# Curado E7 casting distance issue



## Rippin_drag (Sep 2, 2008)

Over the last year the 'ol E7's casting distance has been decreasing a little so I did a full breakdown and cleaning. I'm no Dipsay but i'm pretty familiar w/breaking one down and cleaning it.
Put her back together and went bass fishing and casting distance still isn't what it use to be.

What are a few things i should re-look at that effect casting distance?
Thanks for the help!


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## Bantam1 (Jun 26, 2007)

Didyou clean any oil/grease from the spool, spool shaft, frame and center of the pinion gear?


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## Rippin_drag (Sep 2, 2008)

Yes, all of the above. Is there suppose to be a little oil on those parts? I didn't think there should be...


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## Gilbert (May 25, 2004)

try changing out the bearings.


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## Capt. Marcus Canales (Aug 25, 2005)

Bocca Bearings, the orange ones...comes in a kit of 2 for like $30.....


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## Bantam1 (Jun 26, 2007)

You can check the bearings with q-tip shaft or small screwdriver. If the bearings are OK then check to make sure everything is clean that I suggested.


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## Rippin_drag (Sep 2, 2008)

That's what my next though was, however when i spun the bearing that goes around the pinion gear it seemed to move pretty well. Is there another bearing that effects casting distance besides this one?


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## Capt. Marcus Canales (Aug 25, 2005)

Rippin_drag said:


> That's what my next though was, however when i spun the bearing that goes around the pinion gear it seemed to move pretty well. Is there another bearing that effects casting distance besides this one?


should be 2, one under the spool cap and the other under the brake tension knob...i think....


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## jd99problems (Sep 20, 2009)

I'm not trying to be a smarty pants. But is the spool full of string and do you have too many brakes out?...also the spool tension could be too tight.....I learned all of these the hard way....also sometimes the bearings get so bad that even a good cleaning won't restore them to original performance....I replace all the bearings and see if that works, if it doesn't then I have spare bearings when the time comes...good luck...


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## Chasin Tail (Aug 14, 2010)

X2 on the Boca Orange Seals. I like to remove the orange shields though.


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## Rippin_drag (Sep 2, 2008)

Dang them Bocas are pricey. I'm not sure if that price is for 2 or just 1 though.


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## Dipsay (Apr 28, 2006)

RP, first I'd say check your bearings again. Make sure they are clean, Soak in acetone, spin them and let them dry( might have to do this a couple of times unless you have an US cleaner) then lightly lube with oil. Check your spool: IE make sure your brake pins arent corroded, wipe spool shaft off and clean with clr and wire brush- do the same with the spool shaft. Then take some fine steel wool to the shaft and polish it and wipe off. do the same with the pinion gear. clean outside with simple green first, then clr to make sure you get all corrosion off. then rinse and strip a qtip and lightly wrap that steel wool around it and polish inside of pinion gear. flush it with stripped clean qtip.. Put light drop of oil on the brake pins before you put the brakes back on. Helps with corrosion.. Hope this helps...Dip


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## Rippin_drag (Sep 2, 2008)

Thanks Dip. That's one think i didn't do was soak the bearing since they seemed to spin pretty good.
Does soaking in gasoline work too?


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## Dipsay (Apr 28, 2006)

I personally would not use gas. They have detergents and other stuff in there. Cant say for certain if it will leave a residue. I've always just used acetone..


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## Smackdaddy53 (Nov 4, 2011)

I like bamboo skewers for spinning the bearings on. The smaller skewers are just a hair larger in diameter than the spool shaft so you can use the flat end to remove bearings and the pointed end to spin them out on. 


-mac-


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## ClearLakeClayt (Aug 2, 2011)

*BOCA Bearings*



Rippin_drag said:


> Dang them Bocas are pricey. I'm not sure if that price is for 2 or just 1 though.


If you do decide to replace the bearings and go the BOCA route, you don't have to go all the way to the ABEC #7 Orange Seals. Yes, they are very expensive. Many of us have concluded that the ABEC #5 Lightnings (no lube) are just fine, for much less dinero. I get the 4-packs, which brings the per-bearing cost down to $7.50, free shipping. Try 'em, you'll like 'em!


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## Chasin Tail (Aug 14, 2010)

If ur gonna soak them. Use a small candle warmer. Put the bearings in a small shot glass and use the yellow bottle of zippo lighter fluid (dont remember brand). Let them soak on the warmer for about 30 min.


