Shimano Bantam Mag 50SG

[Olvart]

Hi,
First post so I'm not sure I'm in the right place.I did a search but didn't find much.
So,I lived in AK in the 80's & 90's.Fished rivers for Kings using my Shimano Bantam Mag 50sg.
Now I'm retired in the lower 48 & really getting into FL salt water fishing.At this point I'm primarily surf and pier fishing on the gulf coast (snowbird).Digging through my old tackle I found my slightly beat up (rough around the edges from rocks etc),but very sound 50ssg.The gears are still smooth!
My question is,I would like to find a tutorial for this real(maybe a different model has the same breakdown).I plan to replace the drag washers with Smooth Drag Carbontex.
I would also like to replace the handle with more of a single knob power type handle,any suggestions?
Are any of you guys still using this reel?What is it capable of in salt water environment? It has MANY 50 lb king salmon to it's credit.What line would you rig it with?
It has sentimental value but is in such good mechanical shape I think it's worthy of more attention>

[philaroman]

schematics from that era are pretty sad -- fuzzy & incomplete/inadequate, but the reels are fairly simple to figure out, even if there's no step-by-step photo tutorial.  you could also bide your time for a good fleaBay deal for a second reel (eventually you should be able to find a mechanically sound one for well under $50)...  that way, if you're stuck on where/how something goes after complete tear-down, you can open the 2nd reel & look.

also, my general trick is to use egg-crates to disassemble so you can reassemble in reverse order with less "what next?" confusion

[Olvart]

Thanks philaroman,
I guess I'm showing my age but I thought there would be more info (interest) in this 30 year old Japanese made reel.
I did find a schematic online.
http://schematics.planetseafishing.com/downloads/shimano/multiplier/bantam-series/bantam-mag-50sg(87-124).pdf
Still looking for a small ,single knob power handle???

[philaroman]

1) this place is kinda' S/W & Penn-heavy...  Plenty Shimano's, but they tend to be bigger and/or newer & more complex.  The small oldies are pretty straight forward & you can get by on "general practice" tips, for which this site is AWESOME

2) before Shimano went out on their own, they were the OEM for Lew's Speed Spool.  That's a classic for which there MUST be a service tutorial somewhere out there & it may be pretty close to your SG

3) try ORCA: orca-online.org/reel-talk

4) for the handle, measure the hole/shaft with precise calipers -- someone may have exactly what you want & have no idea that it's compatible w/ your specific model