your vote on avet drag washers

[alantani]

i already have an idea of what i want to do, but i thought it would be interesting to see what the opinion of this group is.  for a bit of history......

avet is one last major manufacturer that does not grease their drag washer.  when i started posting photos of salt crust under the drag washers of their older reels, they responded by gluing the drag to the spool and eliminate that problem.   many said it was a bad idea, but many reels have glued on drag washers and they do fine.  i defended avet on that point with the caveat that the drag washer has to be well glued.  if water seeps underneath, the drag will bubble up, create high spots and the drag will "stick."  well, here is such a drag.  as always, the photos speak for themselves.











so what should i do with these photos?  i still need to be able to order parts from avet so i can get them too angry!

[broadway]

Hey Alan,

         Was that reel on the bottom of the ocean for a while?  That is the most salt I've ever seen in a reel... it looks like someone salted the reel instead of the clams.  If I owned Avet I would definitely wanna know this issue exists, and you got the photos to prove it.  I would first want to know why is so much water getting inside the reel?...and why is it staying in there?  Is this the first Avet that you've seen with this issue since gluing in the drags?  I wouldn't get mad at you for bringing this to my attention... I would probably hire you! 
Dom

[Ellis Feibush]

     I recently spoke to one of the Avet reel engineers and he said the Avet suggested way of cleaning these reels is after each use, simply dunk the reel in a pail of cold, fresh water for about seven or so seconds. That this method not only cleans the outside of the reel, but also the inside as well. Soap and a trickle of warm water only makes the outside of the reel shiny and clean. This  Avet method is supposed to clean the inside of the reel as well. Will have to try that I guess. I actually called them regarding another issue on my Avet reel and they knew of the problem right away and told me the remedy.

[broadway]

Hey Ellis,

          Now that makes sense why this reel looks the way it does.  For starters, I ain't buying a reel that needs to be maintained after each trip out.  Next, I ain't buying a reel that collects salt like I collect reels.  Lastly,  since when does cold water (warm water dissolves) do anything to salt, but move it from one location to the other. I'm not a fan or a believer in this method of maintenance. Thanks
Dom

[alantani]

of course, they could also just grease the drag washer.   

[akfish]

To be fair, salt can get in any reel, and if it does, you'll have a situation like the Avet pictures. I just had to replace the drag plate on a 16S because of salt intrusion (a couple bearings were bad as well). That said, my default mode is to grease Avet drag washers unless a customer specifically says not to. Even then Avet reels -- like all reels -- need to be rinsed in fresh water after every trip. There's no way around it. Greasing all internal parts, the drag washer(s), and all screws helps considerably, but salt can still get in and cause corrosion.

[Ellis Feibush]

Hi Dom,
    I also had a little problem wraping my head around that method of cleaning the reel, but that's what one of Avet's reel engineers suggested. He really seemed to know his stuff and what was also causing another problem with the reel. When a reel has that much salt in it though, someone just didn't service it on a regular basis. I find Avet's reel in general, to be pretty solid. The drags are strong and the innards seem to made very well. In terms of value received, I don't think they can be beat especially when certain models were selling for about $169.00 on sale this Summer and on sale now I think. To grease the Carbontex washer or not to grease is a whole nother issue. Avet has a dozen reasons to leave it dry and Alan has a dozen reasons to grease it. I'll never know.

[Phinaddict]

I can see where dunking the reel after every trip would remove salt. If it were done on a regular and continual basis, that makes sense. But, if you use the reel, rinse it for 7 seconds and put it away for 6 months, its going to corrode. Given that, greasing the interior of a reel, and greasing the drag washer(s), makes more sense.

I assume Avet's reason for not greasing drags has to do with drag fade after several long hot runs. I remember reading something a long time ago about this issue. In the tests, the drag fade % was not very much. As I get older, fading drags kind of match up with my ability to pull, so I don't have a problem with fade. 

As a consumer, I buy for the long term. I'd rather have a greased reel and know it will last a  long time rather than have a nagging thought that the reel is slowly dissolving.

[Bryan Young]

It's funny, many comments and readers, but only 3 votes.  I think Alan has created a hot topic here.  Can you imagine what will happen on BloodyDecks?

[Roger]

Bryan, I jist made it 4 votes. Post it on BD and I'll be the fly on the wall......

[Norcal Pescador]

I can see where dunking the reel after every trip would remove salt. If it were done on a regular and continual basis, that makes sense. But, if you use the reel, rinse it for 7 seconds and put it away for 6 months, its going to corrode. Given that, greasing the interior of a reel, and greasing the drag washer(s), makes more sense.

I assume Avet's reason for not greasing drags has to do with drag fade after several long hot runs. I remember reading something a long time ago about this issue. In the tests, the drag fade % was not very much. As I get older, fading drags kind of match up with my ability to pull, so I don't have a problem with fade. 

As a consumer, I buy for the long term. I'd rather have a greased reel and know it will last a  long time rather than have a nagging thought that the reel is slowly dissolving.

I'm with you all the way, Gene! Especially the last paragraph.
Rob

[broadway]

      I am no reel repair expert, but I am a clean freak to a fault with a little knowledge of reels.  I have a friend who is a charter boat captain that I do all his reel repairs since May thanks to ALL you guys.  Before me all he did was dunk his reels after every trip then send them out for routine maintenance at the end of the season.  .   Dunking ain't getting rid of the majority of salt unless it has a salt dissolver like salt away/ salt x, etc. especially if it has time to crystalize like the avet in question.  In July, Capt. Rudy gave me his 6 wirelining 113HSP's, and they looked nothing like that Avet even though they're 25 years old and never had a drop of grease on the drags.  In my opinion, the proper way to rinse reels off is to LIGHTLY mist them with a salt dissolver connected to a garden hose or take them in the shower with you (warm/hot water) when you get back from your trip if you don't crack 'em open every trip.  I believe in prevention over repairs though I know it ain't easy to keep the reel killer (SALT) in check... it finds it's way into everything!  I do agree greasing every part in the reel will help keep things under control for the most part... especially on the drags and screws, but I put a light film on everything as per the A.T. crews advice when I started this addiction.  Thanks
Dom

[Steve-O]

my vote -grease the drag washers and keep the pictures like a poker hand - close to your vest. They pretty much tell the salty tale of the tape. However, telling Avet about it is much like telling an obese person they're overweight. Best left unsaid and go about business as usual. Who knows it may just continue to bring reels (Avets) to your door to help your fishing budget.

[alantani]

my concern is more for the poor guys that bought these reels.  so the original avet drags still fit.  i cleaned off all the salt taped of the top of the spool.



then i cut away the area that would come in contact with the drag washer.



i took a dremmel with a grinding wheel to roughen up the surface a little.





i applied a light coat of 5 minute epoxy to both surfaces and lined up the drag washer.



then i added the pressure plate on top and placed everything in a vise with just a little pressure.  this morning, everything looked great.



the trick is to make sure the drag washer lines up perfectly flat. 

[broadway]

Nice Job Alan... the owner of that reel will certainly be happy he brought it to you! 
Dom