# Metanium problems. Anyone else!



## schoalbeast101

Buddy I fish with said he bought one back in November sorry don't know which model. He used it twice and gently rinsed it off and dried it off both times after use. Sunday he went to tie a new rig on for Monday and when he pushed the thumb bar it was frozen. He said the reel was frozen also? For that amount of money he put it back in the box and was taking it back to where he bought it. What is going on with these reels folks? I have bought used reels from this guy and they have all worked fine. I am holding on to all my older Shimano reels. just saying!


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## cfulbright

I would say NO! Its not going to be one of those reels. Mine is going on a year and a half now. I spray mine down with 10% saltaway and wash with the hose, open the side plate and dry the inside/outside and spool with a paper towel. I have NOT opened mine up to clean regrease/oil anything and it still cast like new.

As for use, it gets abused from a yak on avg once a week. O and there was even one submarine experience with JimD onboard his babycat.

Id say it has tighter tolerances then the older reels and the moving parts require grease. Open it up and inspect it, if it has corrosion then bring it back if it needs grease have it serviced.


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## schoalbeast101

He is taking back the Metanium this afternoon. I will report back with the findings! I was referencing the Curado CI4's (spools) and core's (gears) with the newer reel comments. These are not cheap reels folks. I have never had any major issues with old Curados, Citiga's, Curado E-7's and new Chronarch 50E's.


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## cfulbright

All I can say is new technology takes time to work the bugs out sometimes.(look at the Iphone lol) I don't have a problem with my CI4 so I think that problem is fixed, Shimano always gave great support to those people. The core was never meant to throw big topwaters/heavy lures and engage the reel without letting the spool stop, that's the only time iv heard of a problem...its a finesse reel. That's like taking a Lambo mudding. The old reels are tanks.


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## schoalbeast101

I am not trying to bad mouth Shimano, I am a Shimano guy. I own 5 of the new 50 E and 4 of the curado E-7's. They are great and will handle trout and reds with no problems. Just wondering why some of the new reels are great and some aren't sounding like they are all that great and they are the most expensive ones. Haven't heard anything bad about the Metaniums until now so this is probably an isolated case. Was just trying to find out if anyone else had any problems. Core gear problems I heard about on a well known radio show wasn't from casting but from catching 1 nice redfish while people were trout fishing. This wasn't an isolated case. And the spool problems on the CI4's should have never occured. Those reels should not have gone out like that. Using a Core in the bay isn't like taking a Lambo mudding. LOL!


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## schoalbeast101

Verdict just came in. $33 to fix it. 3 bearings froze up. They claimed it was a maintenance issue not a manufacturing issue. The place that sold the reel which will remain unnamed told him that the reel should not have been rinsed off with a hose ever and that the reel should just be wiped down and sprayed with a ammonia bleach water combo solution? Wow! Heard you should never power wash your reels but never heard you couldn't lightly spray them off with the hose. Guess I won't be spraying off my newer ones anymore. Never had any problems spraying off the older ones.


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## Hawglife

I feel like the pinion bearings on the newer models can be bad, or go our quickly. Have had a couple curado I series reels that came our way brand new, and they sounded like garbage. Idk, I stand behind shimano 100%,but it seems the newer models keep on getting worse... Just my opinion, not trying to start anything here. Also whoever told u not to rinse them is spot on, I never rinse my reels, just wipe them down, clean out crevices with dry qtip, clean out pinion w dry q tip, lightly oiled qtip for brake drum and a light drop of oil for. Each spool bearing, I do this every other trip or so, and usually will break my reels down every other month or three depending on usage and condition.


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## Hawglife

BTW you can put some brass gears in the cores, and you'll have less problems with the gears, I don't like the aluminum gears whatsoever. I've been using the same core for a couple years now without issues, but I'm super meticulous with my gear. I'm hoping there is a brass gear that fits the metanium, but haven't looked into it yet.


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## Dan Thorburn

The Metanium has two bearings for the pinion gear. They require maintenance just like our other reels with bearings for the pinion. The Metanium uses the S-ARB bearing which is the same type we use in the Core. 


