Mitchell How to Thread:

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Tiderider Wrote:
Home made crosswind for 302/303 & 402/403


This is the easiest way I know to make a reliable crosswind that is totally reversible. I'm not going thru the process of opening the reel as I'm sure most folks can figure that part out.

Tools required:
3/32" drill bit
Drill
An extra outer planetary gear p/n 81332 with the pins removed for a drilling jig.
http://i27.tinypic.com/1zzouok.jpg
Here's how the two planetary gears are originally positioned in the reel
http://i32.tinypic.com/b7c1u8.jpg
But instead of pinning the outer planetary gear to the reel frame I'm going to pin it to the main gear.
You really need to secure the main gear in a way so it will be stable enough to drill. In this case I just drilled a hole thru my work bench the same size as the main gears shaft, I think it was around 3/8".
Anyway you then want to install the jig and the inner planetary gear into the main gear. Rotate the planetary gears until the small inner gear's pin is located at it's furthest orbit. This is not difficult to find but is critical so take your time until the gears are properly positioned. In the picture they are in the correct position to start drilling.
http://i32.tinypic.com/b7c1u8.jpg
Once you are satisfied it is time to drill the two 3/32" holes thru the main gear. With one hand I hold the two gears in place to keep them from shifting and then slowly drill straight thru the two holes in the jig. The main gear is aluminum so it'll cut very easy.

Here's what you should see after drilling and removing the jig and the small planetary gear.
http://i30.tinypic.com/wrcp76.jpg
If you're doing this job I probably don't have to tell you it's time to clean all the aluminum shavings out of the gear teeth. Once everything is clean and smooth simply pin the outer planetary gear into it's new home and position the inner planetary gear in it's proper position.
http://i31.tinypic.com/3089vv8.jpg
You can put a light coat of grease on the planetary gears to help keep them stuck together for reassembly.

If for whatever reason you want to go back to the original planetary wind simply re-pin the outer planetary back into the reel frame.

What does this do:
It spools the line on a straight up and down pattern. The old Mitchell 302's had a bob pattern spooling the line up a little, down a little, then up a little the down a little, by the use of planamatic gears orbiting inside the main gear. It may have been great in theory but even Mitchell must have realized the problem with wind knots during casts as they offered a crosswind cam to replace the planamatic gears.

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Calvin Wrote:
As an alternative to the homemade crosswind as Obie shows above, you can also pin the inner planetary straight to the drive gear as shown here:
http://i45.tinypic.com/28s4zt.jpg
FYI...thats a 303 drive gear thats no longer in use due to the 3 chipped gear teeth up top.


This is how you put a crosswind CAM in a Mitchell 302, 303, 402, or 403.

The only thing I did not do was grease the parts before insertion. You must grease the parts! In that reel below I plan on degreasing the entire thing and then putting fresh grease on everything. You can buy crosswind cams from The Fisher-Man on Ebay or from MitchellParts.com. This is the alternative, easier way, but will cost you a few bucks, to do what Obie did above.

