Young Martin's Reels Garcia Mitchell 440 Service & Lube Including Bail Remove and Install

[@billblue1]

Have 5 440 reels after this video I was able to improve the performance well done. Rick helped me a lot

[@youngmartinsreels5314]

William, pretty much all of the reels I have, I consider to be potentially sacrificial so I don’t mind takin them all the way apart. I’m usually successful at getting them back together. I did save the 440 until I had better skills. It turned out pretty good. I still haven’t tried fishing with it yet. I’m glad you found the video helpful.

[@stevenwalker2634]

Haven’t used my 440 in almost 20 yrs, took it out to give to a friend and found it’s action to be very stiff. It needed a cleaning and lubrication, very grateful for your video as it saved me time and errors. Works like new now and ready for many more years of fishing. BTW, the 440s are smooth with a fast retrieve, strong and powerful under pressure. My last fish on it was a 28# salmon out of the Sacramento River, a 45 minute haul in on 15# line on a humble fiberglass trout rod. The reel was totally reliable and up to the task, performed flawlessly. I like vintage reels, still use my modified Penn 300 for open ocean fishing.

[@cheekymonkey444]

The original bailes on these reels had a manufacturing defect. The bail wire was spot welded to the fitting on the take-up end. That was the weak point. They have a replacement 2nd generation bail assembly to fix that problem.

[@youngmartinsreels5314]

So are you saying the bail from the 440A will fit the 440 with no modifications?

[@jamescraven480]

I just picked up one of these reels up last week. Thank you for the great information.

[@wolfgangemmerich7552]

Do your self and the otomatic bailspring a big favor : keep this reel stored in open bail position ; it gives the bailspring a mutch longer & real relaxed live. In opposit to usual fishing reels with bailspring got used to close the bail , this MITCHELL otomatics use the bailspring to open the bail ! Open bail relaxed bailspring !

[@jamescraven480]

Thank you. I will!

[@steveguest8028]

That bail arm mechanism is a work of art lol….. Great video

[@youngmartinsreels5314]

And it seems to work as good as it looks. I need to get this down out of the case and take it fishing. I still haven’t tried it yet.

[@youngmartinsreels5314]

By the way Steve, you are my 1000 subscriber to Young Martin's Reels. Welcome aboard.

[@steveguest8028]

@@youngmartinsreels5314 Cheers and congratulations 👍

[@roachcatcher266]

I am glad you are inquisitive by removing the bail associated, great tutorial, the bail lock stops the bail inadvertently popping open and letting the line spring off yours spool in a bag ir rucksack.

[@lcjohn51]

That bail lock it, so that it doesn’t pop open When you set it down or just accidentally bumped the bail and you have line playing all over the place. I’ve had mine for over 40 years still works.

[@johnheseltine4882]

Superb video, I have a couple of 440A's the Mitchell Match reels, now I can service them with confidence. Thanks Rick

[@youngmartinsreels5314]

Great John, let me know how it goes.

[@RobertBassett-u5p]

Great tutorial thank you

[@docsmellyfella]

440s were very popular for match fishing for silver fish in the UK back in the 70s/80s. Still use mine now (I have 4) but finding it harder to find a tackle shop to service them. Did a bail arm myself a good few years back but it was hard work.

[@youngmartinsreels5314]

No service centers is not just a problem in the UK. There are very few places you can take a reel to for servicing these days. That’s one reason I make the videos I do so that others can do the service themselves.

[@AEStudt]

Just picked one of these up in a auction. Pretty decent shape just figured it put just have the anti reverse not working only goes forward. Will tear down an check it all out thank you on this video

[@youngmartinsreels5314]

Let me know what you find.

[@glynwilliams8294]

Hi Rick, thank you for uploading this. I have just repaired a 30 year old broken 440 I had when I was a kid using this video. I’m looking forward to give it a test in the spring. For info, I think the bail arm locking feature is used for when the reels are in storage in your tackle box. It stops them from automatically opening and possible getting damaged. All the best.

[@youngmartinsreels5314]

Glyn, you are the first person I’ve talked to that actually used one of these back in the day. I’m glad you were able to service your reel with the video. Let me know how it goes when you take it fishing.

[@KRAZYKEV64]

i got the same reel which i serviced a couple days ago. mine is a 1973 model and yours is later. yours has a roller for the bail and the anti reverse is a little different

[@ThePooky63]

Brilliant video.

[@youngmartinsreels5314]

I’m glad you liked it.

