50SW Drag Lever and Other Issues...

[ijlal]

Hi Everybody,

I finally got a Penn 50SW International. 

Had to open it up immediately and service it. It had never been opened before. I found water inside the drag. The friend I bought it from, had in fact washed it today. I was also surprised to find water intrusion in the left spool bearing. Of all the bearings, this one bearing is in bad shape. As, I have no alternative right now, I cleaned it with gasoline and WD40, and packed it (and all the other bearings) with Penn Reel Grease. No wonder I have zero free spool, but my question is:

Do I really need free spool on a reel that I'll be only trolling with?

Another issue that's disturbing me a bit is the drag lever stops over the locating pin just above where FREE is engraved (Key # 69.) It was so before I opened the reel and it is so still. Is this the normal position for an International II? There is clearly more room for the lever to move backwards, but the cam stops right there. I was able to bring the lever fully back while the right side plate was open, but as soon as I put the reel together it retained its original position. Let me post a pic here...

Kindly, also advise if the reel should be washed in freespool or with drag engaged to avoid water intrusion.

Thanks!

[alantani]

you might consider cleaning out the two spool bearings again, removing the grease, and just lightly oiling the bearings.  that way you will have free spool.  for the lever, if you get good free spool in that position, then i'd leave it as is.  let's see what kind of freespool you get first.  for washing the reel, the drag chamber is a little more closed off but still not totally sealed when in the free position.  you will get less water into the drag chamber when the reel is in free, but with heavy water flow, you may still get some.  make sure the drag washers are well grease with cal's grease and water should not affect the drag.  the spool bearings may go bad, but at least the drag washers will be ok. 

[Robert Janssen]

...is the drag lever stops over the locating pin just above where FREE is engraved (Key # 69.) It was so before I opened the reel and it is so still. Is this the normal position for an International II?

Sort of. Short answer is no, that is not how it was intended to be. BUT it seems to happen to be that way from time to time anyway; a mistake from the factory. I had one like that myself.

Take a look inside, at the cup in which the cam resides. There is a small milled pocket on the edge, in which a screw head fits. This  decides the cams zero position. Sometimes it can be a bit off. This is fixable, if you really want to. Have a look and fiddle with it; you'll understand.

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[ijlal]

you might consider cleaning out the two spool bearings again, removing the grease, and just lightly oiling the bearings.  that way you will have free spool.  for the lever, if you get good free spool in that position, then i'd leave it as is.  let's see what kind of freespool you get first.  for washing the reel, the drag chamber is a little more closed off but still not totally sealed when in the free position.  you will get less water into the drag chamber when the reel is in free, but with heavy water flow, you may still get some.  make sure the drag washers are well grease with cal's grease and water should not affect the drag.  the spool bearings may go bad, but at least the drag washers will be ok. 

I removed the grease and oiled the spool bearings with Penn Reel Lube... now getting 10-12 seconds of freespool... but can't figure out a proper way to give the spool a nice good spin because of the frame. I am sure I'd get more freespool if I could somehow get the spool going at a good speed.

[ijlal]

Sort of. Short answer is no, that is not how it was intended to be. BUT it seems to happen to be that way from time to time anyway; a mistake from the factory. I had one like that myself.

Take a look inside, at the cup in which the cam resides. There is a small milled pocket on the edge, in which a screw head fits. This  decides the cams zero position. Sometimes it can be a bit off. This is fixable, if you really want to. Have a look and fiddle with it; you'll understand.

I don't seem to get it right. It goes all the way back when the right sideplate is taken off, but as soon as I put it back, the lever begins to have the same problem again..

[alantani]

10-12 seconds of freespool for a trolling reel like this should be fine.  how much drag can you get?

[ijlal]

10-12 seconds of freespool for a trolling reel like this should be fine.  how much drag can you get?

I'll test and let you know soon

[ijlal]

10-12 seconds of freespool for a trolling reel like this should be fine.  how much drag can you get?