Start out with a basic 302 reel.
http://i44.tinypic.com/xbn1g0.jpg
Take the handle off by firmly holding the spool with one hand and turning the handle towards you with the other hand. (303 same way)
http://i42.tinypic.com/11lip6s.jpg
Remove the 4 small screws that hold the side plate on.
http://i40.tinypic.com/1zbf0iv.jpg
My screwdriver is pointing at the small, inner planetary gear.
http://i39.tinypic.com/21lpdds.jpg
My screwdriver is pointing at the outer planetary gear.
http://i42.tinypic.com/9k00ap.jpg
Remove the outer planetary gear. Use your fingernail or the tip of the screwdriver to pry it out, being careful not to damage anything. You want to lightly do this. No force!
http://i40.tinypic.com/2mglerl.jpg
Another shot of the outer planetary gear being removed.
http://i39.tinypic.com/9is2fo.jpg
Remove the small inner planetary gear with your fingers.
http://i43.tinypic.com/s5eiah.jpg
Another shot of small inner planetary gear after removal. You will notice the little stub sticking out on the gear. That stub was resting in the crosswind block. Any other way is incorrect.
http://i44.tinypic.com/34hf7lw.jpg
A shot of the crosswind cam before being placed on the main gear frame.
http://i41.tinypic.com/2dm8qi0.jpg
The crosswind cam is now pinned to the main gear frame. The small pin sticking up off the main gear frame will go into the middle hole slot of the crosswind cam.
http://i41.tinypic.com/ml0bk4.jpg
Another shot of the crosswind cam after it has been pinned to the main gear frame.
http://i43.tinypic.com/2hmnfkl.jpg
When putting the sideplate back on it is vital that the small stub sticking out from the crosswind cam be lined up with the narrowed slot of the crosswind block. You can move the main gear / crosswind cam with your finger to align it.
http://i44.tinypic.com/24ltu0g.jpg
Another shot of the alignment before putting the plate back on.
http://i40.tinypic.com/28f2t.jpg
The plate is now back on.
http://i43.tinypic.com/24zyrky.jpg
Put the handle back on. This is what you have left - inner & outer planetary gears. Put in small baggie for safe keeping.
http://i42.tinypic.com/a9xw1k.jpg
As stated above, I did not do any greasing to this reel yet. I plan on degreasing and then putting fresh grease on everything.

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Jigslinger wrote:
This is for upgrading the drag of a 302, 402, 303, or 403.
http://i26.tinypic.com/28u2ws5.jpg
I do my 402s like Kingfshr showed in the photo, I use teflon penn 155 washers
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The first and last drag disks are merely acting as spacers as you have it shown. If you can tighten down the drag without them or use the old Mitchell disks there these don't need to be HT100's
http://i277.photobucket.com/albums/k...t/100_0236.jpg
If you want to use use 5 HT disks move the top one down to the bottom and insert an extra brass washer with the internal flats between the now two bottom disks.
http://i277.photobucket.com/albums/k.../100_0236a.jpg
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Actually I left out a soft washer and one keyed to the shaft that go in first. Didn't see em still in the spool. So I actually use six HT's and 5 hard washers. Just can't live with metal to metal.
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Okay that makes sense, but still the top soft washer is a spacer and the metal to metal there would actually present no problem what so ever.

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Sometimes if the drag stack isn't tall enough the big drag knob will rub on the spool which is not a good thing.
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Lately I've been using Penn HT100 washers staggered thru the drag pack. The last one's I received were made to fit a Penn 706 and they worked perfect. What's worked best for me is just put a HT100 in between every metal drag washer until you run out of room, you'll not need all the original drag washers but you need room to put the collared spacer back on top of the stack but upside down. Don't grease those HT100 discs as they'll gum up.

306/307/406/407 Crosswind Cam Installation

After opening the reel up, you'll see a silver piece that looks like a link from a bicycle chain. You have to remove it.
http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/i...nger/002-1.jpg
http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/i...nger/003-1.jpg
That allows you to pull the shaft out.
http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/i...nger/004-1.jpg
After removing the shaft, pull the piece the "link" was snapped into out.
http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/i...nger/005-1.jpg
Then pull the planomatic gear,
http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/i...nger/006-2.jpg
and the inner gear.
http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/i...nger/007-1.jpg
Snap the new crosswind gear into place with the pin up. It will be a little tight.
http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/i...linger/008.jpg
Grease the new cam. The slot in the black part fits over the pin. Put it back in place and slide the shaft back in place lining up the holes.
http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/i...linger/009.jpg
Snap the "link" back into place.
http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/i...linger/010.jpg
Check it to make sure it's working, a little grease, and that's it.

Close it back up.

