Penn Baja Special anti-reverse problem

Started by steelfish, May 03, 2016, 04:37:16 PM

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Rivverrat

Quote from: steelfish on November 12, 2016, 01:13:53 AM



Jeff, those are the same marks that were on the brass sleeve but now on the SS sleeve, according to your tests, then this reel was used above 20# drag almost the whole time

To break most knotted, 50 lb. lines would take more than 20 lbs. of drag.  The use your describing  would very easily have trashed the stock anti reverse. I'm going to take a look at my sleeve I dont think I have any marring from stainless drag washers. I'll take a look to be sure. It certainly doesnt look to be enough of an issue to be a concern on your sleeve....Jeff

steelfish

Quote from: Cortez_Conversions on November 12, 2016, 02:20:17 AM
That's great Alex! I have a few questions...
So normally this reel would need a complete rebuild after six weeks, correct? What does it need now?
Are the dog posts are still straight and tight?
Is there any abnormal wear on the metal drag washers?
Is there any distorted threads from the star being torqued down?
Is there any damage to the sleeve where the handle and nut tighten down?

Thanks for the great pics!
Tom


Tom, sorry for some reason I missed this post
- Normally this reel on stock form will need a new bridge, dogs and springs every 6 months, two per season, sometimes just the dogs and springs and sometimes the bridge is needed cuz the posts were bent, so, 6 weeks sounds like a short time to test it, but it was fished really rough and hard thats almost the same usage that a hobbyist sportfishing guy will do on 1-2 years, all the parts of your assembly are working as good as the 1st day, so it doesnt need anything to keep working

- Yes, Posts are still straight and tight
- not a visible mark of damage or anormal wear on metal washers, nither with the threads by the drag star or the handle nut, reel was assembled again and everything went smooth and easy while installing the dragstar and handle nut.

as a side note, maybe it was the form of the stock rachet and also the way it fit into the drive shaft base but with those stock parts I could never be able to put a delrin washer under the main gear and another delring washer on the top of the HT-100 washer stack because the main gear/washers hit inside the right handle plate, now with your parts the ratchet is completely flat and I can easily fit a Delrin washer there plus another on top of the washer stack, if someone is fan of the Delrin washer benefits this is another plus.

I will continue using this upgraded bridge assembly and will post this same thread whenever I have a great catch or a failure on the parts for future referency.

thanks again Tom for letting me be part of the Testing group for this amazing reel
The Baja Guy

Shark Hunter

#197
Great work on this Alex.
With your input to Tom,
You have helped provide a fix for the masses.
I think this deserves a Sensei award. ;)
Life is Good!

steelfish

Quote from: Shark Hunter on November 16, 2016, 11:16:10 PM
Great work on this Alex.
With your input to Tom,
You have helped provide a fix for the masses.
I think this deserves a Sensei award. ;)

wow, I didnt saw that coming, I considering myself a young grasshopper compared to 90% of the daily active members here but that Baja guy sensei award sounds way cool so, I really appreciate that.
thanks Compadre Daron
The Baja Guy

Rancanfish

Well deserved Alex.  Without your careful analysis of the Baja's performance issue Tom may have never felt challenged enough to tackle the fix.

But I mainly wanted to add that if anyone is wondering how Tom's Cortez Baja bridge replacement is....oh my gosh!

I literally sat on the couch playing with it for a few hours (I'm home sick anyway).  It has a beautiful sound and feels so precise.

I installed it in an older version Baja without the added extra sleeve bearing that later versions have.  The new bridge is so well machined that I no longer have any handle slop.  I'm probably not going to do the Penn sideplate / bearing upgrade now, so I saved myself some $$$.

Just wanted to say thanks to Tom for another great product.
I woke today and suddenly nothing happened.

steelfish

Quote from: Rancanfish on January 09, 2017, 06:06:54 PM
Well deserved Alex.  Without your careful analysis of the Baja's performance issue Tom may have never felt challenged enough to tackle the fix.

But I mainly wanted to add that if anyone is wondering how Tom's Cortez Baja bridge replacement is....oh my gosh!

I literally sat on the couch playing with it for a few hours (I'm home sick anyway).  It has a beautiful sound and feels so precise.

thanks amigo, that made me laugh,  I did the same you said, played with the upgrade antireverse assembly in the couch while watching TV for some time before installing it on the tester reel.
the fine tune of double clicking sound is relaxing
The Baja Guy

Surfwrangler

so where are we on this??? the solution is a hole new set plate/bridge with new dogs or was a delrin washer under the main gear also an acceptable fix???

I just got one of the old baja specials a few months back for grouper digging and it did great but when pre servicing i did notice the dinky dogs not being really well aligned.

PacRat

Install Tom's bridge/sleeve...you won't regret it.
Mike

steelfish

Quote from: Surfwrangler on March 03, 2017, 02:46:23 PM
so where are we on this??? the solution is a hole new set plate/bridge with new dogs or was a delrin washer under the main gear also an acceptable fix???

I just got one of the old baja specials a few months back for grouper digging and it did great but when pre servicing i did notice the dinky dogs not being really well aligned.

first welcome to da Baja Spacial owners Club, its a nice reel that worth having in the collection, then let me tell you that there were too many hours and too many guys for get into the solution of the Baja antireverse problem, of course our main guy is Tom from Cortez Corvention , Baja Special is a wonderful reel, it doesnt need to be upgraded or highly modified as the rest of the senators to be tanks, but the Baja Special achilles heel is the dog/ratchet assembly as a whole, there are no half fix for this, if you install stronger dogs, the dog-posts on the bridge will bent and the migthy drag will be nothing, so.
if you want to have your reel to the maximun there is no other way than getting a new antireverse assembly from Tom, the stock reel is awesome too if you dont fish that often or going after big fish.

The Baja Guy

Maxed Out


I installed Toms new bridge in my us113w and I now see this reel as bullet proof. Thanks to Alex and Tom and everyone else that added their thoughts.

In the end we have to be most thankful to Tom H and his genius design of this new bridge assembly.

I'm now shopping for a Baja so I can upgrade it the same way.

  -Ted
We Must Never Forget Our Veterans....God Bless Them All !!