Garcia Mitchell 600 series Saltwater reel maintenance and rebuild including drag service
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 ก.ย. 2024
- This video details how to service and repair a classic Garcia Mitchell 600 Series saltwater reel. These are the famed yellow side plated reels from the 1970's. They will work for years if properly maintained. This uses the 624 for demonstration, but applies to all in the series.
I have been servicing fishing reels for over 20 years and am sharing my experience here. If you enjoy the video, please "like" it. If you want to see more, please subscribe. Comments? Questions? I reply to all. Thank you - Dennis
those round knobs are a great handle, they fit quite a few penn', the 500 comes to minds, it's like an old school "power handle"
Yes they are and for those that remember coffee grinders....
My favourite series of reels.
These are a great reel with an enduring design. If fact, many of the Bass Pro Trophy Angler series that are sold today have the same design! Watch this video to see th-cam.com/video/Wryd3vgcd0E/w-d-xo.html
Thank you - Dennis
Great video Dennis. I was delivered a 604 today that I’m going to do a video on this week. It’s stuck in free-spool mode and it’s missing handle. A local second chance shop gave it to me to test my skills. We’ll see how it goes. This video helps a lot.
Sounds great! The gear side is all the same on these reels so the one in the video will follow the same process - Best wishes - Dennis
I recently took up fishing. My father in law left a bunch fishing gear at our house in the garage. One of the reels is a Garcia Mitchell 600a. I looked it up and came across your video. Thanks for the details on these reels. Looks like I’ll be hanging on to this one. It’s in pretty good shape.
Thanks for watching Anthony. Take care of that reel and it will last a long time - Dennis
I recently came across a Garcia Mitchell 600A still in mint condition from my brother in law. What a find! I'm using it on an old 11'6" Penn Surf rod. Nice reel! He also gave me in the box a Penn Jigmaster 500 and a 113 and a 114 also, with the original Penn reel catalog! I'm in love with vintage Penn reels and still use them to this day. I've got old Baymasters, Sea Boy's, etc. THANKS for your videos! I watch them a lot!
Thanks for the feedback and for watching. Please stay tuned for more to come - Dennis
Hi Dennis, just found my old 624 from when I was a kid , it must be over 40 years old , I was given it about 30 years ago , hasn't been used or maintained since, it was so great to find your video on this classic reel , I'm going to attempt to restore it now and get back to catching congers & mackerel with it like when I was a kid here in Bangor , Northern Ireland UK
Thanks !
Greetings from the US Mark. Thank you for watching and for letting me know that the video is useful.
Best wishes. If you run into a problem with the rebuild, let me know and I will try to help get you through it.
Dennis
Thanks Dennis,this was exactly what I was looking for. I acquired a Mitchell 602 today from the local consignment shop for $5.00. This thing works great it's just dirty and the handle is slightly bent. I dont understand why these reels aren't used anymore. Thanks! I had to sub!
Thanks for watching and the sub Mike. The primary reason that these are not used any more is that parts are no longer available. When they break, they are pretty much done. It's a shame as the design and mechanics are good. There are some Bass Pro Offshore angler reels that use the identical set up as these reels internally, but the parts are not interchangeable. - Dennis
I have one sitting in my project box. Someone spray painted it yellow and it has the classic cracks in the side plate . Mine needs a new spool. Current one is toast.
Two things I'd like to share is that this reel is a knuckle buster and the handle actually can fit on a jig masters and other Penns. Screw is the same threading.
Thank you for sharing. These are great reels at a reasonable price if you can find them. Keep on fishing them, busted knuckles and all!
Gary Dodgson yes sir. Looks like someone wanted to try and touch up the side plates and match the aged yellow. Thanks for reminding me to start looking for a new spool. I want to use it for some beach or pier fishing this summer.
Perfect.
Thank you
You are welcome. These are great classic reels that will keep on fishing if properly maintained. Thanks for watching - Dennis
Great video - thanks
Thanks - I appreciate the feedback. Please stay well and stay watching - Dennis
I should like to have one ...similar to those...one day i ll find one..some where...
Well....have a nice day...and happy new year...dennis...
Hi Rey - I have a few of these if you really want one. Send me a note at 2ndchancetackle@gmail.com and I will provide you the details - Dennis
Oh I forgot, I used my 602 AP the other day uptiding for cod, and it handled them with ease, up to 9lb odd.
