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The Following Tips are
Offered by:
Ron Crandall of Ron's
Reel repair
camdoc@pacbell.net
Grease
and Drags
For a number
of years drag washers were made of leather and felt. These drag washers
were always greased. With new technologies, the variety and type of drag
materials has changed, as have greases and greasing requirements.
Grease
Pliable drag
washers, i.e. Leather and Felt. Examples of reels using these drag washers
are early Daiwa Millionaires, early Ambassadeurs, and many Daiwa spinning
reels.
DO NOT Grease
- Ridged drag washers,
i.e. Penn's HT-100 and Ambassadeur's 20907.
- Drag washers that look
and feel like the material in the brake shoes of your car, i.e. Daiwa
Sealine 47H, Shimano TLD's.
- Drag washers that have
a slippery feel to it when new i.e.: Smoooothe washers.
If you are not sure
- Check your owner's
manual.
- Contact the manufacturer.
Most manufacturer's have websites and e-mail addresses.
- Check with a Fishing
Reel "service" shop, (not necessarily a retail store, with
the clerk of the month). Repair shops should be able to tell you whether
washers should be greased or not, and they should have new washers in
stock if you need them.
Types of grease
- Molly based grease
works best on the leather washers. Example: Engine Assembly Lube by
Sta-Lube.
- Light oil works best
on felt washers. Example 3 in 1 oil
NOTE: Most of the
time, the grease you use on gears is not the same as the grease you use
on drags.
Symptoms of improperly
greased drags, or drags that have been greased and should be dry
- A drag that jerks instead
of running smooth.
- A drag that either
has a very heavy start up or is frozen completely.
Problems with improperly
lubricated drags are compounded by the fact that several of the large
reel manufacturers state that their drags run dry, but on disassembly
you find that they were greased at the factory. These drags fail shortly
after first use.
Lastly
Always back off the drag when storing reels, and after you are through
using the reel for the day. This is particularly important when using
Smooothe drags, as leaving the drag on, even as little as overnight will
cause the drags to compress and lead to future failures.
Information sources
Another source of information on drag types and improvement is the book
Practical Light Tackle Fishing by Mark Sosin.
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