Ocean City "Free Spool" right side plate won't come out.

[BryanC]

I have an Ocean City Free Spool star drag reel that I was recently trying to disassemble & clean up. I removed all 6 screws from each side plate, but the head plate still seems to be firmly attached. I sprayed it with PB Blaster (penetrating oil) yesterday afternoon, but it still won't budge this evening. I've put about as much force on it as I'm comfortable with, but it doesn't move at all. I assume the right side plate comes out the same way the left one does. Is that right? I was thinking about soaking it in vinegar, but I don't know if that will be bad for the drag washers.


This shows how far I got in the disassembly


All 6 screws are out from right side


Tail plate came right out, but head plate is still stuck in the ring

Any suggestions?

[scottorock]

I would remove the GS disc first and hopefully would take some pressure from the HR "ring". If not i would put in freezer for a bit cuz the HR would shrink a little more before the GS would. With light, even pressure a sturdy but thin bladed screw driver from the back should do the trick. Working a little at a time all the way around gradually. Slow and steady wins the race. Personally, I have had bad experiences using a vinegar solution with HR. I know others swear by it but i must be doing something wrong because it turns dark rubber to light brown for me....and its a slow process getting it dark again. Just my 2 cents and there are many others on here with much more experience that may approach it differently.

[Tightlines666]

I agree, with the above. Try the freezer, and if that doesn't work use some heat. Particularly to the metal ring. You can use an oven on low heat, or sparingly apply heat with an alcohol lamp, butane, or propane torch. Just be carefull to proceed slowly/cautiously, and use proper ppe. PB blaster is a pretty good penetrating oil, but surprisingly a 50:50 mixture of Acetone:Automatic Transmission fluid is the best. Though be careful exposing plastics to Acetone as ut can damage them. The problem you are experiencing is likely due to the headplate having sweeled over time.

John

[Rick H]

If the heat/cold process doesn't work....gently try a "utility knife" razor blade between the metal and plastic along the seam....all the way around. A little gentle prying (without damaging the GS ring or the headplate edge) all the way around, will usually help it break loose.

[Jonathan P. Kring]

Hey Heitman, with expert tips like that, you should become a member of ORCA. We need members like you!!

[Don Champion]

If you try what Rick suggests then try it from the inside surface first. That way you won't mess up the outside surface.

[Rick H]

Don is right, try the inside first. Another way to approach it would be with a small block of wood and a hammer or mallet, used as a soft oversized punch. A couple of wraps around the outside diameter from the tailplate side. should also help to break the grip of any corrosion. You don't have to drive a railroad spike. Just tapping it multiple times around the perimeter, should help.

The only thing holding that headplate on right now is grit, grime, some swelling and corrosion. All things considered, you really can't hurt the value of that reel (imho).

[sdlehr]

but surprisingly a 50:50 mixture of Acetone:Automatic Transmission fluid is the best. Though be careful exposing plastics to Acetone as it can damage them. John

This was posted on another forum in support of John's post

PENETRATING OIL COMPARISON

Machinist's Workshop magazine tested penetrants for break out torque on rusted nuts. They arranged a subjective test of all the popular penetrants with the control being the torque required to remove the nut from a "scientifically rusted" environment. The results are as follows;

Penetrating Oil .......... Average load

None ........................... 516 pounds
WD-40 ........................ 238 pounds
PB Blaster ................... 214 pounds
Liquid Wrench ............. 127 pounds
Kano Kroil ................... 106 pounds
ATF-Acetone mix............ 53 pounds

The ATF-Acetone mix was a "home brew" mix of 50-50 automatic transmission fluid and acetone.

[Midway Tommy D]

At least I know now my 40 year confidence in Liquid Wrench wasn't for naught. At least it rated in the middle of the pack and required much less torque than a couple of touted penetrants.