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## Dipsay (Apr 28, 2006)

Fins-N-Fowl said:


> If ur gonna soak them. Use a small candle warmer. Put the bearings in a small shot glass and use the yellow bottle of zippo lighter fluid (dont remember brand). Let them soak on the warmer for about 30 min.


 NICE!!! I like it! That folks is what you call thinking outside the box.


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## ComeFrom? (May 21, 2004)

Dipsay said:


> I personally would not use gas. They have detergents and other stuff in there. Cant say for certain if it will leave a residue. I've always just used acetone..


Dip and Others: Always use caution when handling acetone. Wear gloves if you have them and prevent breathing that stuff. Wash hands thoroughly when finished. Just a precaution.


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## trout250 (Aug 24, 2005)

I don't know what a candle warmer is, but NEVER use and open flame around any of the above mentioned flameable liquids.


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## Pro Reel (Jan 3, 2010)

While I will agree that soaking a bearing in solvent is better than nothing, there is no way that it could possibly get a bearing completly clean, unless they are open sided bearings, even them it still needs solvent movment to get around the balls. US cleaners work good because the US waves form millions of tiny air bubbles that explode and that causes a slovent movment and scrubbing effect. It also breaks up particles and helps to flush them out. In the absence of a US tank, the next best thing is to spary a solvent through the bearing. Even though the gaps around the shiled and inner ring are small, you can still use the extension nozzel on a can of brake clean to spray the solvent into the bearing and it will flush the crud out. Per soaking will help to loosen stuff, but spraying will flush it out. Do that outside while wearing goggles.
Also, boca OS bearings and even the lightning bearings are very nice bearings, but unless your bearings are rough or worn out after you have cleaned them good, then any improvment over Shimano stock bearings would be minimal at best. I have spin tested hundereds of bearings and most of the time, a good set of stock shimano bearings will spin as long or longer than any after market bearing..


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## Gilbert (May 25, 2004)

Pro Reel said:


> While I will agree that soaking a bearing in solvent is better than nothing, there is no way that it could possibly get a bearing completly clean, unless they are open sided bearings, even them it still needs solvent movment to get around the balls. US cleaners work good because the US waves form millions of tiny air bubbles that explode and that causes a slovent movment and scrubbing effect. It also breaks up particles and helps to flush them out. In the absence of a US tank, the next best thing is to spary a solvent through the bearing. Even though the gaps around the shiled and inner ring are small, you can still use the extension nozzel on a can of brake clean to spray the solvent into the bearing and it will flush the crud out. Per soaking will help to loosen stuff, but spraying will flush it out. Do that outside while wearing goggles.
> Also, boca OS bearings and even the lightning bearings are very nice bearings, but unless your bearings are rough or worn out after you have cleaned them good, then any improvment over Shimano stock bearings would be minimal at best. I have spin tested hundereds of bearings and most of the time, *a good set of stock shimano bearings will spin as long or longer than any after market bearing*..


you had me till the last sentence. Are you saying an abec3 stock bearing from shimano is going to spin as long or longer than an abec7 bearing?


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## Bantam1 (Jun 26, 2007)

You do not gain anything by going to an ABEC 7. The highest you need is an ABEC 5. In most cases the 3 is more than enough since the spool is not seeing that high of RPMs for an extended period of time. They may peak at 25K for a tenth of a second before the brakes kick in or our thumbs take over. ABEC 7 bearings were made for machines that run at constant speeds around 30K that require zero vibration. A fishing reel will never need this.


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## DGAustin (Jun 5, 2005)

We sure are lucky to have such esteemed responders as Bantam and Dipsay and Mike in Friendswood on this forum. Thanks for ya'lls help and insight.


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## Chasin Tail (Aug 14, 2010)

trout250 said:


> I don't know what a candle warmer is, but NEVER use and open flame around any of the above mentioned flameable liquids.


A candle warmer is basically a small round heating pad that gets just hot enoungh to melt a candle for scent. Basically like a scentsy (any woman you know will know what this is) but it has a small heating element instead of a light bulb to heat up the wax.


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## george.maness86 (May 29, 2012)

I do like the ceramic over the stainless bearings though because of the corrosion. I thought the pinion bearing carried the pinion gear while reeling and the spool bearings carried the spool while casting???! Some one posted to check the pinion bearing for the casting distance and threw me off for a minute.


