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3. Cortland Crown Reel

Hello---decided it was time to do some maintenance on my Crown reel. I no longer have the instructions and need some advice. Where do I add lube or grease, what type is best? I also noticed only one pawl. Is this in position for right hand retreive and if you wanted to switch hands you just move the pawl to the other side. I never noticed this till now. It actually looks pretty clean as is, only 5 or so years old. Thanks.---John
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John, I don't have a clue, but I'll bet if nobody here has any ideas, Google will provide some good information.

I agree...Doesn't look too bad. I like to use Hardy Lube...I know it probably could be found somewhere cheaper in some other form, but I'm happy with it.

I like to scrub the inside with a little soap and a tooth brush. Then lube the center spindle there and maybe a little up there around the gear. You don't need much just enough to give it a thin coating. No need to lube anything else.

Like Louis said above, I have just about found everything listed on google. Just type in your reel manufacturer and Model etc and I bet it shows up.

Just from looking at it I agree that to switch it around you would flop everything to the other side...I just don't know if its right or left as is and it never hurts to be sure.

Spence

I just had to clean one of my Hardy's. When JohnW was visiting at the beginning of June from PA we were fishing one evening on the North Branch of the Au Sable near Lovell's MI. I caught a nice fish and I landed him in some shallows behind an old deflector probably installed in the CCC days. I laid the rod down to release the fish and when I picked it up I found it had been sitting in the water in a sand/silt trap behind the deflector and it was crammed with black silt! It was so bad it had penetrated my backing. Ouch!

Thanks, but I have spent hours Googling and no luck at all finding a schematic on the Crown 75 fly reel. I think I give up.---John

John, Spence's suggestions seem on target. If you can't find your exact reel via Google, you can find reels with similar mechanics and lots of suggestions for cleaning and lubricating them.

John, first of all welcome! Second, do you happen to have a fly shop anywhere near you? Sometimes you can find a place that will help you without much if any charge. Third, if it sounds good (no grinding or binding) and spins nicely it shouldn't need much other than perhaps a dab of reel lube on the spindle, of whatever brand - Spence knows what he's talking about because he likes to fight almost all of his fish "on the reel"... ;oD

Jonathon

To Johnvan61,

I just purchased this reel (NOS), and it came with the pamphlet that goes with it. It's fitted for right hand wind as shown in your image on the left. To switch to left hand wind, remove the pawl, flip it over, and attach to the opposite side posts. The pawl is very flexible and comes out and goes back in easily. It's also set to be silent the way it's shown in the image. If you push in the connector on the lower fatter post, it will be in click mode.

It also states to "unclip" the drag gear, flip over, and reclip to set the drag for left hand wind. I'm still trying to figure out how to unclip it.

I hope this helps. I registered so I could address your question, but am glad to find another fly fishing forum.

My best to everyone else.