I wish we still got cod here in New Jersey! Studies have shown that the global warming issue has moved the schools that used to be in the Hudson Bight have moved up to Georges Bank and that those that were in Georges are now off of Greenland! Thanks for watching - Dennis
Hi dennis great imformative video , I followed your instructions great help.on my 624 ihad to replace the drag washers I bought them online no problem I'm from uk the only ones I could buy were carbontex material.? It says on instructions that you can leave them dry or grease them .At the moment I've left them dry they seem to work fine but have not used it fishing yet . Would greatly appreciate your feedback cheers pete
Hi Peter. The instructions are correct. They can be dry or you can use grease. I find that the grease helps prevent them from drying and prolongs life, so I go ahead and use it. I use Cal's universal drag grease for the task. I don't think that increases or decreases the actual function of the reel, so if you have installed them without grease, you don't need to worry as to whether the reel will operate properly without it.
Thanks for watching - Dennis
Tyty
My mitchell 624 is as good as new now ty
Glad to hear it. These are durable and dependable designs. I learned recently that the Bass Pro Shop Offshore Angler series uses the same internal design. It is a credit to see it is still working. Good luck fishing - Dennis
Hello again Dennis, I just finished going through my Penn 309, 6/0 and 9/0 with your help and said you would be hearing from me again. I was given one of these also which I cleaned up but had 0 experience at the time and didn't even know what it was since the tag was gone, all that was visible was "made in France". I still don't know what model it is, it has a short crank, spool width measuring between the rings is 1 3/4" and diameter measuring the ring is 3 1/4". Is that enough information to determine model?
This too is one of dad's old reels, thanks again for all your help
Jeffrey -the lost label is a common problem. You have the narrow body, which is the Mitchell 622. The wider frame, about 2 3/4 inches diameter is the Mitchell 624. - The internal gearing is the same on both reels, just like the Penn Long Beach 60 & 65 reels. The difference is the frame and spool lengths. Thanks for asking - Dennis
I just found one of these. It's the 622 and it also has the crack you mentioned. Judging from the blue discoloration on the side where the crack is, I would assume that all or most of the blue grease is gone; but everything seems to be in order and mechanically operational. I will service it and take it on my next fishing trip. What is the best way to polish the chrome? Thanks for the video!
Good to hear George. The spider cracks are mostly cosmetic and not structural. Just a weak point in design. Good luck fishing - Dennis
So glad I found this video as i had the spring fall out and had no idea where it came from. Can you suggest a fabric to make replacemwnt washers from please
For my 600 series Mitchell, I used a Penn 85 complete drag assembly from HPR Bearings, at EBay. Same inside diameter, only very slightly smaller outside diameter.
Dennis, I saw in another video, it was said to put the brass washer with the lugs into middle of the drag stack. I've always put it on top, what's right please, as I'm replacing my leather washers with carbontex ones.
If you mean the keyed washer with the two ears that go in the slots, then that one does go in the middle. - Dennis
Hi Dennis new to your site I tore down my 600a Reel One of the drag washers is wavy is this normal or is it just a bent washers? You also mentioned a location for new washers Thank you for a great video
Yes there is one cap washer that is the last on the stack and it is wavy. That acts to give variying tension to the star adjuster. - Dennis
@@2ndChanceTackle Thank you hard to see that on the video glad for your reply thank you Dennis
I'm fixing to break my 622 down again, the chrome is spectacularly clean however the side plates are spectacularly a dingy yellow. I have no expectations of a miracle but would like your opinion of a safe cleaning method. Also, should it need drags, did you say Penn part #60 could be trimmed to fit sufficiently?
actually dawn soap and a scrubby sponge did wonders for it
These side plate are pretty tough. I use turtle wax chrome polish and a kitchen scrubby pad on both the metal and the plastic. It is abrasive, but not too much that it scratches them. If it is dirt and grime, I use Purple Power, which is a concentrated degreaser.
a Penn 85 Carbontex kit from ebay fit mine pretty nicely. No trimming was required.
