Childhood Friend

**histprof** · #1 01-22-2012, 07:58 PM

Hello.

I'm starting in on another project. This time, I am hoping to re-connect with a childhood friend.

When I was 8 or 9, perhaps about 1975, I got a package in the mail from my Great Uncle Jack in Amarillo. His son was serving in the Navy and was deployed on a carrier out of Japan. He bought a reel on shore leave in Tokyo and sent it home for Jack to use. Except that it was a large saltwater reel and Jack only fished for bass and walleye in the panhandle. We lived in Houston, so he sent it to me. It is a Daiwa 7650 HRL spinning reel. Dad took me to the store to find a rod. Old Houston folks will remember a department store that used to be at Beechnut and Fondren called Gemco. We were in there and Dad was trying to mount that monster reel on a 5' pistol grip bass rod. Some stranger stepped in and gave friendly advice to try a different rod. He picked out a perfect match Daiwa 8' glass spin rod. That rig became my best buddy. I fished with it for the next 15 years until I felt like it was totally worn out. It landed my largest speck, my first red, first shark, first sheepshead, first ray and thousands of panfish. At the end of its service to me, it bested a 29 lb jack on 14 lb line on the old jetty at Surfside in a two hour fight to the death.

Today, I went into town to help Mom do a few things at the house and retrieved the rig from its retirement hanging on the garage rafters. It is in sad shape. But, I intend to keep working with it until it lands fish again, hopefully in the hands of one of my kids. We lost Dad two summers ago to leukemia, so anything that stirs memories is important.

OK. Enough background. I haven't done more than just look it over. I need to re-wrap the rod with new guides and replace some cork. I'll probably re-do the entire finish. As for the reel, the sticking point may be the bail lever arm. It has rusted through the chrome, which is why I retired it 15 years ago. I found the schematic and it appears that Daiwa may have used slightly different parts in all of their reels at that time (mid 70s). The schematics for all of the other similar reels from that time, currently available on ebay, all show different numbers for that part. There are two of the 7650 reels on ebay right now, but one is as rusted as mine and the other is severely overpriced.

Does anyone have any thoughts about who might be sitting on a stash of 35 year old Daiwa parts?

Thanks in advance for any advice. And, if there is a 2cooler out there who helped a lost accountant and his kid pick a fishing rod in Gemco years ago, please know that you had a huge impact on that kid's life.

Here's the pics of the mess.

**flatsmaster14** · #2 01-22-2012, 08:23 PM

I watch wfn alot (world fishing network) they have something called love your lake where tackle shops will talk about the history of the town and such, they had one this week about a rod and reel repair shop that had a butt load of old parts he said he sends parts to reel guys all over the united states and he is suppose to be the go to guy for old reels, if I see it again I'll let you no.

**flatsmaster14** · #3 01-22-2012, 08:32 PM

Glenn's rod and reel repair
Des moines, Iowa

**fishingcacher** · #4 01-22-2012, 10:18 PM

I would look on ebay for a vintage reel. It would be good to try to find a schematic for the model number.

Here is one for $18 plus shipping.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Old-School-D...item336ae11f06

**histprof** · #5 01-22-2012, 10:54 PM

Update: I just located the lever arm on-line for a couple of bucks. I just needed to change how I searched on the part number. The schematic that I am using is adding an additional digit at the front of the part number. Once I figured that out, it came right up. I will disassemble this week and do a parts inventory. If it gets too bad, I've been watching that ebay reel... I would much rather bring mine back, for the sentiment of it.

**fishingcacher** · #6 01-23-2012, 09:22 PM

I would think it would be easier to buy a nearly complete reel and just take the parts from that reel to rebuild your reel.

**ClearLakeClayt** · #7 01-23-2012, 09:45 PM

Have no idea whether or not they go back that far or not, but Southwestern Parts in Dallas do Daiwa parts. Give them a call. What a great, nostalgic project...

http://southwesternparts.com/index.php

**histprof** · #8 01-27-2012, 10:26 PM

Update: I began the disassembly tonight. So far, there is nothing that I didn't expect. The bail spring, lever and misc bail connecting screws/nuts are all wasted. It needs a complete new drag. None of that is a killer. I managed to find all the parts on line.

The problem is that I have not cracked open the body yet to see the gears, bearings and oscillation parts. The side plate screws, that I did such a wonderful job of rounding out when I was a kid, do not want to budge. I'm thinking that I just found my excuse to buy the cheap rotary tool. I am assuming that I should be able to either cut the grooves a bit deeper or take the heads off the screws if need be. Thoughts?

At this point, I am way below the price for the nicest example of this reel on ebay. That might change if the inside is totally trashed. I remember the reel as being very smooth and stable on the retrieve, so I am tempted to go to a modern bearing to take advantage of that aspect of the reel.

Its gonna be a long slow grind.

**Dipsay** · #9 01-28-2012, 12:40 AM

Me thinks the boy is addicted now..lol Keep at it! Your thought process is doing fine! I like the way you are thinking into the reel "so to speak". Shows insight.. Good Job!...Dip

**patwilson** · #10 01-28-2012, 07:49 AM

Hats off to you histprof... I have had guys bring me reels to clean for them and I would just put them in bag. Call em up and say "do you want to through it away or do you want me to!"

It could be a reel that looks if they dug it up from the surf after being there 100 years!
No no no, this reel is sentimental. I gota have it working. Well long story short, I have worked on reels and put countless hours into them but in the end it is worth it...
Keep up the good work and best of luck to ya!