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Calvin Wrote:
Fixing up a Mitchell 302, 303, 402, and 403. I decided to organize all these notes and sources in 1 spot for any would be newcomers that would like to fix up these reels. These notes are nothing new to all the old Mitchell veterans. But for the beginner they can be very handy. I know this first hand - ask Obie how many questions I have asked him. Once "fixed up" these reels are pier approved for King Mackerel & Cobia fishing.


Buying the reel. Search Ebay for Mitchell 302, Mitchell 402, Mitchell 303, and Mitchell 403. If Ebay is not your cup of tea look in your local classifieds, fishing forums, yard sales, pawn shops, Craigslist, etc.

After you have aquired the reel you can customize it with the following parts:
# Crosswind Cam (fits 302, 303, 402, and 403) Part# 81342

# 302 or 402 Manual Pickup

# 303 or 403 Manual Pickup

# Optional High Speed Handle part# 81436 (fits 302 & 402)

# Optional High Speed Handle for the 303 & 403, part# 81437

Individual parts of interest:

# Machined Manual Pick Up Roller - This is the exact same roller on the manual pickup kits above and will fit on any of the following reels - 302, 303, 306, 307, 396PUM, 403, 406, 407, and 498. (Part# 81425). The Fisher-Man on Ebay usually has these in stock although some times they are not listed in his store for sale. Send him an email and ask. Note - this is a sleeve roller, not ball bearing.

# Mitchell 302 Manual Pickup Mount Otherwise known as the 302 arm, what the roller mounts to. (Part #81421)

# Mitchell 303 Manual Pickup Mount - Otherwise known as the 303 arm, what the roller mounts to. (Part #81422)

# Mitchell 302 drive gear (Part # 81333)

# Mitchell 303 drive gear (Part # 81334)

# 402 drive gear is part # 81427. 403 drive gear is part # 81428.

Any place you see a part number listed you can go to MitchellParts.com and search for that part number to see if they have it.

Reference guide: http://imageevent.com/jimfordham
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Fixing up a Mitchell 306, 406, 307, and 407. I decided to organize all these notes and sources in 1 spot for any would be newcomers that would like to fix up and customize these reels. These notes are nothing new to all the old Mitchell veterans. But for the beginner they can be very handy. I know this first hand - ask Obie how many questions I have asked him. Once "fixed up" these reels are pier approved for King Mackerel fishing.

Buying the reel. Search Ebay for Mitchell 306, Mitchell 406, Mitchell 307, or Mitchell 407. If Ebay is not your cup of tea look in your local classifieds, fishing forums, yard sales, pawn shops, Craigslist, etc.

After you have aquired the reel you can customize it with the following parts:
# Crosswind cam for 306/307 Part # 81592

# Crosswind cam for 406/407 Part # 81582

The manual pickup kit for any of these reels (306, 307, 406, and 407) consists of only 2 parts - the roller and the arm, otherwise known as the manual pickup mount. As of late the right hand arms, part number 81593 for the 306 & 406, have been hard to come by and as a result the manual pickup kits for 306 & 406 are not being sold. That could change at any time if these sellers come across more parts or have more machined.

# Optional High Speed Handle for the 303 or 307, part# 81437}

# Optional High Speed Handle for the 302 or 306, part# 81436


Individual parts of interest:
# Machined Manual Pick Up sleeve type Roller - This is the exact same roller on the manual pickup kits above and will fit on any of the following reels - 302, 303, 306, 307, 396PUM, 403, 406, 407, and 498. (Part# 81425). The Fisher-Man on Ebay usually has these in stock although some times they are not listed in his store for sale. Send him an email and ask. Note - this is a sleeve roller, not ball bearing.

# Right hand arm for 306 & 406, otherwise known as manual pickup mount Part #81593

# Left hand arm for 307 & 407, otherwise known as manual pickup mount Part # 81594

# Drive gear (306 - Part# 81562) (307 - Part# 81563)

# Drive gear (406 - Part# 81597) (407 - Part# 81598) - Both parts are out of stock as of this posting, keep checking back.

