Aluminum pinion and brass Main gear

[Riverguy]

So my chronarch 101D has a ring or indentation in one spot all the way around the pinion teeth... Looking at the location, I believe it was from the previous owner orientating it in backwards when assembling and attempting to engage it.

I looked at my main gear under a Jeweler's loupe and I really think it's okay... obviously the Lefty 101 pinion is no longer available. I can however find an aluminum pinion in the same ratio from Japan in the metanium mg7 Lefty. I know people will say go with like-for-like metals, but I could have sworn that I've seen a reel or two with aluminum and brass mixed between the pinion and Main. Besides that I'm well...cheap, and don't want to buy all the gears/washers from say an all aluminum core/metanium that may be a different ratio...I'd also think the brass main I have would be a bit smoother overall also. Thoughts gents? I may part with the reel at some point, but do want to do right by a potential buyer.

[hoohoorjoo]

It's usually the other way around-the pinion is usually a harder material than the main gear. The Steez has always been this way, with a few variations having a brass main and pinion gear, and a couple others having a hybrid aliminum/brass main gear, with the gear teeth being brass. It seems counterproductive for the pinion to be softer, because of the force that is exerted on it continually under load. Some saltwater reels actually have a stainless pinion gear because of this wear-and-tear. I could be wrong, but I've never seen an aluminum pinion in any reel I've ever serviced.

[Bantam1]

We didn't make an aluminum pinion gear for the baitcast reels. The Chronarch D model reels used brass gearing for both drive and pinion gears. The pinion gear is always a harder material on the gear set due to the way it engages the spool pin. It can't be too soft or the spool pin would destroy the engagement points. It also makes more rotations than the drive gear during one revolution, so it sees much more wear.

Since these gears are discontinued you have the option of using the gears from the Core 101. The gear ratio is 6.2:1, but you can have new gears. The diameter is slightly different so you would need the key washer and drag washer also. Here are the part numbers you will need to do the conversion:

BNT3874
BNT3878
BNT3814
BNT3481

The other option is to try one of our service centers to see if they have parts. I would try Southwestern parts & Service in Dallas.

http://fish.shimano.com/content/fish/no ... nters.html

[Riverguy]

Thanks guys.

Bantam, I realise you're on the US side of the pond- but I may notve been clear...My thought was to simply grab the pinion out of the lefty JDM Metanium MG7 as it's the same ratio as the chronarch 101D7 (and is available).To avoid needing the washers and main (and keep the brass main)..Does that make sense and sound doable?

I will reach out to the service center in the meantime...I appreciate the info!

Edit* Now that you mention it, my righty Metanium MG7 had a brass pinion w/aluminum gear...I have an extra one in my box of parts that I couldn't place where it came from. Forgot that I'd swapped the set...I think I have a path now...I appreciate it!!!

[Bantam1]

If you can find the MG7 gear set go for it. I always recommend changing gears as a set. I would not run a new pinion on a drive gear that had a damaged pinion. It's cheap insurance to change both gears.

[hoohoorjoo]

If you can find the MG7 gear set go for it. I always recommend changing gears as a set. I would not run a new pinion on a drive gear that had a damaged pinion. It's cheap insurance to change both gears.

Agreed, I always change both. A used and new part just don't play well together. Go ahead, ask me how I know......

[Slazmo]

A used and new part just don't play well together. Go ahead, ask me how I know......

I was told by a major brand that it'd work only by changing just the main gear - this was a very long time ago when I was still young and a "believe it" mentality... Well the original pinion remained in this Laguna spinning reel (only an extra $6 to get that pinion swapped) and only the main gear was replaced - lone behold the main gear chewed itself out on the first use...

Moral of the story "change both shoes at the same time"...

[mark poulson]

A used and new part just don't play well together. Go ahead, ask me how I know......

I was told by a major brand that it'd work only by changing just the main gear - this was a very long time ago when I was still young and a "believe it" mentality... Well the original pinion remained in this Laguna spinning reel (only an extra $6 to get that pinion swapped) and only the main gear was replaced - lone behold the main gear chewed itself out on the first use...

Moral of the story "change both shoes at the same time"...

I had the opposite experience when I replaced the aluminum main gears with brass on half a dozen reels, but not the brass pinion. The brass gears were from the same reel manuf., and the same ratio, so I bought one of their new reels with the all brass gears, opened up, and found the main fit in my other reels, so I ordered six.
Those six reels are still smooth two years of hard fishing down the road. I use them for spinnerbaits and cranks.
I was reminded of this again this week, when I picked up a couple of the same manufs. reels with aluminum main gears, and felt the slight grind on the retrieve. I had initially used these two reels for jigs, but switched them onto chatterbait rods, and the difference in smoothness was immediately noticeable.