More than likely the surface of the pinion gear is tarnished, or you have some corrosion on the surface of the bearings supporting the pinion. The reel will need to be taken apart and serviced. 


There are no brass gear options for the Metanium.


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## Hawglife

Dan Thorburn said:


> There are no brass gear options for the Metanium.


Thanks, that is what I was afraid of. Great reel either way, however in my eyes you can not beat the CH50E or the CU50E!


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## schoalbeast101

Thanks for all the info guys I appreciate it. All I am saying is that if I spend $400 for a reel and I have bearing problems or have to put different gears in a reel then Shimano has a problem. Just my opinion. Reel wasn't dunked or even waded with and only fished with twice and it wasn't neglected. Shimano to my knowledge didn't have problems with the old Curados, Calcuttas or Chonarch 's. Just wondering if it was just me or does it seem like the quality is going down a little bit?


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## Dan Thorburn

The bearings and materials used in this reel are the same that we have been using. With the X-Ship feature it makes for tighter tolerances now. Maintenance will be a little more critical than before because of this.


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## CoralSeas

schoalbeast101 said:


> Thanks for all the info guys I appreciate it. All I am saying is that if I spend $400 for a reel and I have bearing problems or have to put different gears in a reel then Shimano has a problem. Just my opinion. Reel wasn't dunked or even waded with and only fished with twice and it wasn't neglected. Shimano to my knowledge didn't have problems with the old Curados, Calcuttas or Chonarch 's. Just wondering if it was just me or does it seem like the quality is going down a little bit?


There isn't a reel made that can survive in the saltwater environment without meticulous and regular maintenance.

Not one.

Even one trip, if the reel gets salt inside and then if the reel is set aside is enough for destruction. It doesn't matter how expensive the reel it is unless you want to fish with fully sealed super spinners ($600++).

Yes, rinsing of the reel on the outside with fresh and a wipe down is fine but that does not remotely mean that salt hasn't gotten inside where it can do it's worst or that a too vigorous spray as gotten inside.

The reel must be opened and cleaned and relubed. Corrosion-X is cheap and ideal for your bearings and will flush out salt. All of the bearings sit in receptacles that are perfect little holding pools for saltwater.

If the bearings are bad, it means the reel was not serviced when it needed it. End. Of. Story. If you have seen enough over the years you know anything can happen. Its why I have gotten into servicing my own reels and posting tutorials so others can do the same. It is super easy.

Not trying to be harsh, just trying to be realistic if you have seen it.


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## schoalbeast101

CoralSeas! I will respectfully disagree with you and I think you missed the point. I have been buying level wind reels for 40 years. I have fished saltwater since the late 1980's. I have had many reels dragged into the water by Redfish as I used to fish off our pier with mutiple rods without rodholders. I have had both Abu-Garcia and older Shimano curados and Citiga's dragged in and submarined on the bottom. All I did was spray them off with the hose, clean the worm gear with a cue-tip re-lube and I was done. I never opened the reel because it wasn't acting funny, making any sounds and was still smooth even after sitting for months. The point is the old $100 reels of yester year are as good or better then the ones coming out today that are 4 times as much. I never said that buying a reel of today didn't need to be maintained because of the amount of money you spend. I am saying that a reel that didn't get any salt in it and was only used 2 times shouldn't have any bearings problems from rinsing with a hose. Even mutiple guides at the fishing show last year said reels could be rinsed with a hose as long as it was not high pressure. I have been doing it since the late 1980's and never had any reels cease up after letting them sit for months. My CI-4 and 200 E-7 made a few noises when reeling but after a little grease on the worm bar they are good. I do maintenance my reels often but not after 2 trips when they were brand new. I always rinse my reels off every day even when fishing mutiple days. So I disagree with the bearing comment. Either they were bad to begin with or they aren't made the same or the reel isn't made the same so it isn't end of story. While the new reels are lighter and easier to cast seems like the minimal amount of testing was done on some of the reels and they were rushed out the door. Why aren't there problems with the new 50e's? They are light and cast a mile and I have rinsed them off from day 1 with no issues. I also service my own reels. I have only 1 Cu-200 that is just worn out from making too many casts to count.


