Penn 49 side ring installation

[Crow]

  I just got my carbontex drag parts for the Penn 49, and did the tear down , clean up, and installation today. I did run into one "problem", though. The original handle - side outside ring was broken, and the new replacement ring seemed 'too small" in ID, to drop down into place on the end plate. I did a little "judicious" scraping on the end plate, and after removing a little of the bakelite from the edge, and laying the ring outside in the sun, until it was quite warm (I "blackened" the inside of the ring with magic marker, so it would "heat" a bit better), I final got it into place. My question is....now that it's all over !......are those replacement rings ALWAYS that tight ? Is there an "accepted" way of installation ? Should I have filed the inside of the ring, instead of scraping the reel endplate ? (I hesitated to do this, because I didn't want to remove the "plating" from the ring, exposing bare metal , that would corrode !) Anyway, it's back together, everything seems to function, and the first "test drive" will be sometime in December !  Unless I test it out on a few catfish , first ! LOL !

[Gfish]

I've experienced the same thing with replacement rings. I'm told the bakelite swells sometimes on older penn's. So, takin off some a the bakelite was what I did and yeah, I wouldn't wanna remove the finish on the rings. Could swelling be what broke the original ring?
Gfish

[oc1]

I ran into the same thing and Sal recommended doing what you did.... file down the bakelite until the rings fit.  Gfish is probably right.  The rings brake because the bakelite swells.  The rings would be difficult to break any other way.
-steve

[sdlehr]

The Penn 49 is infamous for having broken rings, and in this case the rings break because the side plate has swollen. It would appear that the Bakelite formulation used for the 49 was different. Interesting chemistry problem for someone to figure out.

The only solution I am aware of is the one you employed.

Sid

[Crow]

     I hadn't really considered the plastic "swelling", but, that DOES explain another thing...that I didn't mention in my first post....the holes in the plate....where the levers poke through....were "tight" as well, even after lubing....so I "reamed" them a bit with some emery paper wrapped around a stick !

[STRIPER LOU]

I run in to the same problem often. If the new ring is SS, I find it much easier to open the inner diameter of the ring with a small drum sanding attachment on my hand grinder. I'm talking about the thru hole only. Whatever works and fall's into the tools you have on hand is the way to go!

All the best,  ..  Lou

[Alto Mare]

I was never on the same page with you guys about the plates swelling, but I'm not saying it couldn't happen.
I have seen this issue on many reels.
I have some brand new  113 plates (black) and can't get the newer rings to fit, unless I do some grinding.
I believe this is more of tolerance issue, somehow Penn changed the tolerance along the way.
We are not talking much, but it doesn't take much.

Sal

[Keta]

Penn tollerances are all over the place but they changed tooling many times thruoghout the years.

Corrosion around the screws breaks rings, another reason to grease all screws.

[akfish]

I see lots and lots of swollen side plates especially on Penn 49s. Many plates that are swollen making it difficult to replace the rings have another problem: They have stretched out making it hard to set the correct tolerance on the spool ends -- there is too much "slop" between the spool and side plates. This may happen from users continually tightening down the left end thinking, incorrectly, that it should tight rather than just loose enough to permit good free spool.

[sdlehr]

I have some brand new  113 plates (black) and can't get the newer rings to fit, unless I do some grinding.
I believe this is more of tolerance issue, somehow Penn changed the tolerance along the way.
We are not talking much, but it doesn't take much.

Sal

It's entirely possible that both things are going on simultaneously... change in tolerance with new tooling as well as swelling.... can't explain how a trim ring that used to fit on a side plate no longer can unless the metal shrunk or the Bakelite expanded...

Sid

[Alto Mare]

Penn tollerances are all over the place but they changed tooling many times thruoghout the years.

Corrosion around the screws breaks rings, another reason to grease all screws.

Learned this from some machinists, when cutting bits, or cutting inserts for presses get close to the end of their life, these things could  happen.

I see lots and lots of swollen side plates especially on Penn 49s. Many plates that are swollen making it difficult to replace the rings have another problem: They have stretched out making it hard to set the correct tolerance on the spool ends -- there is too much "slop" between the spool and side plates. This may happen from users continually tightening down the left end thinking, incorrectly, that it should tight rather than just loose enough to permit good free spool.

Well Bill, maybe it is safe to say that it could be both. New plates stored properly don't swell.

Sal

[Alto Mare]

we were typing at the same time Sid 

[sdlehr]

we were typing at the same time Sid 

[Gfish]

Interesting. If the plates are swelling, why? U.V. Light?, certain chemicals from grease reacting with bakelite chemicals?, some kinda saltwater reaction?...
Great thing about bakelite's that you can mill it so easily.
Gfish

[Keta]

Interesting. If the plates are swelling, why? U.V. Light?, certain chemicals from grease reacting with bakelite chemicals?, some kinda saltwater reaction?...
Great thing about bakelite's that you can mill it so easily.
Gfish

Don't breath the dust though.