Crankenstein

Here is a crankenstein that I assembled from scratch.

http://www.biggreenfish.com/images/cu_cranker.jpg
http://www.biggreenfish.com/images/cu_cranker_back.jpg
http://www.biggreenfish.com/images/cu_cranker_top.jpg
http://www.biggreenfish.com/images/cu_cranker_side.jpg
http://www.biggreenfish.com/images/cu_cranker_lside.jpg

I used Chronarch 50Mg, Calais, Curado 100B, Curado 100D, and a few other parts to build it off of a CU100B frame.

weighs: 7.0 oz
gear ratio: 4.75:1
line recovery: almost 15 inches/turn
spool bearings are TG Rocket bearings
carbontex drag washers
all fiber spacers were replaced with sanded and polished brass
spool pin and pinion gear were sanded within an inch of their lives and polished with a dremel
nearly every external plastic part has been swapped for metal
and a few other little secrets that are too stupid to mention =]

Oh and it casts like a dream. I will eventually add a better handle, but I am pretty happy now.

I going to have to send you some of my quantums http://xs-s.com/zf/images/smile/emthup.gif

That's quite a reel to be made from spare parts!! http://xs-s.com/zf/images/smile/emthup.gif http://xs-s.com/zf/images/smile/emthup.gif

Well "spare" is a loaded word when you stock Shimano parts in your shop. =]

wow, what can i get one for???

That is a great question. I am working extremely hard on figuring that out. Basically, I order parts from Shimano blindly. I know the MSRP, but I have never seen a wholesale price list. I only know my price on something once I get a shipment notification through email. Some of those parts I have had for over a year and they upped their prices in February. I am about to bite the bullet and order the parts for another one, then I will know the total. I waited a few months to get some of the parts and that kind of screwed me up.

If I charged the MSRP it would be $500, which is ridiculous. I only want to charge for assembly and what I would normally make on the bearings and drag washers. The rest of the price is actually what I pay. Minus the TG bearing's (which may be overkill) I would guess around $140-$160. I will keep you posted though.

Will the 100D metal cast cap fit a 100B, or do ya need the spool too, to get it to function properly? (or is it a different reels cast cap/spool altogether?)

Also, I've been wanting to know the answer to this.. In the quest to find a metal cast cap for my older curado 200B's, I wonder if the metal cap from a Castaic 200B would work? The plastic cast caps coming loose and changing the casting adjustments is one of the only issues I've found with older 100 and 200 B's.. Im not even sure if the metal cap would solve the issue, but I put reel covers on all my reels and it seems the older shimano's are the only ones to "loose" their casting tension after a few trips.. Thanks for the info! http://www.bassboatcentral.com/smileys/USA1.gif

Mickstix,

Let me answer these one at a time.

Yes the CU100D cast cap will fit a 100B. It is part# BNT3155 and that cast cap originated on the Chronarch CH50Mg and fits the Curado 100B and 100D series. It also is the same one on the Citica 100DSV. The spool is from a Chronarch 50Mg. I could have gone with the Curado 100D spool, but it is a bit heavier than the CH50MG spool.

There is a metal cast cap for the Curado 100B (see above), but at this time I have been unable to find a cap that fits the 200B. The Castaic 200BSF will not fit because the side plate of that reel and the Curado 200BSF have longer threads on them than the Castaic 200B and Curado 200B series that are plastic cast caps.

Now the main reason that the Metal Cast caps will not work on the 200B's is that the spool pin does not extend beyond the threads of the side plate. If you look on the inside of the plastic cast cap you will see that the cap has a raised area of a little more than 1/8". This protrudes into the threads and adds tension. It also allows the cast cap spring to be centered.

Now having said all that, I have used the BNT3155 cast cap on a 200B, but it requires you to build a pretty substantial platform of fiber spacers that have been trimmed to allow the spring to go around it. You have to build this almost three times as thick because that metal cast cap will bottom out before spool tension is reached. All in all, it is not worth the hassle.

The best way I know to fix the cast cap from backing off is to add Teflon tape to the threads. That should keep the vibrations from allowing it to back off, or even keep you from losing it.

Thanks for the detailed explinations Matt!! I thought I'd solved the CU200B metal cast cap delima.. http://www.bassboatcentral.com/smileys/ohwell.gif http://www.bassboatcentral.com/smileys/Laugh.gif I'll give the teflon a try! I imagine it will do the trick! http://www.bassboatcentral.com/smileys/wink.gif

Now that's cool, put me in line for one http://www.bassboatcentral.com/boardstuff2/beers.gif http://www.bassboatcentral.com/boardstuff2/beers.gif

can i get a 50MG spool put in my cuardo 100b?
do you sell the parts?