Hi Dennis just wondering if you have a mint Garcia Mitchell 600AP. For sale on your shelf. Because I am keen to get a hold of one in that condition.Worth asking you never know. Kindest regards
Sorry - I don't have anything like that in that condition. Thanks foe asking - Dennis
I have bought 2 of these reels off of ebay in a week. The 1st was a 622 the 2nd was supposed to be a. 624 ID tag missing on the 624. The 624 was wider than the 622 but smaller in diameter. Could the 624 be mistaken for perhaps the 600 or another model as the 624 I think should be larger than the 622. Am I correct? The 622 had it's tag.
If the diameter of the second reel is smaller than the 622 and the spool is wider, then you most likely have the 600A. The 624 is the same diameter as the 622, but has the wider spool. By comparison to the Penn line, the 622 approximates the Long Beach 60, the 624 the same as the Long Beach 65 and the 600A the same as the Beachmaster 155. I hope this helps. By the way, I have a 15-20 of these vintage reels and only 2 or 3 have the tags on them. It is a common problem. - Thanks for asking - Dennis
I have a 622, what's the line capacity for it running 65# power pro? It's just for deepish jigging, I have probably 250-300 yards on it right now , any idea on how much to fill it to capacity?
When you switch to braid, you can usually pick up an additional 30% of line capacity and sometimes more on the bigger reels. If you have 250-300 years on the 622 now, you should get closer to 400 yards with braid
Dennis
Do you by chance know how many lbs of drag these were rated for? I have an old 624 laying around that I’m considering going through and possibly use for striper trolling, judging by the build quality and size it’s comparable to penn senators in 3/0 and 4/0 size which is what I was already considering using for the purpose.
Dan - I don't know. I would guess around 15 pounds. This reel is almost identical to the Penn Long Beach 65, which is rated similar. Thanks for asking - it can and should go striper fishing - Good luck with the catch - Dennis
@@2ndChanceTackle thanks for the reply. So it shouldn't have an issue spooling with 40 or 50lb monel wire? I just noticed you can find carbon fiber drag discs for these, so that's half the equation. If only they had gear kits now...
Yes - you can go with heavier line. I wouldn't spend too much hot rodding the reel, but the drag upgrade would be worth it - Dennis
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on the mitchell reels , can the coffee grinder knob be removed ? or are the preasure end pins just for inserting oil ??
sorry Rephrased - on the mitchell reels , can the just the knob on the coffee grinder arm be removed ? or are the preasure end pins just for inserting oil ??
I am not aware of any way to remove these knobs for maintenance or replacement. I believe they are pressed on. The point in the middle of the knob is for oiling. I have seen folks drill out the stud from the bottom of the handle and replace that way, but that is a bush fix at best. That's not recommenced unless the knob has failed or broken completely It is it just hard to turn. try a healthy spray with WD40 and let is sit a while then try to work it free - Dennis
@@2ndChanceTackle Thanks, knob is not broken , just does not spin , did drop in some oil which helped a little ,, and will try some wd-40 thanks ,yes i do use mitchell multiplier's from my kayak ,ocean fishing , out of oceanside harbor Calif. still comfortable and can easily take apart for cleaning , parts are still available , though does sometimes take some searching but that the fun so far, thanks for the rebuild video ,, Do you know if the spool spindle is removeable ??
These are solid one piece spools. The spindle is not removable - Dennis
@@2ndChanceTackle , hmm ok was hoping Not to hear that , i have one with spindle end actually worn down so drag tensioning nob needs to be to tight to prevent spool from wobbling and scraping chromed edging , i did replace the spool but just seems a little of a waste to just toss the spool because of the worn spindle end , hmm maybe i could find a small washer
How can I do a better job to evenly load the reel with line?
I am not sure of the problem you are having. The basic Lind spooling method is to use your thumb of the non-winding hand to guide the line evenly. Wrap you free hand on the rod ahead of the reel where your hand is cupped to grab the rod from underneath. That should allow your thumb to point up and intersect with the line. You can then move the line left and right using your thumb as a guide. Does that answer your question? Thanks for asking - Dennis
2nd Chance Tackle this is just what I need. Thanks.
Every single one of these I've ever seen has a crack in the handle-side plate.
I have at least 10 in my work pile and, like you said, every one half them have the spider cracks. I think we can agree it is a design or materials issue - Dennis
that little crack on the side plate,
Should I be worried about
No. It will not affect the stability of the reel
was this the Alan Tani wrench?
Yes. I got mine through Mysticparts.com
@@2ndChanceTackle I got one from Alan, I didn't realize it fit the 600's. Thanks for the info