Shakespeare 1794 Spin Cast Reel - Assembly Problem

ORCA Online Forum - Feel free to talk or ask about ALL kinds of old tackle here, with an emphasis on old reels!
Post Reply
User avatar
leland99
Advanced Board Poster
Posts: 159
Joined: Wed Dec 23, 2009 1:18 pm
Location: Lake Cherokee, Texas

Shakespeare 1794 Spin Cast Reel - Assembly Problem

Post by leland99 »

Can anyone share tips or advice regarding assembly of a 1794 spin cast reel. This reel has a drive gear attached to the handle that is supposed to engage with the pinion and cam assembly. The drive gear has a small nipple that is off center that should slot into the cam assembly into what I see is a small slot. As the nipple rotates the walls on the slot seem too narrow which causes the reel to try to seize up. I am attaching photos and reel schematic to show the nipple and the slot in which I am trying to align the nipple.

thanks in advance, Bryce Tawney (retired accountant AKA not a mechanical engineer)



Bryce Tawney
The Reel Packrat

Packing these reels into my nest hole: Talbot, Milam, Meek, Horton, Heddon, Wm Shakespeare Jr, and small diameter skeleton fly reels!
User avatar
john elder
Star Board Poster
Posts: 8541
Joined: Mon Sep 22, 2003 2:44 pm

Re: Shakespeare 1794 Spin Cast Reel - Assembly Problem

Post by john elder »

Bryce, this is not my corner of the collecting world, but looks like that should work. However, the shaft should be held stationary at back end, I believe...maybe missing 205S? If not stationary, the shaft will cant sideways a tad, as it turns and bind?
ORCA member since 1999
Honorary Life Member

Specializing in saltwater reels...and fly reels...and oh, yeah, kentucky style reels.....and those tiny little RP reels.....oh, heck...i collect fishing reels!...and fly rods....and lures
User avatar
leland99
Advanced Board Poster
Posts: 159
Joined: Wed Dec 23, 2009 1:18 pm
Location: Lake Cherokee, Texas

Re: Shakespeare 1794 Spin Cast Reel - Assembly Problem

Post by leland99 »

Thanks John. The shaft does have the spring P20S, the retaining spring P20SS and the retaining washer P20SW. I will check to see if holding the shaft stationary has any effect. Bryce
Bryce Tawney
The Reel Packrat

Packing these reels into my nest hole: Talbot, Milam, Meek, Horton, Heddon, Wm Shakespeare Jr, and small diameter skeleton fly reels!
User avatar
john elder
Star Board Poster
Posts: 8541
Joined: Mon Sep 22, 2003 2:44 pm

Re: Shakespeare 1794 Spin Cast Reel - Assembly Problem

Post by john elder »

It looks like a piece is missing that should sit over the end of the Shaft?
ORCA member since 1999
Honorary Life Member

Specializing in saltwater reels...and fly reels...and oh, yeah, kentucky style reels.....and those tiny little RP reels.....oh, heck...i collect fishing reels!...and fly rods....and lures
User avatar
Midway Tommy D
Star Board Poster
Posts: 3135
Joined: Sun Jan 20, 2013 11:23 pm
Location: Eastern NE

Re: Shakespeare 1794 Spin Cast Reel - Assembly Problem

Post by Midway Tommy D »

From my view it appears that the, I'm guessing here, u-shaped nylon spacer in the center of the double flanged oscillation block on the P23D Level Wind sleeve has a chip or wear spot the lower right corner. I'm wondering if that could be causing a bind on the main gear in certain positions?
Love those Open Face Spinning Reels! (Especially ABU & ABU/Zebco)

Tom DeLong, NE
ORCA Member - 2027
User avatar
jimbofish
Advanced Board Poster
Posts: 363
Joined: Sat Sep 21, 2013 11:34 am
Location: NW Lower Michigan

Re: Shakespeare 1794 Spin Cast Reel - Assembly Problem

Post by jimbofish »

I have several of these Shakespeare spincast reels and have serviced them many times. They're fairly simple and not terribly picky about fit, but they sometimes can be tricky to re-assemble correctly.

At first glance, there doesn't appear to be any oil or grease inside the reel. Lubing as indicated on the diagram may be all it needs.

It could be helpful to know what was done to it prior to this issue. Possibly something was re-assembled incorrectly.

I'd check each sub-assembly to make sure it operates freely; the crank/drive gear/anti-reverse, the pickup head, the mainshaft/pinion gear.

Couple of suggestions as the reel sits in the pics-
Take off the cone and turn the pickup head to see if the main shaft turns freely. if not, remove the pickup head and try turning the shaft. If not then there is something sticking in that assembly that will need to be freed up, probably dried lube or dirt.

Check the pickup pin lever inside the head. It should flick back freely. When replacing the pickup head, push the button to extend the main shaft before screwing it down to prevent the pickup arm from pinching on the end of the frame tube. Give the head a half turn or more and the pin will pop out to the ready position.

Check the drive gear/crank assembly. If it turns freely, does the A/R lever operate properly? If the pawl is caught under the sprocket on the drive gear, the gear shaft will not seat fully into the crank plate and it will bind on the pinion gear/level-wind.

I can't make out what that part is on the right side of the pic between the end of the main shaft and the edge of the pushbutton. Sort of an angular piece, looks brownish, might just be a quirk of the pic. Some of these reels had a brass wear piece on the working edge of the pushbutton but it looks like it's just laying there. EDIT: Looks like that's just the casting on the body for the tapped screw hole for the back cover, no?
"We'll take the car and drive all night. We'll get drunk. We'll go fishing and stay away until she's gone"
Post Reply