Here follows a short review of my findings regarding the Okuma Azores. Also a step by step Photographic tutorial on how to Service and Maintain the reel.
Let me say at the outset... I've never been a fan of Okuma products. This goes back a long time to the days when Okuma products were just cheap and nasty.
It seems however, that this is all changing... Okuma are upping their game it seems. First they brought out the Makaira offshore reels, which have proved themselves as very good value. Then they improved some of their spinning reels - the Salina springs to mind. So lets see...
The Okuma Azores 55S is a medium size spinning reel comparable in size to a Shimano 6000. Sporting 7 bearings and a whole lot of fancy names for it's "features".
I saw on the box:
Made in China. I always worry about that, although they say that not everything made in China is crud.
Priced at R1000. A decent solid feeling reel... very smooth.
Nice braid grip on the spool. Proper flared spool lip. Finishes pretty decent.
The handle - decent size and shape!
Remove the Drag Knob. This reel has a "Dual Force Drag" system. Meaning 3 oiled felt washers up front and 1 larger Carbon Drag washer in the rear.
The Rear Carbon Drag washer
The spool support and spindle are fixed to the spool shaft and cannot be removed. To remove the spool shaft, one needs to open up the gearbox to unscrew it.
The reel has Torx screws throughout. A good albeit irritating feature. It's much more difficult to strip the head of a Torx screw.
This is what a Torx driver looks like as opposed to an Allen key.
So, remove 4 screws in a flash, and one is in the Gearbox!!
Flippin awesome! These reels that provide direct access to the gearbox without having to remove Rotors, Anti-reverse bearings etc. are a major WIN!!
4 SCREWS and you have access to the engine room and bearings. Easy peasy to ensure good maintenance!
The Azores has Carbon impregnated inserts on all the side plates and Anti-revrse housing. What this does is to limit the contact between different alloys, which often causes electrolysis and galvanic reaction corrosion. Nice feature!
The Gearbox and Engine room...
To remove the Drive shaft, unscrew the Oscillating slider.
Now the shaft can be removed.
Spool support is fixed to the Drive shaft
Take out the Drive gear...
Now we can remove the Rotor nut and Rotor.
Underneath the Rotor, one can see the Bail trip lever
The Anti-reverse spring
Remove the Anti-reverse Retainer plate.
Now you can remove the Pinion gear and bearings. Note the 2 Pinion gear bearings, which helps stabilize the Pinion from side play.
The Oscillating gear is secured by a screw and is housed upon one of the Carbon inserts in the RH Side plate.
The Pinion gear assembly
The Anti-reverse bearing.
A bit disappointed at the lack of quality and sturdiness of the Plastic springs. One has already deformed...!
The Anti-reverse Carbon housing.
Remove the spring holder
Remove the Oscillating gear
The Anti-reverse Carbon housing can be removed entirely. Underneath... hmmm really grubby finishes! A paper sticker used during the paint process hasn't been removed properly.
The Gearbox insert can be removed entirely
Rubber Sealed bearings throughout! Nice feature! The rubber seals can be removed with a blade and replaced.
Another grubby finish. Doesn't affect the reel, but just quality control suspect. The LH Side plate insert was chipped.
So what we have...
Some tips on re-assembly.
Follow the tut backwards and you should be fine.
Align the spring in it's holder properly.
Replace the Rotor.
Assemble the gear box as you disassembled it. Follow the pics above in reverse.
Only now can the Drive shaft be replaced.
Take special note of the alignment of the shaft and it's placement into the Slider.
Screw the shaft back in
THE DUAL DRAG SYSTEM
Under the spool... is the Rear Drag Carbon washer
Remove the retainer spring and the Metal plate in one piece.
To servce the spring retained washer, it can be unscrewed. This is not usually necessary.
Inside the Spool arm, one can see the Bail trip lever. These are really useless bits these days. The lever can be removed completely to prevent problems later on with the Bail tripping over on a cast.
The Bail arm is very interesting....!
Can be removed entirely, cleaned and replaced.
The Roller has a bearing inside, nice!
To replace the Bail arm...
And there you have it.