[@ThePooky63]

Very therapeutic....I could watch them all day.👍

[@barneyewing2664]

I have a 330. I also started down the road of taking the bail mechanism apart, saw that little gear and said nope! You're a brave man. You made it look somewhat straightforward, maybe I'll try it just for the challenge. I think the bail lock is useful when transporting the reel

[@youngmartinsreels5314]

I didn’t know there was a 300 series that had that bail. Nice to know. It turned out it wasn’t that hard to take apart and put together. That being said, if you weren’t mechanically inclined, I’d leave it together and clean/lube it as is.

[@barneyewing2664]

@@youngmartinsreels5314 The 440 is the high speed version of the 330, like the 308 and 408, etc. Also it doesn't have bearings like the 440. Everything else is about identical.

[@christopherjenkins2373]

Rick, I think the 440 is the high speed version of the 330 just like the 300 and 400 reels. That’s why it has those roller bearings which the 330 does not on the main gear. Mitchell was consistent in their numbering system and how the higher speed reels had more bearings. For instance a 386 doesn’t have a main gear roller bearing while the 486 does. Same way with the 396 and 496 skirted spool saltwater reels. (I call them “needle” bearings but both names are correct. I;ve spilled those little suckers more times than I’ll admit!)

[@youngmartinsreels5314]

I’m thinking I might have cheated myself out of a fun experience by not taking that apart. I also have Jeep transmission videos out there where I teach people how to install needle bearings. Maybe I should have pulled those apart, cleaned them and then reinstalled. I’m sure somebody will end up pulling they out and wonder how to put them back.

[@stephencox7281]

very good i liked it

[@christopherjenkins2373]

That bail is called an “Ottomatic” reel as marketed by Mitchell. I don’t have a 440 but I do have a 330 and after practicing I got used to this automatic bail. It’s sort of like an early “fast-cast” reel. I can’t believe how filthy this one is internally. I’ve had more problems with that bail than anything else. It is very important to synch the oscillation. If the bail is working don’t ever take it apart! My 330 will work better than the bail on this 440 because it has a 5-point baffle plate. I got mine from a guy in Hawaii who specializes in these Ottomatic bails. The trick is learning to cast these reels. I can’t believe you took that bail apart. I was literally talking to the video, “Don’t do it Rick!” You are braver than me! It is so easy to mess this up. You have no idea how lucky you were with this. Where did you get that fancy gripping screwdriver. I have some different kinds. By the way, watching you with that bail was most entertaining. You did a far better job the first time than I did. When you fish this reel you’ll know why you need a bail lock but I’m not going to tell you. I love these reels though. Rick you’ll never know how much I enjoyed this! - Chris (oh, you found out why you need the switch. It would have been funnier to think of you fishing and bumping the bail. LOL)

[@youngmartinsreels5314]

Chris, I ran from doing that bail for several months until I got my skills up. Also I made sure I wasn’t tired when I started on it so I wouldn’t make stupid mistakes. After that, it was just take my time and examine exactly how it went together. Once I knew which tooth the teeth needed to be in it was easy. As for the screwdriver, I honestly thought they were a dime a dozen until I went looking for one to recommend to you. My dad and step dad each had several of them when I was growing up. Sears sold them. They were rather fragile. If you tightened the screw up instead of just starting it, it broke the gripping fingers. I bought this one at a yard sale a few months back for a dollar. I figured there would be hundred of them on EBay. I was wrong. I didn’t find any of them. So your saying that you need to lock the bail when you hook a fish to keep it from popping open, or does it just pop open if you hit it? Either way that could be show stopper. I did go back and watch the video again this morning. I found myself holding my breath when I was taking it apart. I really enjoyed that video.

[@christopherjenkins2373]

@@youngmartinsreels5314 I honestly don’t remember enjoying a video that much. I mean I was talking to you throughout the whole thing. You are a brave man that’s for sure. I took mine apart once and I never intend to do that again. If you ever work on a Mitchell 406 that can be very entertaining as that reel has several surprises. Have you ever worked on reels with open ball bearings? The 406 has one and a Bretton 400 has a double open bearing. You should have seen me crawling all over the floor looking for those bearings. It was absolutely comical. You are far more skilled than I am but have I told you I’m 60% blind? (Stargardt’s Disease) - Chris

[@youngmartinsreels5314]

Chris, So sorry about you eye sight. I’ve become very far sighted in my later years but it corrects just fine with reading glasses. I can’t imagine doing this without corrected vision. I salute you. I’ll have to keep an eye out for one of those free ball bearing reels. They sound like a lot of fun. I had an English racing bike when I was a kid the used uncaged ball bearing on the axles. I remember chasing them down driveway. Your experience reminded me of that.

[@wolfgangemmerich7552]

I have almost every Mitchell otobail reels in my collection ; exept the 540. The first ones was made in 1955 , only wearing the MITCHELL otomatic sign engraved , no 330 lettering . The first ones didn`t have the ,, travel lock " button on rotatorhouse and the bail in more 300 shape with the D shaped line eye. The last made Mitchell otomatics was the 840 .