Any place you see a Mitchell part number listed and you can't find it on Ebay, you can go to MitchellParts.com and search.

Reference guide: http://imageevent.com/jimfordham

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Calvin Wrote:
The 306 arm (manual pickup mount) is hard to find right now. The Fisherman on Ebay is probably the best bet to machine some any time soon. However, there is plenty of 307 arms available at MitchellParts.com if you are a lefty. Here is what the 306 arm looks like:
http://photos.imageevent.com/jimford...e%20MPU-01.jpg
http://photos.imageevent.com/jimford...e%20MPU-02.jpg
http://photos.imageevent.com/jimford...e%20MPU-03.jpg
More images are here, and especially good images to help you identify ball bearing rollers vs sleeve rollers:
http://imageevent.com/jimfordham/mitchellmpus
In the images above you can see where the arm utilizes the bail trip mechanism, it goes into that slotted space on the bottom when mounting.

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thanks guys for saving this, it's hard to beat dem old mitches

:headbang:

Tofer,
A buddy that works with me has a 302, and he was wondering if there should be "slack" in the spool? You can pull the spool up and down freely, you can hold the rotor and the rotor won't move when you pull the spool, but you let the rotor go and pull on the spool and the rotor moves slightly. He is trying to get it back in order and needs a few parts. Thanks

How much slack are we talking?
If it's more than a milimeter or so it could be a sheared pin on your inner planetary gear, part # 81418, or a missing "C" lock that holds the oscillation slide in place on the axle, part # 81356.
You can find the schematics here.

http://www.mitchellparts.com/

[size=12pt]No Mitchells here, but WOW, great How To![/size] :bow:

Yep I think Jigslingers right either a gear slipping a little of maybe the slide moving some. You really just got to pull it apart and check everything and see whats missing or loose. Mine has always moved a little but just mainly that gear turning a little. May want to get a crosswind if he doesn't have it too and see if that helps. There's a lot of little parts which is the downside of the mitchells but you can still pick up part reels on ebay a if your missing things. The tiny KEY that attaches to the axle and hold the rotor seems to go missing a lot and there are some tiny screws that hold the slide that can go missing too. Check out the schematic and send me a message if you need help with it. I need to get me a couple more for back-ups. : )

:guns:[quote author=FinChaser link=topic=50.msg9221#msg9221 date=1334926087]
[size=12pt]No Mitchells here, but WOW, great How To![/size] :bow:
[/quote]

Rebuilt a 303 in large part with the info here. No parts left over and works perfectly.


[img width=240 height=320]http://i1206.photobucket.com/albums/bb447/ladiver5/fc9a01c6.jpg[/img]


[img width=720 height=960]http://i1206.photobucket.com/albums/bb447/ladiver5/7a651693.jpg[/img]

Thanks guys, I will pass this on to him when I get to the office. Pulling on the spool it seems like it will move in and out probably 1/2"-3/4". Sounds like it needs some attention. I may bring it with me to the picnic and if y'all have time take a look and see what you think.

Get the Reel doc to look at it, he does very good work, and he lives close by

I saw Larry Friday, he said it appeared to be fine, but he wasn't 100% sure. I guess there's only one way to find out...get it hooked up and hear some drag.

Gotta love them old mitchells!

Bumping an old thread here with a couple questions for the reel mod pros. I have a Mitchell 302 here that i'm getting ready for the pier in a couple months. I put the crosswind cam in it, upgraded to the Penn drag system, and installed the ceramic bearings. My questions is with the drag upgrade, I assume its okay that theirs no clicking noise in the drag? With the upgrade, the mechanism that clicks is removed so there is really no noise at all. Next question is, I didn't take note how far the spool recessed down before modification, but now it seems to go too far. Judging by the pics, do you think it looks ok? Thanks in advance for the help!
http://i884.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps7323ca18.jpg
http://i884.photobucket.com/albums/a...psc3439935.jpg

That spool drop is normal, that is why it will lay the line more evenly. And the drag not clicking is because you removed those two specialized washers. There is no other way to make it click but it isn't a necessary item anyway. I just would set the rod down and tie it up with a line out since you wouldn't be able to really here line being taken if you aren't holding onto it.

