PENN INTERNATIONAL 50

[Dominick]

Alan: You are wonderful. Thank you for imparting your "reel" knowledge.  I have a Penn 50.  It must be an older model because it is just a 50 with no other markings.  I just finished reworking my Penn 30SW and I am on a roll.  Your tutorial complete with pictures is great.  I now want to break down the Penn 50 and want to know if it is much different from either the Penn 30 I just completed or the Penn 50(?) in the tutorial.  Also if there is no tutorial for this Penn model, what should I watch out for?  I will take a reply from anyone.  Thanks in advance to all.  Dominick

[Phinaddict]

Hi Dominick,
If you did the 30SW with no problems, you will speed thru the 50....fewer parts!
Many on this board have way more experience than I, but my .02 is this;
if you have an older reel, look for the old asbestos type drag plate. If you find one, look into upgrading to a newer HT-100/DuraDrag  type drag plate... greased of course.
Download the schematic and have fun. Try this:

https://www.mysticparts.com/PennParts/Penn50.aspx

"Edited as per Moderators to correct Scott's Bait & Tackle over to their new store name Mystic Reel Parts / www.mysticparts.com"

[Dominick]

Thanks Phinaddict: I took the reel apart and you are right.  I have not cracked the spool yet though.  How do tell the difference re: the asbestos v. graphite when I get it broken down? Also there was a thrust washer in between the belvelles. In the photos for the 30 the thrust washer was trailing.  Would you put it back the same way or trailing as in the photos for the 30?  Dominick

[Phinaddict]

I believe it may have been installed incorrectly. I believe it should be "trailing" as you said.
Asbestos plates look like your cars old brake shoes or pads; Ht100, DuraDrag and Carbontex all have a weave to them that looks like fabric.

[Dominick]

Thanks Phinaddict.  I breezed through the 50.  I left the thrust washer trailing because it just felt right.  The reel did have the old brake shoe like drag.  It was a little glazed, so I roughed up with a fine sandpaper.  The reel works smooooth.  Thanks for your help.  I'll look for the carbontex and replace it when i get it. 

[slip tip]

I have an old Penn 50, (I'm the original owner) the one with the original amber colored or "bone" handle that I'm keeping virgin just for the hell of it. A long time ago, the late Ray Lemme, went throught it and fixed what Penn should have done when they built it.
The asbestos material is impregnated in the drag washer and looks like little bits of old rag fibers pressed into the washer. Later, when Penn and well as others stopped using asbestos, but before carbon fiber, the material for the washers had little bits of shiny gold colored material impregnated in them and the hard compound was a slightly different formula, somewhat darker in color the original asbestos formula.
On second thought, maybe one day I'll break down and have the 50 converted to a 2 speed with the greased HT 100 drag, but it's sort of nice to have a pet dinosaur around.

Regards,
David

[Dominick]

David:  The drag washer was of the type like a brake pad with somewhat metalic looking shiny stuff impregnated in the black substance.  It was semi-soft almost rubbery.  I put it back and will send for the HT100.  Dominick

[slip tip]

David:  The drag washer was of the type like a brake pad with somewhat metalic looking shiny stuff impregnated in the black substance.  It was semi-soft almost rubbery.  I put it back and will send for the HT100.  Dominick

OK, Dominick, that sounds like the one that came after the asbestos washer, but before the carbon fiber. You'll be happier with the greased HT 100.

Regards,
David

[Dominick]

David: Thanks for the help.  Re: the classic 50, keep it as is.  It probably is a collector's piece already.  Dominick

[alantani]

but if you ever decide to fish with it, definitely switch over to a dura drag first!

[Dominick]

Alan:  By the way, in one of your tutorials you mentioned that the screws that hold the reel to the pole were of a soft metal and that Penn should have put in stainless steel screws.  The screws on the 50 looked like worms, twisting every which way.  I went to OSH and purchased #10-24 x 1 1/4 inch stainless steel screws, ground down one side of the head and it was perfect.  I will take your advise (and David) and order the Dura drag.  Thanks,  Dominick

[Dominick]

Well Reel Enthusiasts, my dura drag came and I greased and installed it.  Now I look at my work bench and see this nicely machined drive plate and I want to put it back in place of the graphite Drive Plate Assembly.  Can the drag be removed from the Drive Plate Assembly and epoxied on to the machined drive plate?  How is the drag attached to the drive plate assembly?  Am I getting into something that should be recommended against?  Dominick

[slip tip]

On the original International series, it was referred to as a "floating drag". The drag washer/s were sandwiched between the drag plates and when the pressure was released, it just sat there loose. I haven't tinkered with my old 50 yet, but I would be tempted to leave it alone except for switching out the drag washer itself and only doing what it took to make the greased carbon fiber work. Alan or others can advise on the epoxy treatment.
Did you have the drag plate machined flat? That was the Achilles heel of the original Internationals, the damn plates were "pressed out" not machined, and most of the time they weren't flat. That was one of the big reasons why the thing wouldn't free spool right when you moved the drag lever forward.......
Regards,
David

[alantani]

dominick, i'd leave it as is.  sounds like you done a great job and the reel should perform flawlessly.  alan