Cracks in Drag Brakes

twister · Post by **twister** » Tue Dec 07, 2010 5:14 pm

Sir,

I have over ten of these B series curados and just now, after years of use, am experiencing a problem. The plastic ring that holds the brake pins have cracked. The pins ultimately pushed into the brass drum and has grooved it. What should I do next? This reel has very little use overall.

bantam1 · Post by **bantam1** » Wed Dec 08, 2010 6:24 am

There is no way to repair this. You will need to replace the spool and hub. You can lightly sand the hub and this may eliminate the grooves enough to make it usable. It all depends on how deep the grooves are.

twister · Post by **twister** » Wed Dec 08, 2010 11:02 pm

Is this normal? What can cause the cracks?

bantam1 · Post by **bantam1** » Thu Dec 09, 2010 6:30 am

Normal wear and tear after years of use.

Eric Ocampo · Post by **Eric Ocampo** » Thu Dec 09, 2010 2:04 pm

i have a similar problem with my 100B's. on mine it seems the plastic brakes them selves are rubing on the brass ring quite loud. does shimano still sell the brass rings for that reel still? I have the same problem with my castaic 200sf(which is bareley a year old)

on both reels when the brakes are out, it makes a repetitive scrape noise. when the breaks are clicked off the spool spins quite. I never have more than two brakes on...

are we able to purchase the magnetic controls found on higher end JDM models?

Thanks

bantam1 · Post by **bantam1** » Thu Dec 09, 2010 2:10 pm

Apply a few drops of oil to a q-tip and rub it around the VBR hub (brass ring). This will eliminate the noise. The brakes are just dry and this is normal maintenance.

twister · Post by **twister** » Sun Dec 12, 2010 4:55 pm

"Normal wear and tear after years of use"

Actually the reel has barely any use. Almost no scratches and gears are smooth. I must have about ten of these models and this is the only one like this. Normal wear and tear can be said about bearings, handles, gears, and scratches to the cover. But having the pins fall out is a design defect. If wheel studs on a classic car shears off one day, are we going to jump to believe the root-cause is wear and tear. No because there can be infinite possibilities as to why it failed. Same goes with my spool. 4 of 6 pins are loose within the spool. As if you couldn't tell by now, you have degraded my respect for Shimano's customer support.

bantam1 · Post by **bantam1** » Mon Dec 13, 2010 6:07 am

This reel has been out of production for over 5 years now. The reels were manufactured from 1993-2004. I have no way of knowing when your reel was made or how much it was used. Our warranty covers the reel for the period of one year. Seeing that this model is at least 5 years old the reel is out of warranty. Here is he first statement from your original post:

"I have over ten of these B series curados and just now, after years of use, am experiencing a problem"

Then after I tell you that the spool needs to be replaced you said they were barely used. Did you barely use them or have them been used for years?

The metal pins are pressed into the VBS hub. Normal wear from the braking force can cause the pins to move slightly. Over time they can wear loose or the vbs hub can crack. This was not a major problem but we have seen it happen. The spool cost is $23.61. Even brake pads wear on your truck and trailer...

Eric Ocampo · Post by **Eric Ocampo** » Tue Dec 14, 2010 9:05 pm

Not trying to stir the pot, as I'm a big shimano fan........but I checked my two cu100b's , cu200b, and my less than 1yr old castaic sf and all three had at least one crack in the plastic brake that holds the metal pins

is this a problem with the bulky older version vbs still sold in the castaic sf? (My e7 and core are fine wich is weird because they see waaay more use)
Are you able to buy the vbs hub and vbs spool assebly whithout buying a new spool? I wouldn't mind changing the 100b spools for newer wiffles if they fit, but the non sf 200b is no loneger supported and buying stock replacement parts for the practically new castaic sf (I only used flippin mohave this spring) doesn't stomach well.... please advise
I understand the 200b is a dinosaur can be sumed as a loss, but I can't just toss my 100b's!

bantam1 · Post by **bantam1** » Wed Dec 15, 2010 6:03 am

The VBS hub is not available as a separate item. If your reel is about a year old then send it in and we will take care of it under warranty.

mark poulson · Post by **mark poulson** » Wed Dec 15, 2010 6:08 am

I am bad for maintenance, but one thing I've found is easy and extends the life of my reels.
I typically only have two of the six brakes out at any one time, so every year I switch to a different opposing pair of brakes. Quick and easy, and new brakes every year for three years.

Eric Ocampo · Post by **Eric Ocampo** » Wed Dec 15, 2010 8:39 am

bantam1 wrote:The VBS hub is not available as a separate item. If your reel is about a year old then send it in and we will take care of it under warranty.

what model spool is still availible will fit the 100b? I would send the castaic in for warranty but i dont have the reciept.

Thanks