Early Rapidex/Floatcraft spindle screw loose

[Duckett]

The ‘pin spindle on a Milwards Floatcraft I have just came loose. The reel went from being steadier than the Rock of Gibraltar to more wobbly than a jelly on a plate in a the space of few seconds! I’ve tightened it and all seem fine again. However, I’m wondering that as it’s happened once, it will inevitably happen again - when I’m fishing rather than when I’m cleaning, oiling and loading new line!

Has this happened to anyone else? I was thinking of using a dab of Threadlocker on it but wanted to see if anyone thought that was either a good or a bad idea. Has anyone tried it?

Thanks,

Phil

[Watermole+]

It won’t necessarily happen again, if done up fairly tightly. It’s possible that it has been coming loose for a while and just hasn’t been noticed before.
Even so, the spindle should not have come loose from the backplate.

Try removing the screw entirely and check if the rear end of the spindle locates fairly snugly within the backplate first. If it does, then it’s just a matter of tightening up the locking screw. It should be quite a tight fit.

It shouldn’t, but if it turns within the backplate, then a light smear of the non-setting type of threadlocker over that part will indeed hold it in place-but keep it away from the screw thread and assemble quickly!

If you ever need to remove the spindle again, slacken the locking screw off a couple of turns and play a fine flame from a butane torch on the screw head. The heat will travel down to the spindle and soften the threadlocker so it can be tapped out with a mallet (not a hard hammer) on the screw head.

Hope this is of some help..

wm+

[Duckett]

Many thanks for that WM. I shall investigate along the lines you suggest and follow your advice.

Cheers,

Phil