Penn 113H steel vs brass gear

[seaeagle2]

Maybe I'm over thinking this, I've picked up several 113H's off of ebay, and done some moving around of parts so I have  1. Jvariance narrow frame and spool kit, 2. Bar style frame with aluminum spool. 3. Newell spool with Newell frame bars. 4. Aluminum spool with ebay stainless steel replacement bars. One of the reels appears to have a steel main gear rather than brass (gray color and magnet sticks to it. Is a steel gear "better" than brass ? It was on a reel that has the drag set up that can be accessed from "outside" the reel.

[Norcal Pescador]

It's stronger than a brass gear but you need to watch out for rust. Make sure it has a light coating of grease on all surfaces and check it at least once a year.

[Tidetime]

Something else to look out for are the slots that the eared washers slide in.  I bought a couple on ebay as well.  One steel main gear had the slits that ran all the ran down the inside of the gear.  The other the slits stopped about half way down. If you convert to the a 5+1 drag stack u need the slits to go the the bottom.  Dremel will take care of that problem pretty easily, though. 

[seaeagle2]

Something else to look out for are the slots that the eared washers slide in.  I bought a couple on ebay as well.  One steel main gear had the slits that ran all the ran down the inside of the gear.  The other the slits stopped about half way down. If you convert to the a 5+1 drag stack u need the slits to go the the bottom.  Dremel will take care of that problem pretty easily, though. 

Thank you for posting this, I was tearing what little hair I have left out over this one.  I did convert to a 5 stack drag, and when I got it back together, it wouldn't work.  I tried tearing it apart two or three times with the same result.  Then you posted this, and guess what, my slot only goes down about 1/2 way.  I don't have a dremel so for now I put back in the 3 stack, it looks as though it was upgraded at some point to smoooth drags cause the material is white with some black lettering on it.  Now I just need to figure out how to cut the slot deeper or just get a brass gear somewhere....

[Alto Mare]

I have never seen a slit that stopped half way down on my gears, or one that goes all the way down. Before you bring out the dremel check and see if the slits go 3/4 of the way down, or about 1/8" from the bottom. If they do, you shouldn't have any problems installing the 1 + 5 drag stock configuration. I just checked all the gears that I have, I also have some Newell and the slit only goes 3/4 of the way down on all of them. Your problem might be the washer that you used for under the main gear, it might be too thick,Also when you replace the drags, the first 3 washers are not eared, therefore the grove does not need to be all the way down. Your stock configuration should be: carbon-keyed-carbon-eared-carbon-keyed- carbon-eared-carbon-keyed- tension washer. Sal

[seaeagle2]

It goes down about 3/4 of the way. I did use the ht100 that Scott's sells for behind, but I've also used it on the other three I've done and it worked fine.  All I know is once I put the orginal stack back in it works. The scott's set did have a thicker metal keyed washer to use in the middle of the stack. Since this is a "backup" rod for now I think I'm just going to let it alone.....

[Alto Mare]

Did you purchase the kit #6-113HSP from Scott's? Usually all the washers on that kit are thin, but anything is possible. I'm sure that you will get to the bottom of it, but as you mentioned , you can still use the reel with three for now. Good luck. Sal

[akfish]

The thicker metal washer is not for the middle of the stack; it's for the top...

[Tidetime]

I have never seen a slit that stopped half way down on my gears, or one that goes all the way down. Before you bring out the dremel check and see if the slits go 3/4 of the way down, or about 1/8" from the bottom. If they do, you shouldn't have any problems installing the 1 + 5 drag stock configuration. I just checked all the gears that I have, I also have some Newell and the slit only goes 3/4 of the way down on all of them. Your problem might be the washer that you used for under the main gear, it might be too thick,Also when you replace the drags, the first 3 washers are not eared, therefore the grove does not need to be all the way down. Your stock configuration should be: carbon-keyed-carbon-eared-carbon-keyed- carbon-eared-carbon-keyed- tension washer. Sal

When I say all the way down, about an 1/8 from the bottom is what I meant.  The main gear out of an old 113h, the burgundy plates, that you can access the drag washers by removing just the handle and star had the slits that only went half way down.  I tried using the thicker metal out of a 3+1 stack but it still didn't work completely right.

[Alto Mare]

I see what you mean Tidetime. When I said I never seen it, I didn't say that it doesn't exist, I personally have never seen one and I do have lots of gears. This is a good example of you're never too old to learn. I'm glad that you got yours to work, take care. Sal

[Tidetime]

I found anytime I try and complete a project it always involves a little more work than normal.  The first time I rebuilt the reel, I tried to upgrade to the 5+1 and there was no way that was going to happen due the slit. I replaced the thinner metal with the fatter brass looking one and it worked...kinda.  When I took this reel apart to put on the jvariance kit I noticed the carbon-keyed-carbon-eared-carbon-keyed- carbon-eared-carbon-keyed, this washer had damage to the ears.  By tightening the drag it had bent them...just slightly.  That is when i used a dremel to take just a little bit out.  I still used the fatter keyed metal on top of the first fiber, so I didn't have to dremel to much.  I have no idea if this will work but, It seems fine.