Penn 180 Upgrades

[pompano joe]

Hey guys, I've read the threads and wondering what upgrades are currently available for the 180 Bay Master.  I just picked up a really nice one in Mexico and I want to TANK it for Gulf Coast Bull Reds.  Love the loud clicker on these.  So many contemporary reels have weak clickers.

Looks like AT still has the SS 155 gear sleeve.  Does anyone offer an SS A/R dog, SS high-speed gears or ground flat metal drag washers.  Got the aluminum frame and power handle taken care of.

Thanks in advance for your help.  Love this forum.

[Ron Jones]

You can get a steel gear from ebay, but it is not high speed. 3+1 cf disks will give this reel 8 pounds of drag or so. I used a monofil 27, basically the same reel, to catch a 20 pound yellowtail last month. Really all you need for 30 pound braid. The Surfmaster 100 aluminum spool fits and is a must for casting. Other than that it is one heck of an Avet SX killer unless you need a faster reel, I don't for bait.

I'm working on finding someone to CNC the gear to a hex shape that will fit Lee's 500 insert. That will make the reel into an honest 40# braid live bait reel.
Ron

[pompano joe]

Thanks for the response noyb.  Good info!  Anyone have a mag cast solution for this reel?

[Tiddlerbasher]

Joe, if you are looking for an off the shelf solution I doubt there is one.
However, home made solutions are worth the effort.
Read this link for some ideas:
http://alantani.com/index.php?topic=8233.msg71510#msg71510

[pompano joe]

Thanks "T"!  Good read.  So...can I drill bakelite for a monomag?  Is the clearance sufficient?  I figure there's a reason no one is doing this.

[Porthos]

That was my Penn 27, that Ron (noyb72) used on that 20lb YT, and it was set to 11 lbs drag by spring scale from the top of spool (unless, Ron, you had dialed it back  ). I landed two YT on the 27 prior to Ron's turn with it so I know it was at 11 lbs for at least those two YT (http://www.bdoutdoors.com/forums/threads/2014-alan-tani-spirit-of-adventure-5-day-charter-6-16-6-21.544919/). Figured an additional 1 to 1.5 lbs of drag with the line going through the guides for a total of 12.0 to 12.5 lbs of drag. This would be somewhere between the 1/4 to 1/3 of main line rating "rule" for 40lbs.

The key, IMHO, is the pinion. The factory 13-155 will spread and fail at settings above 8 lbs before the brass A/R...I know 'cause I've had a 13-155 spread after 6 months during the 2012 season. Get the 13-200 from the Surfmaster instead; it's fundamentally the same pinion part as the 13-500 except for a smaller spool shaft hole. Here's how I arrived at this solution:

http://alantani.com/index.php?topic=8805.0

Since the 13-500 can withstand a "consistent" 12 to a "probable" 15 lbs of max drag for the Jigmaster (as stated by Alan T. himself), I'm willing to gamble the almost identical 13-200 can do the same. The unknowns would be the single brass A/R and the main gear, but so far both have not shown any signs of failing.