after fishing this morning (power plant outflow :) ) i got home and realized my reel felt very sticky while trying to turn the handle. At first i thought maybe due to the cold, but after warming up the reel still was cranking weird. It sticks when the shaft is just about all the way extended and then again as it goes the opposite. The reel is practically brand new (recieved on x mas) and was used only several times prior. Any ideas or solutions?

to me it is too cold to use a VS right now. Didn't it feel hard to crank? It sounds like your reel has issues with the nut that holds the shaft to the carraige( That oval piece that the pin runs in. [probably not called a carraige]) I wouldn't open it though as your reel is still under warranty. I'd bring it back to where you purchased it.

Steve is it a 150 ?

Steve is it a 150 ?

Terence, its a 200.

Mac, i thought that the problem was what you described, but its difficult for me to figure how/ why its doing it.

Is the shaft bent a little and sticking near the top? Tough time to have to send it in due to the extended wait time

It's your spool shaft seal. It's dry, add oil and work it in.
When your spool is at it's highest raised point, do you see some black at the bottom of the shaft. My guess is that the o-ring is beginning to deteriorate due to it's cold, hard, contracted state and lack of lubricant. It'll crank hardest at the top and bottom as this is where the shaft transitions from going up to going down. You might even see some black just under the spool as well.
I don't know why VS doesn't use heavy oil instead of grease, inside these reels. It would prevent a lot of these problems.

It's your spool shaft seal. It's dry, add oil and work it in.
When your spool is at it's highest raised point, do you see some black at the bottom of the shaft. My guess is that the o-ring is beginning to deteriorate due to it's cold, hard, contracted state and lack of lubricant. It'll crank hardest at the top and bottom as this is where the shaft transitions from going up to going down. You might even see some black just under the spool as well.
I don't know why VS doesn't use heavy oil instead of grease, inside these reels. It would prevent a lot of these problems.

It's been a long time since they haven't used heavy oil (as well as grease) in the reels. I think you'd have to go all the way back to Connecticut made reels to find one that doesn't have oil inside.

It's been a long time since they haven't used heavy oil (as well as grease) in the reels. I think you'd have to go all the way back to Connecticut made reels to find one that doesn't have oil inside.
I'm not sure if your serious or you don't know the difference between oil and grease? I have opened these VS150 reels because of frozen bearings under the spool basket and found only some white lithium looking grease on the gear. The oil would have prevented condensation or water from a leaky seal to rust the bearing.

I'm not sure if your serious or you don't know the difference between oil and grease? I have opened these VS150 reels because of frozen bearings under the spool basket and found only some white lithium looking grease on the gear. The oil would have prevented condensation or water from a leaky seal to rust the bearing.


Ya think maybe that leaky seal would have let the oil leak out as easily as it let the water leak in?

Yeah, I'm sure Pete doesn't know what he's talking about :rollem: :doh: :wall:

I'm not sure if your serious or you don't know the difference between oil and grease? I have opened these VS150 reels because of frozen bearings under the spool basket and found only some white lithium looking grease on the gear. The oil would have prevented condensation or water from a leaky seal to rust the bearing.

I'm completely serious and I'm quite sure I know the difference between oil and grease, and VS has been using both in their reels for quite a while now...

The lubricants used in a standard service are white grease on the moving parts and fill up of gear oil (literally the same stuff that you'd put in a rear differential). There are a few reels that are only grease (very rare) and some that are only oil. The reason for the oil, as you discovered, is that if oil is coming out water can't be coming in. The VS is a "loss system"; if it's working as it should, it's slowly losing oil. It shouldn't be a pace much faster then a sheen on the main shaft. Heavily used reels may have a little more grease and oil at the base of the main shaft because they will lose what's inside at a faster pace simply due to the main shaft going in and out more.

If you have rust inside a VS it ran out of oil a long time ago and while it was leaking it was probably leaking like a stuck pig in order to run out of gear oil. There's usually at least a tablespoon in there. If it's leaking at a pace faster then it should be it will often be obvious. A puddle under a reel with a bad seal isn't unheard of. The gear oil also has a distinctive smell you probably will immediately notice if you've got a leaker.

I had the SAME problem last Summer with my 250. I returned it to Van Staal and later spoke with Dan from VS. Water had worked it's way in behind the handle seal and corroded the bearing. They (VS) replace over 50 parts at no charge.
Dan told me that occasionally the will get a bad batch of seals and this problem will occur. It was something that they were very familiar with and had a resolution for.
My advise is to call Dan at the VS service number and describe what the problem is. Dan may remember me so you can use may name and sight the problem I had last Summer. Hope this helps.

Paul Iemma

to me it is too cold to use a VS right now.

Too cold ? The more I learn the less I'm interrested in this bionic, engineered reel . Maintenace fees , now too cold .. I thought that thing had a hemi ..

Pete. I said new reels with no oil not old.
My newly serviced 200 was grease only. I have replaced basket bearing this month on two separate 150. Neither had oil and both had condensation or water reach the bearing and rust them almost soild.
Synthetic gear oil alone would be enough.

Pete. I said new reels with no oil not old.
My newly serviced 200 was grease only. I have replaced basket bearing this month on two separate 150. Neither had oil and both had condensation or water reach the bearing and rust them almost soild.
Synthetic gear oil alone would be enough.

I can't tell if you're serious or you're just trying to rile me up. The Zeebaas avatar makes me wonder...

One of two things happened in order for the reels to not have any oil. They had leaks and lost all their oil during use, or the person putting the reels together in Tulsa was having a bad day and forgot the gear oil.

They should have gear oil in them. The reels aren't filled to the brim, but there's a good shot of gear oil in there. That's how they have left the factory for many years now. There's no more to it then that, that's just how it's done. Debate it all you want, I'm VERY certain of it... ;) It's Lubriplate Marine Grease and 90wt Castrol Gear Oil.

You might want to call VS and get your reels taken care of properly; it sounds like they're fairly new so it will be under warranty. If they don't have oil in them there was something wrong with them the day the left the factory. If you could, also forward the serial numbers of your reels to VS, they can track down who originally put the reel together or did the last service on it in the event that is what happened.

Feel free to email ccantelmo@vanstaal.com to get the issues with your reels taken care of.

Pete. It's a discussion! I don't know what happened to the oil maybe someone forgot to add it then. I have three of them sitting on my bench that never leaked and don't have oil inside.

Pete. It's a discussion! I don't know what happened to the oil maybe someone forgot to add it then. I have three of them sitting on my bench that never leaked and don't have oil inside.

Not a problem Casting Z. I was just discussing as well. Mostly. :bl:

Either way, I was just putting the info out there and the offer from VS to take care of your reels is there as well. Do what works best for ya. :kewl: