Daiwa Lexa Thumb Bar problem solved

I finally figured why the thumb bar on my Lexa 300H LC doesn’t engage when I turn the handle. I hope this will help someone one day…

First off, the principal operation of the thumb bar is to lift the cog wheel that’s on the spool shaft so that the cog wheel doesn’t touch the gear. This allows the spool to run free. More importantly, the thumb bar pushes a plate that pushes a spring that pushes a kick lever into the grooves of the anti reverse ratchet. When the handle is turned, regardless of drag, the anti reverse ratchet turns and pushes the kick lever back. This puts everything where it was (thumb bar goes up, cog wheel on spool shaft comes down to engage the gear).

Now there are two cases. Case 1: the kick lever gets pushed into a grove within the anti reverse ratchet. In this case it will always get back when you turn the handle. Case 2: the kick lever gets pushed against one of the teeth. Now, if the reel functions properly, once you move the handle a bit, the tension in the plate springs would push the kick lever into a groove and then everything would work as in Case 1. But if there’s a problem somewhere, it won’t get back.

So here are some reasons for this issue:
1. The grooves on the thumb bar plastic are dirty, preventing the thumb bar from complete travel. Solution : clean and oil.
2. The pin that connects the kick lever to the plate is too sticky due to grease or dirt. Solution : disassemble, clean with alcohol, use oil ONLY.
3. The plastic that holds down the spool cogwheel is not oiled, limiting the travel of the plate. Solution: clean and oil only.
4. The plate or the springs don’t move freely. Solution : clean and grease

I hope this helps.

Tip: you can test the fix with only the above mentioned components and the handle, before assembly.

Nicely done!  I guess I'll take my 300s out and give them a cleaning/lubing.

So satisfying to tune up a reel...good stuff...

Would you say that’s a fairly user-serviceable-friendly reel?

One thing that I really like about my Shimano Tekota is that it’s pretty easy to service. I upgraded to the Tekota HG, and it does not seem to be at all friendly, user-serviceability-wise, which is a bummer.

I was reely scared of opening that reel. I wouldn’t say it’s user friendly given all the e-clips (snap rings) and complex build. You need to know which parts to oil and which to grease. It’s complicated. But a few things helped.

For $30 on Amazon got a posidrive screwdriver (size 0), a set of picks, and a set of tweezers that made a huge difference. The posidrive is stainless steel so it won’t contaminate nor distort the stainless steel screws. Also got a cutting mat (originally I thought it was a waste of money) - super useful.
I also got small plastic containers from the kitchen so that each set of components would get into one, and I would place them in the order they were taken apart. Took lots of pictures and used them.
Got Penn grease and Penn oil, to make sure they’re compatible and won’t react.

It’s a reel pleasure now. Everything is so smooth. I’m especially excited to use the clicker as means of letting out line to the downrigger in a controlled, smooth way.

Good call on the Wera brand drivers.  They're good tools.  Same for the cutting mat... you'll be finding it handy for all sorts of things in the future.  I also like Penn grease, but I prefer Corrosion-X for oil and Cal's drag grease for drags.  Nothing wrong with Penn oil, just sharing my personal preferences.  Any oil is better than no oil.

Thanks Tedski.
I heard, but never tried Corrosion-X. It has very good reviews. How does it compare to Penn?

The original and Penn oil that's conventional (not synthetic) would turn gummy and eventually harden up over time, which would require an overnight soak in mineral spirits to dissolve.  I hear the newer Penn Synthetic reel oil is equally as good as Corrosion-X's products.

Good to know! I would check mine and see. Thanks!

Great job of getting the reel working again. Thanks for sharing. You've got to love those retaining clips, I use a small tool similar to a dental pick to fling those across the garage.

I got this small magnetic screwdriver kit and the okuma reel kit. But the best part is the screwdriver set has that plastic lid w a bunch of separated areas where I put the screws in the order I take them out.