A Surfmaster For El Pescador

[mo65]

  I got a message from Wayne asking if I could do a customized Surfmaster 150 for him. He didn't seem to have the time to finish the project, but he had a donor reel, a Tiburon frame and spool, a Maxed Out handle blade with Alan Tani 3/0 knob, and a Bryan Young 5-stack drag kit. Imagine my surprise when I got the package...the photo below is exactly what I unpacked. I don't think I ever took on a project where all the bits and pieces were already cleaned and polished!
  Since ol' Wayno has already covered all that, I'm going to concentrate on some of the overlooked aspects of one of these builds. These "little things" can be the difference between a project that brings satisfaction instead of frustration.



  The only parts he wanted that he didn't already have were a steel gear and sleeve, and a #10-66 drag star. NOS Penn #5-60 steel gears are getting harder to find...but I had a nice chromium plated one in my stash...and this seemed like a great time to bust it out.



  By now just about everyone knows that a replacement gear sleeve can fit just like the original, or possibly tight, but most times it will have a bit too much endplay. Shim washers can correct this, but do not make it tight. Always leave a few thousandths endplay...if the sleeve ever gets hot it can stick if there is no endplay.



  Swapping out to a larger drag star is one of the most popular mods for these smaller Penn reels, and something that I do to all of the ones I fish. You wouldn't think that extra 1/4 inch of length would be noticeable, but when the reel is in hand it makes a big difference. If you're one of those guys who always seems to be bumping the star...you can go the opposite direction...a #10-180 star is so tiny it barely sticks out past the handle blade.



  It's hard to see in a photo, but the #10-66 on the right is about .020 thicker than the #10-60 on the left. In most cases, this will require a shorter spacer. Mystic Parts sells various lengths, but I usually just adjust the length with a file. You can see where I shortened the spacer on the right...the top has the brass showing through.



  Now, on to those little things that get overlooked. Taking out the screws on these Tib frames and greasing them can really help if you ever want to disassemble the reel in the future. Smear a coat on that stand also.



  Same deal with the side plate screw holes.



  These small screws that hold the chrome ring to the frame often get bunged up. Those burs and snags make it hard to get the side plate on and off. Smooth the tops of them with a file.

             

  Unless you want those screws to end up bunged again...use a well fitting premium screwdriver. This .034 is a perfect fit to the screw slot...and actually was a gift from Wayne!



  And lastly, don't forget to clean and grease the three slots in the headplate ring.



  What a fantastic looking Surfy 150...and just as tough as it is pretty!

[thorhammer]

Awesome! Salmon killer for my man!

[pjstevko]

That looks amazing, great job Mo!.

Did Wayne say what the intended use was? (I always liked these small surf masters and squidders but wouldn't know what type of fishing I'd use it for)

Pj

[Ron Jones]

My favorite use for them is shallow water bottom fishing. Like when the party boat takes you into the kelp to play with blues or blacks. 2 big fish on shrimp flies with a light rod can be a lot of fun, it is more fun when your reel has the torque necessary to not be phased.

That is a wonderful reel Mo. The only thing that would "gild the lily," at least for me, is a fine thread sleeve and a 505 star. The finer control is very nice.

The Man

[sciaenops]

Wow, very nice. I want one!

[foakes]

Great work, Mike!

Best, Fred

[Porthos]

That looks amazing, great job Mo!.

Did Wayne say what the intended use was? (I always liked these small surf masters and squidders but wouldn't know what type of fishing I'd use it for)

Pj

I was able to load 420+ yds of 50 lb Toro Tamer hollow core on to a Newell Surfmaster 100 spool in my modded Monofil 27. It is one of my 40 lb reels on SD Long Range trips.

The 150 width should be able to take 400-500 yds of 60lb hollow core, IMHO. If i had one, would not hesitate to fish it SD LR as a designated 50 lb reel and bump up to 60 lb top shots in a pinch given the frame and what the internals are.

Mo: Did you use delrin for the under gear washer?

[Donnyboat]

Nice work Mike, and thanks for all the handy info, very valuable, cheers Don.

[mo65]

   Thanks for the nice comments everyone.

Mo: Did you use delrin for the under gear washer?

   Yes, and I used a stock HT-100 for the top friction washer in the 5-stack. It helps restore the range you lose with the thin Carbontex discs. I also had to reshape the AR dog a bit to get a perfect fit to the 9 tooth ratchet on the new sleeve.

[milne]

Bravo Mo !!!
Always a great read when you post up stuff like this..
Hope all is well

Col

[Crow]

Great job, Mo !!

[Maxed Out]

 Very nicely done Mo. It just looks mean !!

[Brewcrafter]

Beautiful Build Sir! - john

[bhale1]

Simple and awesome. Nice build
Brett

[mhc]

Very tidy work Mo - that 'hopped up' 150 should stand up to years of Wayne's enthusiasm! 

Mike