Need oil cap for Pflueger 6 screw #1953

[ThomasB]

Hello,
I just bought a pre-war, 6 screw Pflueger Skilkast #1953 baitcaster reel. I never noticed in the pictures that the oil cap was missing!! It could have been covered by the handle in the picture but in reality I think I just never noticed. Is this a hard find? I have the same reel from post war, 1945 and the cap on that fits on the older reel, so I guess they kept the same ones after the war. Hoping someone out there has one in their donor stuff!
Thanks, Tom

[Bill Sonnett]

Though any Pflueger end cap of the era would work, the end cap you are looking for is unique. I have a lot of Skilcast parts and will see if I have one.

[ThomasB]

Thanks Bill. I'm not sure what the difference is. Even though the cap from my 1945 year reel fits I guess they were different looking in 1941.

[john elder]

These are ones that are in a skilcast parts kit i have and they agree with image in the lid, although no idea of year. If Bill strikes out and this is the correct one, PM me your address and i’ll send along.

[ThomasB]

Bill, I just opened up the "thumber" and found things are not right. I'm missing 2 ball bearings and the copper three arm spring at the top of the thumber where the oil hole is has one broken arm. I don't think that copper spring comes off which would mean I need a whole new thumber cap, unless you think it would still work, somewhat, with just two of the springs. What do you think?
Tom

[ThomasB]

John, yes those look like what I need although I'm not sure if the pre-war Skilkast I need it for would look different. I know my post war reel oil cap fits the pre-war one. I'll wait to see what Bill comes up with. If you saw my last post I also need two (2) ball bearings for the thumber and I asked Bill if the copper spring missing one of the three spring arms would still work? Do you know if that would be the case? Thanks for the help, Tom

[Bill Sonnett]

I will be home tomorrow and check on the parts. I have about 500 of the ball bearings, not sure about the end cap but will check tomorrow. I hope you enjoy restoring the reel as at most NFLCC shows I see truly mint Skilcasts for $10 -$12.--LOL.

[ThomasB]

Bill,
Thanks for the help. I only need 2 bearings but if you can spare 3 that would be great, shouldn't put too much of a dent in your 500!!! I'm hoping the pillar screw with washer won't be something hard to find for this pre-war reel. My Skilkast from post-war has no washers on the screws on the handle side, little changes I guess after production started up again. Tom

[Bill Sonnett]

Tom I have the bearings and the covers that fit on the palm plate side. I do not have the end caps like the ones John illustrated. I will be happy to send you what I have but need an address. Three pieces of advice: don't completely disassemble the anti backlash stack unless you have the diagram as to what order they all go back in. At least half of those I have taken apart are put back together in the wrong order. Something that Bob Milller did not catch at the time is that the cork arbor on the pre-war Skilcast is factory installed and there is no production replacement. The Skilcast arbors from after WWll will NOT fit the pre-war reels. Lastly the circular spring that holds the anti-backlash stack in place is (for me) the hardest reel part I know of to control during removal. At least half I have worked on sailed off into parts unknown while being removed. LOL.

[ThomasB]

Bill, Thank you for what you do have I will use one of them I'm sure. When you say you have the "covers" for the palm side are you meaning the cover for the "thumber"? If so then that should have the copper spring that is broken in mine.
Not too familiar with the bait casting jargon, I think you mean the side with no handle that you would hold in your palm. The oil cap I can get from John I'm sure.
Regarding your advice!! I already took the thumber apart and I believe it was put back wrong, that was probably when the bearings escaped. I do have a diagram of the order of parts, from this forum, and my parts look different, or at least I have two of the copper washers and I don't have one of the parts in the diagram. I'm not sure if the pre-war set up was different and if the diagram I have is from post war reel. When i look at the spring in the thumber cap it looks like copper with three raised "arms" (for lack of a better word), I can't make out how it comes out to replace. I have to figure out how to sent photos so you can see what I'm talking about. Oh do you think the thumber would work with just two of the arm springs? Tom
p.s My reel has no cork on the spool, it's bare brass, I guess the cork got old and was taken off. I guess you could glue on some sheet cork, not sure what others do. I was going to put backer line on to fill the spool a bit before I put on a braided line.

[Bill Sonnett]

You are correct on all counts. If you take the anti backlash control apart again lay all the parts you have out in order on a white sheet of paper and take a photo. If there is one missing there is a good chance I have it. This site will not allow me to put my email address in this message. If you are an ORCA Member you can send me a PM (personal message) and I will send you my email. It is much easier to attach photos to an email than to load them here. You might try giving me a call in the evening to get around the email problem.

[ThomasB]

Bill,
Here are the images of the parts of the thumber.

Tom

[Bill Sonnett]

what part did you see in the Schematic that you don't have? Also I do not see the fine wire spring that keeps it all in when the cap is removed.

[ThomasB]

Bill,
I guess I'm missing the spring too! I also don't think I have a correct order of parts for the thumber on this pre-war reel. I was under the impression that the three arm copper spring in the cap was the only spring in the mechanism.
The picture I have shows a small washer that looks like it has a raised area around the center hole,it's kind of blurry,I will try to post a picture. It may be easier to see a picture from you of the correct parts and the order they go in if you have one then I can see what I have and don't.
I just tried to load the image and it says the file is too big, I'm going to have to have my wife do this later, I don't know how to shrink them.