Mitchell Match bail arms.

[Wallys-Cast]

Bunching up at one end or another can be all sorts of things, washers are there for a reason so unless the spool has been messed with it should be ok.

It could be the wrong spool base plate has been fitted.

The bail stop could be worn or bail wire bent.

The oscillation plate has a pin in one end which fits into the spindle, these can become loose and no longer give full oscillation. This is usually apparent by a lot of play in the spools movement.

Try a spool from another reel, this should give the same bunching if the fault is in the reel itself.

If you get stuck, I dont mind having a look at it for you.
Let me know.

[Willsmodger]

Those reels have long been sold on. I've been lucky enough to find a pretty much immaculate MM recently and a Bay purchase has seen the arrival of a very nice 300. It only came with a deep spool so I spent an hour last night spooling it up and it's fine.

I just need a time machine to tell 17 year old me to stop wasting money buying the latest shiny new reels of various manufacture. Get a decent collection of Mitchells.

[Nobby]

Match exploded diagram here:

http://www.mitchellreelmuseum.com/index ... tegory/384


But you might find this from the service manual more helpful:




Where the black arrow points, I always think is like a human knee joint...it locks back to hold you upright. If the reel doesn't do this it will be poor at closing the bail when the handle is turned. A little bit of wear in a few joints and this can happen.


I once serviced a Match reel for a TFF member which had been fettled by an Army engineer from REME. He had re-profiled the nylon ramp on the back of the baffle plate to a higher place....the reel was just perfect for it. Clever feller that squaddie.

[Wallys-Cast]

You will notice in 2 of the diagram it refers to the roller. This doesn't actually roll, it just follows the profile of the black plastic snail on the underside of the baffle plate and can wear into a flat surface after a lot of use. It can however be turned 180 degrees or thereabout which gives it a new lease of life and this does sometimes sort out a slightly problematic reel.

Excessive wear in the linkage knuckle joints is the usual main problem and only replacing this whole linkage assembly will make the reel close smoothly again.

Wal.

[Willsmodger]

Thanks guys. I'm sure this information will be useful to many others besides me. No problems with the latest MM or 300, but always good to know.

Now the 810. That bail arm closes with the gentleness of a sigh, and I actually like the brown finish. Seems more traditional somehow. I think I'll get Christmas and it's hideous expense out of the way and get it sorted in the new year.

All the best.
Will.