[@garrettlauzon1656]

That bail looked like a pain to reset. But you were able to do it. Great content as always Rick

[@youngmartinsreels5314]

To be perfectly honest I got that reel from my dad’s parts pile back in November. I waited until last night to tackle it. I wanted to improve my skills prior to taking it on. Back then, I never would have gotten it back together correctly. Last night I decided I was ready for it. Turns out I was right. Fish On!

[@garrettlauzon1656]

@@youngmartinsreels5314 By the way, I believe the handle from a 300 or 400 will fits a 440

[@youngmartinsreels5314]

The handle from the 300 does fit and works fine, but the 440 handle has a collar at the bottom, so this doesn’t look exactly right. Even so, I’m happy with the results.

[@ddselvig]

Nice video, Rick! You nailed it again. I had heard of the 440 but never seen how that bail works. That would be a nice one to add to my collection someday.

[@youngmartinsreels5314]

I think it’s a pretty cool reel. I’m not sure I would like fishing it but I’m still going to give it a try.

[@youngmartinsreels5314]

Dan, Did you get my email about the Luxor?

[@ddselvig]

@@youngmartinsreels5314 Yes, I did.

[@levijones7478]

I know during the video you said that your two spacers washers were in place but you didn't show what the washers looked like. I'm working on a reel for a friend of mine and there is only one tiny thin brass washer is the other one the same size or is it larger? By the way I love your videos. You and Dennis on second hand tackle are my favorites, my go to videos. Usually one of you guys gets me back on track. Thanks for your help and knowledge.

[@youngmartinsreels5314]

The shim washers were installed at the manufacturer to properly shim the gear train. Some reels had 0 washers, some had 1 and some had 2. They were usually .001” or .005” thick. I’ve never had good luck attempting to shim them from scratch. That’s why I’m always very careful to make sure I find all of the shims when taking apart a Mitchell reel.

[@levijones7478]

Hello Rick, I'm working on a Mitchell 440A. I've got my reel back together and everything works, but you have to turn the handle in the opposite direction from normal in order for the bail to close. What am I doing wrong? If you turn the reel in the normal direction it tries to engage but doesn't come close to closing. Any advice would be helpful.

[@youngmartinsreels5314]

The Mitchell 300 and 400 series reels actually rotate in the opposite direction of every other spinning reel that I’ve ever worked on. If you are certain that it is working differently from the way it was before you started, you might check the installation of the plate with the cam lobe on the bottom that you see around 12:44 of the video. I can’t see how you could install it incorrectly so that it would operate as you described but that’s the part that activates the bail close.

[@williams2266]

I'm curious, what type of grease do you use on these old Mitchell reels? I have a few old Mitchell 300's. After cleaning them up and applying Penn grease, they seem stiff and don't turn as freely as they should. Any advice you have would be appreciated.

[@youngmartinsreels5314]

Dolan, I use Penn grease on most of my reels. There are so many sliding surfaces in the Mitchell reels that the grease tends to cause them to drag. The places to oil instead of grease are where surfaces slide against each other. For instance, the main gear shaft rotates inside the side plate. If you grease that shaft it will slow it down considerably. I use oil on that shaft. Anyplace else you can identify to oil instead of grease will be good too. The only problem is the reel will require more often servicing. Don’t substitute oil for grease on any gear teeth. I hope this helps.

[@williams2266]

@@youngmartinsreels5314 Yes I think this will help. Thank you very much. I still have one on the bench and I will give it try. Thanks again.

[@youngmartinsreels5314]

Let me know how it works.

[@sharmmoodley6147]

It's a job well done.

[@youngmartinsreels5314]

Thanks. I think it’s still a bit noisy but I don’t have replacement gears.

[@scottlewis2218]

If you don't need to don't take that bail apart you will live to regret it 😊

[@youngmartinsreels5314]

I don’t recommend anyone take the bail apart unless they have to. However, if it is needed, it really isn’t that hard to get it back together.

[@wolfgangemmerich7552]

@@youngmartinsreels5314 The most wanted spare part for this rells are the baffelplate with the half moon shaped close bow. This half moon shaped plastic part is the troublemaker no 1 in worn out condition.

[@craiggough3272]

I have 7 440,s

[@scottlewis2218]

Lol it's out of time 180 degrees

[@colinbrown4719]

Bail lock is for when reel is in transit

[@youngmartinsreels5314]

That is correct.

[@wolfgangemmerich7552]

If not in transit = keep & store the reel with bail in open position to hold the bailspring in relaxed condition .