Penn 25 GLS ...Newbie Q's

[Steve-O]

Just nabbed a 25 GLS off of fleabay and it's my first lever drag. I tore it down and found it to be missing a spring under the drag preset knob. Can I run with out it? Or will the knob setting wander under use? My thoughts lead me to think so. Can I drop in a  non-Penn, non-reel specific similar replacement until I get one ordered?

As I tore the reel down I see it's been serviced previously and filled with what I would term auto grease. Looks like there was some water intrusion and corrosion but not too much. Overall I'm pleased with it for $30 and change and gave it a once through, grease removal, cleaning and replacement with marine grease and some teflon drag grease on the washer which was in decent shape. In the pics see the drag washer condition and bearing on the spool axle. This bearing did not slip off. How is it removed? Because of this stuck bearing I stopped there and reassembled it. The tutorial on the 40 GLS helped a lot even with the differences in this model. At first I had 1 second or less of free spool and now have about 6 seconds worth. Leads me to think the bearings need a going through as well. Anybody with some answers, fire away.

thanks,
Steve-O

Lots of grease was on here; now wiped off.



Under this gear was the goop and in the threads are we looking at corrosion or remants of Loc-tite?



Drag washer- cleaned and lightly greased



Bearing I could not remove with out force, preventing full spool breakdown.

[alantani]

thanks for the pics!  try spinning the spool with just the spool shaft and bearings and see how much spin time you get.  if it's not very much, then let's take a hard look at the bearings. once you get it to spin, then put a side load on it and see how much it slows down.  if it's alot, let's look at cutting a bearing sleeve.  now put the reel all together and see if it spins just as well.  the spool might be running on something if it slows down again. 

you'll need to pound the bearings out.  i'd also wipe off as much grease from the drag washer as you can.  please keep us posted. alan

[Steve-O]

You're welcome for the pics. I've seen in several posts already with the plea for members to submit pics and/or get a camera. I'm trying to comply and understand their value in this hands on/eyes on stuff.
So, I'll get back into it this evening and see what happens with the spool and bearings. I wiped down the drag washer first and removed a lot of gunked carbon/grease mix, then put the drag grease on and wiped it down, too. Must have been photogging in between those steps thinking about the stuck bearing.

Steve-O

[Bryan Young]

that looks like one stuck bearing.  I hope you can get it out.  You may need to soak the spool in a degreasing solution and rust cutting solvents to get that out.   Good luck.

[kamuwela]

if you cant get the bearing out you may want to try cutting it off with a cut off wheel, if there is room enough