I have made one rod with the roller guides with the side with the roller closest to the butt Looking through magazines I see some guides that are the other way. I tried to figure this out but to me it looks like some rods have the aftco rollers with the side with the roller on it closest to the but end and some have the roller closest to the tip end. Which way is it? Or is it the bulders prefernce?

Al,

Aftco regular guides: roller towards the tip with highest roller on double guide to the butt.

Aftco Heavy duty: rollers towards tip and highest roller on double to tip

Aftco wind on and SHD: roller to butt and highest roller on double to tip.

Stan

Wow I messed that up. I put regular guides with the roller to the butt. The rod feels good and has good action but will this affect the performance? Should I change it? if that can even be done on a finished rod. I was sure that the double guide went with the rollers toward the butt so I stupidly assumed all the others do too.

thanks

Don't get to worried just yet. Yes there is a prescribed way in which to mount them, but you may be okay. Put on reel and string it up with the same outfit you'll be fishing with. Make sure any knots will clear and that everything works as it should in the manner in which you'll be fishing the rod. Pay particular attention to the butt guide - the height of your reel is going to determine if the roller arrangement you have will work. If you see the line hitting or rubbing the frame, reverse the guide. Otherwise, you'll probably be okay.

..............

I actually put the butt guide on the right way. Its all the other guides that are wrong. I put a weight on the end and pulled on it pretty hard. Line did not touch. Will they perform differently if put on backwards?

Al,
as Tom says, dont panic, give it a try first. If its regular guides they are only slightly off centre so should'nt make a vast difference. Performance should not be affected but if you let them start to clog up or fail to turn freely I`m not exactly sure how that would affect the holding screws. In theory you would be turning against the thread of the screws that hold the rollers but having serviced many of them over the years they are always in with Loctite or similar thread seal. There is also a bearing sleeve between the roller bore and the screws which has a lifetime Aftco lubricant so pretty sure you should be OK. Just keep well cleaned. Rollers that dont roll are as usefull as a handbrake on a canoe. Probably talking nonsense cause just looked at one and I cant see how turning the roller in the opposite direction could affect the screws.

Stan.

I think the rollers will be turning in both directions - the fish has to take the line out before you can reel it back in. So I don't think that's going to be a problem. The main concern would be with knot clearance and line hitting the frame. The line goes out and in, so on the other guides, again, I don't think it'll be an issue. If the line off the reel clears the frame and everything else looks good, I'd go fishing.

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Al

Tom hit it on the head. Funny how it can be so obvious you cant see it. My nonsense about the screws, forget it. As Tom says the rollers go in both directions. Ignore me, been one of those days.

Stan

Tom
What about the first or butt guide with two rollers? No difference?

The doesnt seem to hit anything even when reeling in knots, or double line. I am making this rod for a friend so I would like everythig to be working good on it. I have put finish on 1 and the other is wrapped and ready for the finish. I am thinking about taking all the wraps off and putting them on the right way. I did a search and looked up how to take off guides that already have finish on them and that doesnt look too hard. Just seems like they are built to be put on a specfic way so I should put them that way. Im not sure yet, waiting to see what the experts think

My friend I am making it for said as long as it works he doesnt care, so hopefully ill be alright

By the way, for future reference, most roller guides are mounted as intended when the fisherman can read the manufacturer's name stamped on the guide top, from the butt end of the rod. So you position the guides so that the bottoms of the letters in such a moniker are towards the butt end of the rod.

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Tom Kirkman Wrote:
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> By the way, for future reference, most roller
> guides are mounted as intended when the fisherman
> can read the manufacturer's name stamped on the
> guide top, from the butt end of the rod. So you
> position the guides so that the bottoms of the
> letters in such a moniker are towards the butt end
> of the rod.
>
> .........

yep, I see that now. Cant beleive I missed it. What would you guys do? Leave it how it is or put them the right way?

Thanks for the help

If it's bothering you, I'd remove them and put them on the direction intended. If you don't have time or really aren't too worried (you already said it appeared that it would okay) then just leave them as is. If the first one is right, that should be your main concern.

........

Thanks again Mr. Kirkman

My guess would be that your friend is nigh desperate to get his hands on it and catch some fish!

I'd give it to him as is, but tell him to bring it back if he has any troubles. Then this winter / hunting season / whenever, I'd ask for it back and get them turned around.

If he's anything like, oh, just about everybody I've ever known, he wants to put a fish on that rod ASAP.

Drew Kasel Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> My guess would be that your friend is nigh
> desperate to get his hands on it and catch some
> fish!
>
> I'd give it to him as is, but tell him to bring it
> back if he has any troubles. Then this winter /
> hunting season / whenever, I'd ask for it back and
> get them turned around.
>
> If he's anything like, oh, just about everybody
> I've ever known, he wants to put a fish on that
> rod ASAP.

Yea thats the problem haha. I pleaded with him to let me cut them off and flip them around but he wouldnt budge. We did a ton of test last night and the line went through flawlessly.