Thanks! That's the reassurance I was looking for. Confirmed everything I was thinking.

I just did the same thing to one I got. I still need to get the ceramic bearings but I also put a manual on mine. Can't wait to kill something with it.

This reel is an ole shed find that belonged to my wife's late grandfather. He passed away just before I came along, but I can tell from the stories told about him that him and I are a lot alike. I think he would love it that this reel will be bringing in the fish and bringing enjoyment to someone once again. I'm not sure that it's really ever had line on it. I'll be down there the third week in June and really look forward to getting to using it. Now, to find rod....

I figured the noise from the Mitchell's anti reverse would annoy people? This one of the reasons I'm hesitant to use it. What do y'all locals think about the anti reverse clicking?

It can't be any worse than Wet402's coffee grinder! If you are annoying someone, they'll let ya know!

Thanks Fin. I'd just hate to take advantage of the welcome. Get the stare down or something. Know what I mean?

Believe me, you won't be able to hold a candle to the racket those old penns make.....They sound like....well, it's actually hard to describe other than the noise of something mechanical coming apart at the seams.

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Originally Posted by divedeep

Believe me, you won't be able to hold a candle to the racket those old penns make.....They sound like....well, it's actually hard to describe other than the noise of something mechanical coming apart at the seams.

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I own a Mitchell 302, Penn 704, and Penn 706. Used to hate the constant click, but now I realize there is just something magical about those old reels, especially the scream the roller makes echoing through the rotor cup on the 706. I have fallen in love more with the older reels I have aquired over the past year than the new ones. Really shows just how well built some if those old reels are. Took me finally owning some of my own to realize it.

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Originally Posted by Rockinchef88

I own a Mitchell 302, Penn 704, and Penn 706. Used to hate the constant click, but now I realize there is just something magical about those old reels, especially the scream the roller makes echoing through the rotor cup on the 706. I have fallen in love more with the older reels I have aquired over the past year than the new ones. Really shows just how well built some if those old reels are. Took me finally owning some of my own to realize it.

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Well in that case I'll spool it up. I may end up buying a combo and another rod just for my 302. A man can't have too many rods right? :D

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Originally Posted by cowroy

Well in that case I'll spool it up. I may end up buying a combo and another rod just for my 302. A man can't have too many rods right? :D

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Just when I say I am done, I end up buying another.

Where did you find parts to replace the drag parts? I was going to sell my 303 because of issues with the drag but decided to try and work on it. Thanks for any help. Mine when I try and loosen the drag it turns the whole spool and I can remove it . I did take it apart and tried to clean it all but when I put back together still not working properly. I use eBay a lot so list any thing you got off there to repair your 300 series reel

Might want to take it to J&M or bring it down for one of the guys here to look at if you are unsure.

There is a guy on EBay that goes by The FisherMan I think. He sells the Penn drag kit upgrades as well as the crosswind cams. I also found a ceramic bearing to upgrade the stock one in the reel. What a difference that made. Would have to do a google search to find it again. If you want it checked out, there is The Reel Doc or I know a guy in Gulf Breeze that is a magician with reels. I had my Mitchell working good, but he basically made it into a brand new reel after he got his hands on it.

Thanks for advise and tips. I took it back apart and greased everything and put back together and it seems to be working a lot better not sure til I get it on a rod though. Still looking at the upgrades though. I had it on eBay last week and talked myself out of selling it.

I converted my three 402's to Carbontex drag washers, it took 3 washers per reel. I greased them with Cal's Teflon reel grease. Got everything from Smooooth Drag. $7.00 a set.