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## CoralSeas

schoalbeast101 said:


> CoralSeas! I will respectfully disagree with you and I think you missed the point. I have been buying level wind reels for 40 years. I have fished saltwater since the late 1980's. I have had many reels dragged into the water by Redfish as I used to fish off our pier with mutiple rods without rodholders. I have had both Abu-Garcia and older Shimano curados and Citiga's dragged in and submarined on the bottom. All I did was spray them off with the hose, clean the worm gear with a cue-tip re-lube and I was done. I never opened the reel because it wasn't acting funny, making any sounds and was still smooth even after sitting for months. The point is the old $100 reels of yester year are as good or better then the ones coming out today that are 4 times as much. I never said that buying a reel of today didn't need to be maintained because of the amount of money you spend. I am saying that a reel that didn't get any salt in it and was only used 2 times shouldn't have any bearings problems from rinsing with a hose. Even mutiple guides at the fishing show last year said reels could be rinsed with a hose as long as it was not high pressure. I have been doing it since the late 1980's and never had any reels cease up after letting them sit for months. My CI-4 and 200 E-7 made a few noises when reeling but after a little grease on the worm bar they are good. I do maintenance my reels often but not after 2 trips when they were brand new. I always rinse my reels off every day even when fishing mutiple days. So I disagree with the bearing comment. Either they were bad to begin with or they aren't made the same or the reel isn't made the same so it isn't end of story. While the new reels are lighter and easier to cast seems like the minimal amount of testing was done on some of the reels and they were rushed out the door. Why aren't there problems with the new 50e's? They are light and cast a mile and I have rinsed them off from day 1 with no issues. I also service my own reels. I have only 1 Cu-200 that is just worn out from making too many casts to count.


I feel ya and understand your frustration.

Unfortunately there is a random element to every day fishing and every time you rinse them. Sometimes salt just gets where you never think it could.

The manufacturers all have gone to great lengths to reduce the incidence of corrosion and it is a rare problem with well maintained reels like yours...irrespective of price if you open your bearings and grease them or religiously oil them you will have few problems.

However, all it takes is salt contamination that somehow eludes your normal regimen or, inadvertently a squirt gets in the wrong spot during fishing or rinsing and you will find there is no fishing reel bearing material that is rust proof given enough time if dissimilar ferrous metals are present. Even ceramic bearing rust because their cages rust...

So, I am not denying your previous experience or the possibility of a bad batch of bearings that ended up in your reel. But in my experience *anything can rust after one trip* if* you have bad luck with salt getting in the wrong place.

If you have seen enough reels from enough fisherman you would agree. It may be thankfully rare, but it happens and the cost of the reel is no indication of whether it will or not. Sometimes it is just plain bad luck that resists our best efforts. The Saltwater environment will destroy *anything*.

best


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## [email protected]

Hawglife said:


> I feel like the pinion bearings on the newer models can be bad, or go our quickly. Have had a couple curado I series reels that came our way brand new, and they sounded like garbage. Idk, I stand behind shimano 100%,but it seems the newer models keep on getting worse... Just my opinion, not trying to start anything here. Also whoever told u not to rinse them is spot on, I never rinse my reels, just wipe them down, clean out crevices with dry qtip, clean out pinion w dry q tip, lightly oiled qtip for brake drum and a light drop of oil for. Each spool bearing, I do this every other trip or so, and usually will break my reels down every other month or three depending on usage and condition.


Now that's how you create job security.


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## steverino

*Problem?*

My problem is I can't afford these new reels! Maybe that's good because I'll keep using my old green Curados, white/pearl/silver Chronarchs and old Ambassadeurs. Like the Energizer bunny, they just keep going and going and going!


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## txdukklr

yeah unfortunately I've learned that the better performing higher price creates tolerances that are so minute that more maintenance is needed.

I love that my old green curado's haven't been cleaned in a decade and still work great but they don't cast as far, aren't as light and not nearly as smooth as my chronarch ci-4's. Unfortunately I open my ci-4's up every trip and wipe em down. I also carry a bottle of half windex/half water and spray my reels, rods and tied on tackle down liberally after every trip. It's killed rust on my equipment to zero.


