Bail Spring Blues...HELP!

[john elder]

These bail springs always give me grief! Gary Carbaugh was kind enough to donate a Mitchell 400 that's in pretty good shape except for the usual problem of the bail spring not wanting to return the bail. It could be that the spring is just shot, but it's not all that weak. The other two things I considered (I've lubed it to death, so that's not it) are

1) There is a teflon washer missing between the bail and body?

or
2) the bail is tweeked and making more contact than it should.

I checked the blowup and they do not show a washer under the bail...it may be tweeked, but must not be very much. Is there a normal sequence of adjustments to make sure the bail is on track?

Thoughts? New spring needed?

[jimbofish]

Have you tried it with the bail wire disconnected? If you can get it working with just the bail arm, the bail may be bent slightly. IME the other end of the bail is supposed to line up perfectly with it's seat before the screw is installed. The screw shouldn't pull the other end into alignment, it should just give it a place to rotate on.

If everything on the bail works ok, the problem could be in the trip lever or it's spring.

The Mitchell Reel Museum site should have some troubleshooting info.

[john elder]

Thanks, Jim....everything works, but the bail just hangs up when you crank. I will take it apart and check alignment without the spring.

[Midway Tommy D]

John,

Check it as Jimbo suggested, without the bail attached. If it snaps back strong without the bail check to see if if the bail is bent or distorted and causing a bind on either side. Also, make sure the bail spring and pocket are completely clean of gunk. Sometimes too much oil slows them down and attracts dirt later. I like Armorall better, but you need to apply it, into that slot, a little more often.

Tom

[jimbofish]

I will take it apart and check alignment without the spring.

Not what I meant, but try this. Pull the trip arm, that comes through the slot in the head, manually to release pressure on the bail arm. If the bail springs back and forth freely as it should, then the cure lies in the trip arm or the mechanism inside. Could be gummy, mis-assembled, or bent.

[john elder]

As i tried to indicate, the trip arm works perfectly with good spring action.... Its the bail that is constipated.

In coming to this thread, i just noticed that we have a sticky re bail springs that i had totally forgotten about! Perhaps your president should heed his own advice and check the board before posting a question! thanks for the advice anyway, guys! I'll play with the bail tonight and see what i learn.

[john elder]

it's a good thing i can laugh at myself...must be why i'm such a happy guy! Just revisited the bail spring sticky.....geeeez, what a memory!

[john elder]

All fixed! Bail was just bent so that it was in a bind when screws were in place. A little bending to get it back in alignment and it now works like a new one....ready to go back to work!

[Midway Tommy D]

Congratulations Prez, job well done.

For your stick-to-itiveness and perseverance, and......

I have spent a lot of hours trying to wrestle those springs to the ground

you deserve, I think, one of these :

Tom