I just tested 30# at strike with 6s freespool. Didn't dare to push the lever all the way to full.

[FatTuna]

I just worked on a Penn 50 and I noticed the same thing regarding the lever. I took it apart twice to make sure.

Free spool really doesn't need to be amazing on bigger reels because you aren't casting. I pack all my open bearings with Penn blue and I've never had any issues. As long as the spool turns when you are letting the bait out, it's all good.

[ijlal]

I just worked on a Penn 50 and I noticed the same thing regarding the lever. I took it apart twice to make sure.

Free spool really doesn't need to be amazing on bigger reels because you aren't casting. I pack all my open bearings with Penn blue and I've never had any issues. As long as the spool turns when you are letting the bait out, it's all good.

Were you able to sort out the lever issue? I have a feeling the outer cup of the cam assembly that is held into position with a single screw on the inside of sideplate, can be adjusted to bring the lever to the proper place. I'll give it a try sometime...

Agree with you on the freespool.

[FatTuna]

No, I took it apart and reassembled. No improvement.

[Robert Janssen]

I just tested 30# at strike with 6s freespool....

Which seems completely normal, for a non-sleeved spool with such a high drag setting.

...the outer cup of the cam assembly that is held into position with a single screw on the inside of sideplate, can be adjusted to bring the lever to the proper place. I'll give it a try sometime...

Yes, precisely.

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[ijlal]

Thank you for reconfirming, Robert. Is it possible to adjust the cup with the drag lever attached or do I have disassemble the right side plate completely to do it?

Another question is, at 30# at strike, I hardly get any room to play with the drag; as soon as the drag is engaged, I am getting very heavy drag. Can altering the bellevilles change this favourably? I have currently left them in ()() stock configuration, as I would be fishing stand up style with 50# mono over 65# JB Solid, so won't be needing more than 20# at strike. 

Regards,
Ijlal

[FatTuna]

Pretty sure the cups are held in place with two screws. The other screw might just be blocked from view by the gear. I don't think you can make an adjustment to the cup aside from flipping it around 180 degrees.

[Robert Janssen]

Okay, a couple of things:

Yes, the cup can be misaligned, and can be corrected. Pics, description and links to follow.

BUT, you said

It goes all the way back when the right sideplate is taken off, but as soon as I put it back, the lever begins to have the same problem again..

...so that might change things a bit. We need to make certain the origin of this problem.

With the right sideplate in its entirety removed from the reel and in your hand, and the cam assembly with its bearing and all, still in place, try the lever. Keep pressure on the bearing with your finger or thumb. That way you can both see and feel what is happening.

Keeping pressure on the bearing, slide the lever down towards freespool. At the instant that the lever goes past the freespool button, you should feel with your finger how the bearing suddenly shifts into the right side plate plate.

Right so far? If so, read no further.

But from what I understand from your post, at the instant the drag lever arrives at or just above the freespool button is when you feel the bearing shift. Correct?

Okay. IF SO, then:

The bronze cup holding the cam and bearing is as said, misoriented in the right side plate. No big deal, it happens. What you can do is either ignore it, or...

Look here. Look at those screws holding the cup in place. Sometimes there is one, sometimes two, whatever.


Loosen those screws a bit. And, with the same procedure, keeping pressure on the bearing, try the lever again. Now you can adjust the cup's position a few degrees, so that the cam's action matches that of the lever. (hint... seems to me that the cup would need to be rotated a few degrees clockwise).

And now, being careful not to budge things, clamp down those screws again. Try the lever. Feel right, everything works? Good-- now you know how it is supposed to be.

Now, here is the thing... you need to make a notch in the edge of the cup to match the screw heads position, so it stays right there. Scribe a line, use a sharpie, whatever... Use a mill or a Dremel to make the notches, it is up to you...

And now you know.

Other threads with similar subject:

www.alantani.com/index.php?topic=11644 and www.alantani.com/index.php?topic=5403

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