Product Description
Mitchell 81035 Shim (.020") – Heavy-Duty Gear Alignment
The Mitchell 81035 Shim (specifically the .020" / 0.50mm variant) is a critical precision spacer used to manage significant mechanical clearances within the gear housing of vintage Mitchell reels. In the Mitchell part numbering system, 81035 often acts as a prefix for a shim family of various thicknesses; the .020" version is the "heavy" adjustment shim used when there is substantial lateral movement (slop) in the drive gear or rotor.
By placing this shim on the drive gear shaft or behind the pinion, you can move the gear teeth closer together to restore a tight, factory-fresh feel to a reel that has seen decades of heavy use.
Product Specifications
-
Part Number: 81035 (.020")
-
Thickness: .020" (0.50mm)
-
Material: Precision-stamped Brass or Stainless Steel
-
Function: Drive gear centering and pinion depth adjustment
-
Origin: Genuine Mitchell Engineering (France)
When to Use the .020" Shim
Because .020" is a relatively thick adjustment in the world of precision gearing, it is typically used for:
-
Severe Handle Play: When the handle can be pulled in and out of the housing by a visible margin.
-
Large Rotor Gap: If there is a wide gap between the rotating head and the reel body, causing line to get trapped behind the rotor.
-
Major Rebuilds: When replacing an old, worn drive gear with a new one, this shim is often required to "re-center" the new teeth against the pinion.
Compatible Models
This shim is a standard fit for the planetary gear architecture found in the following Mitchell series:
-
Mitchell 300 / 301 (The classic workhorse)
-
Mitchell 300A / 301A (Later iterations)
-
Mitchell 300C / 301C (Ball-bearing high-performance models)
-
Mitchell 330 / 331 (Otomatic / Automatic bail series)
-
Mitchell 410 / 440 (High-speed and Match variants)
Professional Installation & Lubrication
Shimming is an art of precision. A reel that is "too tight" will feel heavy and grind, while a reel that is "too loose" will feel clunky.
-
Installation Tip: If you add a .020" shim and the reel becomes difficult to turn (binding), you should swap it for two .010" shims or a combination of thinner shims to find the "sweet spot" where play is gone but the rotation remains effortless.
-
Lubrication: After achieving the correct shim height, apply Deuthlon Reel Grease to the gear teeth. Its "Dust-Shield" properties provide a protective cushion that silences gear noise and prevents the new alignment from causing premature wear.
-
Friction Reduction: Apply a drop of Deuthlon Reel Oil to the surface of the shim itself. This ensures the shim doesn't create parasitic drag against the gear boss or the internal housing wall.
Why Choose Genuine Mitchell 81035?
The internal diameter of a Mitchell shim is vital; if it is too loose, the shim will migrate and jam the anti-reverse; if it is too tight, it will score the drive gear shaft. The Genuine Mitchell 81035 is cut to exact tolerances to stay seated during high-speed retrieval, ensuring your vintage reel stays in peak mechanical condition for another generation.