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## Drundel

Here is how I see it, the old Cu200B were like an AK-47, not all that fancy, loose tolerances, but they always worked when you needed them and caught fish.

The newer reels are like a highly tuned AR race gun, very slick and modified piece of equipment and will catch fish, but you need to spend a lot more time on TLC.

My first BC was a Cu201BSF bought around '04 maybe? And after I bought a Ch101SF and 51MG I turned the Curado into my dedicated surf reel. So since about '08 till '12 it saw lots of surf fishing (never dunked) and I never took it apart to clean. Just misted the outside, pulled the two spool bearings to clean, polish the brake ring, but never remove anything else. It never had a problem. I finally took it apart about two years ago to upgrade all the bearings and polish the inside, aside from the brass needing cleaning (no pitting, just off color), the pinion gear bearing showed signs of rust but still spun free.

Lets see any of the new reels do that.


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## steverino

*I'm With You Drundel!*

In a gunfight, I think I would go with a gun that worked!!!


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## AlwaysWorkin

schoalbeast101 said:


> The place that sold the reel which will remain unnamed told him that the reel should not have been rinsed off with a hose ever and that the reel should just be wiped down and sprayed with a ammonia bleach water combo solution? [/QUOTEm ]
> 
> Isn't ammonia and bleach the recipe for mustard gas?
> 
> Sometimes new reels can be pretty light on oil or grease in places they should have more at to help keep the salt out and prevent early corrosion. They can also have too much grease on parts that don't need it. I've never cleaned a metanium but I've opened up numerous reels that look brand new everywhere, except the pinion bearing and gear are crusty green freezing up the reel. It shouldn't freeze as fast as it did but I could see how it's possible. If you get a small paint brush and put a light coat of grease on the little bit of the pinion bearing you can see after the spool is removed it'll make the bearing last longer. I also put a little grease on the spool shaft then wipe almost all of it off leaving a very light film on it before putting the spool back in to help prevent the spool shaft from freezing inside the bearing making the thumb stick up or down. Works pretty good and it extends the life of the pinion bearing.


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## bubbas kenner

Heck man I'm afraid to use my mitanium XG now thanks for all the upfront info guess I'll use it for paper weight.
I have not used it so to the op I cannot give a reply.


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## schoalbeast101

Gotta love those $400 paper weights. LOL!


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## AlCapone

Big fan of Shimano products here but this is the new trend of ALL the reel companies.
They are all about the bottom line now.
With technology constantly changes, they will not make stuffs last "forever" like the old times anymore.
Besides, they do not make money if your stuffs do NOT break and you do NOT need to buy new stuffs. Lol
Some of my 20+ years old Shimano reels still work like a Champ.


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## Dan Thorburn

If the reels are used in saltwater they will need to be maintained. There is no escaping this task. 


BK- Use your Metanium and take care of it. We have been offering several MG reels over the years. The reels are good to go in salt, but you have to take care of them like anything else.


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## bubbas kenner

Dan Thorburn said:


> If the reels are used in saltwater they will need to be maintained. There is no escaping this task.
> 
> BK- Use your Metanium and take care of it. We have been offering several MG reels over the years. The reels are good to go in salt, but you have to take care of them like anything else.


Thank you sir will do.


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## Hawglife

Dan Thorburn said:


> If the reels are used in saltwater they will need to be maintained. There is no escaping this task.
> 
> BK- Use your Metanium and take care of it. We have been offering several MG reels over the years. The reels are good to go in salt, but you have to take care of them like anything else.


I'm giving mine a second chance, I do love the cast ability, size, and weight.


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## jack1

*reels*

This is a easy fit Lews tourment pro.


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## Totally Tuna

I'm not sure about Mustard Gas, but mixing ammonia and bleach is a deadly combination. Over the years there has been serious issues with people cleaning their bathrooms and kitchens mixing these two household cleaners. Never mix them together.

http://chemistry.about.com/od/toxicchemicals/a/Mixing-Bleach-And-Ammonia.htm


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## bubbas kenner

Hawglife I will trade you a chronarch d5 for a metanium let me know.


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## bubbas kenner

jack1 said:


> This is a easy fit Lews tourment pro.


Lewis shmews start another thread this is shimano lingo,


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