Cleaning the Avets

[jrodda]

My 2 Avet SXJs have gotten more use than anything in the past year plus, the cleaning was a little overdue. I'd have to slap the side of the reel to get the free spool going but overall still reliable relatively smooth function.

Popped em open and there was some buildup but not bad overall.



I'd like to note that the #1 reason I use Avets is for their anti-reverse. You will see in the pics that the anti reverse dog/pawl has a thin metal wire connected to it that runs to and connects to a wire and a rubber gasket thing on the drive shaft. When the drive shaft moves backwards, it pulls the wire and thus the dog into place on the anti-reverse gear. Fool proof AND silent anti-reverse! Other reels on the market use clutch bearings which have a tighter tolerance for how far the handle can swing back but eventually corrode and fail, and then backed up with dogs that have foil ears which can bend out.



After:



I've barely used any of my other reels in the last year so I don't think I need to service anything else right now.

[Latimeria]

Thanks for sharing this Jeremy.  My one Avet DEFINITELY needs a good cleaning and now I have a point of reference from a reel cleaning pro..

[jrodda]

Just realized in the clean photo I put the dog in backwards. That was an issue in that moment and I did fix it...the hook of the dog goes toward the gears not away. That's really the only reference photo I needed when working through mine, the great thing about lever drag reels is how simple they are.

The only thing with that many pieces is the spool shaft. Just pull it out of the spool slowly because there are a number of bearings and washers on each side that can pop off and roll around and you might not be sure how to re-orient them.

I probably should have done a video when I took it apart. I still haven't serviced one JX, though it probably doesn't need it, but I could film that. My casual goofing and cussing as I service reels might ruin the video though.

[sasquatch]

That backwards AR dog would have been exciting.

[skrilla]

Yup love Avet's anti reverse dog design. Okuma uses the same concept in their Makairas.

[KogaHead]

simple design with minimal parts = stout reel, great reliability

[jrodda]

Yup love Avet's anti reverse dog design. Okuma uses the same concept in their Makairas.

Didn't know that about the Makairas. Maybe i should eventually switch over from my Avet EXs which are spring dogs. The most reliable of all but I might get thrown overboard if I take it on another person's boat .

[Tim524]

 I took a reel to Ken's Custom Reels in O'side cause there Anti Reverse mechanism wasn't working. He explained to me that the spring was either too short or it broke, he has never seen that before and showed me the spring.....it was tiny I'm glad I let him fix it since only one eye works over here   I applaud you on your abilities and younger vision too   and you saved yourself $40+ 
and you didn't have to wait 2 months either, good job

[KogaHead]

Ken is a miracle worker.