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## Bantam1 (Jun 26, 2007)

You are correct. The pinion support bearing does nothing when the reel is in freespool but support the pinion gear. Worst case scenerio the spool has spread slightly placing tension on the frame. It is rare but I have seen it happen. If you spool the reel tightly with mono it will actually spread the spool.


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## trout250 (Aug 24, 2005)

thanks Fins, but my woman did not know what a candle warmer was,we do not use scented candles as they bother our allergies.


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## Pro Reel (Jan 3, 2010)

Gilbert said:


> you had me till the last sentence. Are you saying an abec3 stock bearing from shimano is going to spin as long or longer than an abec7 bearing?


In many cases, yes. The stock abec 3 bearings that shimano uses are some of the best available for a reel. What most folks don't understand is that the abec rating has almost nothing to do with how easy or how long a bearing spins. The abec rating is about tolerances of roundness and the difference is not a lot. What the abec rating doesn't tell you anything about is the design of the grooves or the cage. The cage and grooves are the single biggest factor in how easy a bearing spins. Many of the abec 7 and 9 bearings on the market are extremly precise, but are in full contact cages with deep grooves. That means they have a lot of friction. They may spin extremly smooth at 50,000 RPM, which is what the abec 7's and 9's are designed for, but they may need to be in a motorized tool to spin them. Boca OS 7 hybrids have a low contact cage, thats why they work good in a reel, not because of the abec rating. Thats alos why many have seen that the abec lightning works just as good, it uses the same cage. As for my initial statement. I have a box full of boca 5 and 7 hybrids. I also have a box full of shimano bearings. After I clean them completly, and then test spin them, I can sort them by good, great or nexcelent. I have about a dozen stock shimano bearings that spin 25 to 30 seconds on a pencil tip. The OS 7 bearings typically spin about 20 to 25 seconds on a pencil tip, the lightnings spin about the same. Shimano ARB stock bearings spin in excess of 30 seconds after they are flushed completly.


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## Gilbert (May 25, 2004)

Pro Reel said:


> In many cases, yes. The stock abec 3 bearings that shimano uses are some of the best available for a reel. What most folks don't understand is that the abec rating has almost nothing to do with how easy or how long a bearing spins. The abec rating is about tolerances of roundness and the difference is not a lot. What the abec rating doesn't tell you anything about is the design of the grooves or the cage. The cage and grooves are the single biggest factor in how easy a bearing spins. Many of the abec 7 and 9 bearings on the market are extremly precise, but are in full contact cages with deep grooves. That means they have a lot of friction. They may spin extremly smooth at 50,000 RPM, which is what the abec 7's and 9's are designed for, but they may need to be in a motorized tool to spin them. Boca OS 7 hybrids have a low contact cage, thats why they work good in a reel, not because of the abec rating. Thats alos why many have seen that the abec lightning works just as good, it uses the same cage. As for my initial statement. I have a box full of boca 5 and 7 hybrids. I also have a box full of shimano bearings. After I clean them completly, and then test spin them, I can sort them by good, great or nexcelent. I have about a dozen stock shimano bearings that spin 25 to 30 seconds on a pencil tip. The OS 7 bearings typically spin about 20 to 25 seconds on a pencil tip, the lightnings spin about the same. Shimano ARB stock bearings spin in excess of 30 seconds after they are flushed completly.


thanks for answering. that's interesting and I wasn't aware. Got some excelent bearings you want to sell?


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## Kolorado_Koolaid (Mar 19, 2012)

i was an idiot and didn't check after cleaning mine one time. all of my breaks were pushed out while i was cleaning and i couldn't figure out why it was throwing so short until i dawned on me to check them.


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## Pro Reel (Jan 3, 2010)

Gilbert said:


> thanks for answering. that's interesting and I wasn't aware. Got some excelent bearings you want to sell?


Oh Man LOL, The excellent ones go in the sacred pile for my personal reels. At one time, all my personal reels, Revo STX's, had OS 7 hybrids in them in the non oiled dry condition.. Although I could have made a cool U tube video with the long free spool times with those bearings, the actual fishing condition was much different. I had to tighten the tension knob to the point that the reel felt rough to crank just to get it castable. I could have used a medium oil to make them work better, but then they are the same as any bearing. I wen't back to just using a good quality stock bearing in them and they casted as far as anyone could posibly need them to, but were still usable at a low tension setting. What bearings went in them, you guessed it. Shimano BNT 194 and the larger 5x11x4 spool bearing thats no longer available. I still have some left but not many.


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