way I never have line getting tangled anywhere on the reel. I’m sure the 488 and 498 also have that needle bearing on the main gear shaft. . I looked on the schematic and the higher speed 486 and 496 have the needle bearing but the lower speed 386 and 396 do not. I have 33 Mitchell reels now and only two are not saltwater reels. There are few reels I enjoy using in the surf as much as a good Mitchell. They are so easy to clean and service and if taken care of they last forever. I’m glad your 486 didn’t have a cracked oscillation slide Dennis. That was a great diagnosis as I was sure that slide was likely cracked. I love it when you work on my favorite reels!
Hi Dennis,
Nice to see an example of the "old excess line hiding under the spool and see if I can find it" fix !!! As always, Well done Maestro !!
Cheers,
Cons
This one almost had me as the line was in a sunken cavity. Stay well Cons - Dennis
Yes, I saw that later on.
Dennis, Thanks for showing us the line issue but I would have liked to see how you attempted to fix the reel problem with the bail not locking into the open condition. I think that would be very interesting to the viewers.. Roger
I ran out of time there. I will help guide you if you decide to do a replacement - Dennis
That video was a great tutorial, the reel I'm working on is a 496 it's big and heavy and I,m wondering if it has some kind balancing weight because it really vibrates when you reel the line in.
There is a balance in the rotor to offset the weight of the bail arm. If that is not right there would be a wobble, but not a vibration. The vibration may be worn gears - Dennis
😢you know this trapped line is far less likely to happen in a 396, 496, or 498 because of the skirted spool on these Mitchells. The other big saltwater Mitchells have cup rotors and line can sometimes wrap or get behind the spool. Moral is don’t leave loose line hanging off your reel. Either secure it somehow or remove the line entirely when you do your annual service. Dennis, I just discovered that the only one of these big saltwater Mitchells that I don’t have duplicates of is the 486. All the others I have from 2 to 5 of each. The ones I have the most of are the 302N (4), 386 (5), 396 (3), 496 (3), 488 (4), and 498 (3). As you can tell I love these reels for surf fishing. You can horse a pretty big fish with these vintage masterpieces! - Chris
Well said. Yes those bigger Mitchells are ideal for the surf. Keep on fishing - Dennis
Mitchell fan. Thanks Dennis.
They are great reels. Your Penn is on its way! Dennis
@@2ndChanceTackle Thanks Dennis! Keeping a eye out!
That was a whole lot of line. I like these "diagnose the problem" videos.
Thanks Barney. I'll try to do the 308 bail one if time permits - Dennis
I need to replace the oscillating gear on a Mitchell 488 reel. Does the handle unscrew from the gear?
Yes, the handle is screwed into the main gear. It is removed by turning it in the opposite direction of how it retrieves line.
Dennis, there is an axle shaft for this and the other big Mitchell saltwater reels asking $49.95. I have 1 spare but I have 19 of these big saltwater Mitchell’s. Still that’s a steep price. You might find a parts reel for a lot less money. -- Chris
Parts costs for these reels have silly. As you note it's best to find a parts reel rather than chase and individual, over priced piece - Thanks Chris - Dennis
I have the same reel. Does the bail close when you reel it in or is it a manual???
Yes - the bail should trip when you crank the handle
@@2ndChanceTackle ohhh mine doesnt do that anymore..
Do you might have an idea what it missing with it? The gears fell good. It just the bail part wont close i have to manualy close it
Try this - spray both bail arm posts with a penetrating oil and work the bail back and forth. My guess is you have old dirt or dried grease that does not allow it to spring back. If that does not work, you probably have a bad bail spring that would need to be replaced
Ok thank you. I will give it a try and i will let you know how it goes 😊
Is there any difference between 486 and 488 Garcia Mitchell
I believe the only difference is the line capacity. Mechanically they are nearly identical
You would have to try really hard to put this reel back together wrong. A Mitchell 300 or 302 is much more complicated. The block or slide is definitely symmetrical. As big as these reels are they are perhaps the simplest of all the saltwater Mitchells. The bail release mechanism and the bail spring can be a pain in the butt but the gears, pinion, and bearings are pretty simple. This line problem can be solved by always putting a loop in the end of the line and put a band of some kind looped in that line loop. Don’t use plain rubber bands! I use plain black hair bands that have cloth around the elastic. Wrap the line tightly around the spool and end by putting that band around the spool. I do this on all my reels. That way I never have line getting tangled anywhere on the reel. I’m sure the 488 and 498 also have that needle bearing on the main gear shaft. . I looked on the schematic and the higher speed 486 and 496 have the needle bearing but the lower speed 386 and 396 do not. I have 33 Mitchell reels now and only two are not saltwater reels. There are few reels I enjoy using in the surf as much as a good Mitchell. They are so easy to clean and service and if taken care of they last forever. I’m glad your 486 didn’t have a cracked oscillation slide Dennis. That was a great diagnosis as I was sure that slide was likely cracked. I love it when you work on my favorite reels!
Thanks Chris and thanks for the leads on parts - Dennis
That is a great tip on taming the end of your line on these classic spinners that don't have a spool tender.
Thank you from Montréal Mr Dennis