Tiburon 7540 Jerky Drag Diagnosis Question

[njoyflyfishing]

Hi All,

I am posting this question as perhaps there is something here that can help someone else in the case they have a similar problem.

Recently I acquired a used Tiburon 7540, and when testing and setting the drags, I noticed that the drag was not smooth. I opened up the reel and found a brown dust all over the carbon drag fiber, and a caked on brown substance on the drag plate. I did a light removal attempt with a paper towel and some rubbing alcohol, and some of the dust came up from the drag and the drag plate, but not all of the caked on hard material from the drag plate came off. With alcohol much of the drag disk was cleaned, although there are shiny run marks probably from the chunks of material fused to the drag plate.

Upon inspection, I noticed that a small chip came out of the black plastic drag plate housing that is clipped onto the spool. My guess is that somehow this piece broke off and was pulverized in the drag, and then melted or somehow fused onto the drag plate. Most of the powder was more of a brown color, but I may have found a couple of tiny black shards of plastic in drag disk area of the spool.

To fix this I'll get out some fine grit sandpaper and use that to remove what is on the drag plate. The material on the drag plate is tough to get off and a fingernail doesn't quite do the job of popping it off. This reel also allows me to flip the drag disk and give a fresh side for the drag plate, although I doubt it will make much difference.

Has anyone seen anything like that on another reel?

Thanks and Tight Lines,

Nathan

[Bryan Young]

Looks like grease and rust got into the drag washer. I would try to clean it out with carb cleaner then Dawn dish soap with a tooth brush as best as you can. Then coat with Cal's Universal and Drag Grease on both sides and use the unaffected side. For your pressure plate, I would take 800 grit sand paper on top of a piece of glass and wet sand the pressure plate flat and clean until you only see stainless steel.  Allow to completely dry and coat with Cal's grease then completely wire off so there is a micron thick layer for corrosion protection. Then reassemble.

[Rocket Dog]

Tiburon still has parts for these reels. Though as you suggested, the cover is broken and needs replacement, otherwise you'll get water in there again.

[alantani]

i doubt that it was the chip that caused this problem.  there was probably a fair amount of water intrusion.  the reel was probably submerged. 

[Keta]

The dammage is rust caused by saltwater intrusion into the CF drag washers.  CF should be greased, especially  when used around saltwater.  The only time grease is a issue is when fishing in freezing weather.

[njoyflyfishing]

Thanks @Brian Young for the diagnosis and suggested fixes. The photos look like a reddish tint on the drag washers, but I don't think that it is ferrous. The residue was almost fibrous and when cleaned, very brown with little of the reddish tint that I would normally see with iron oxide. Further, the reel itself has very low to no corrosion, and I don't believe that the deposits on the drag are oxidation, and there is none of the pitting associated with oxidation.

My hypothesis is that a small amount of black plastic material broke from the drag plate housing and somehow pulverized, and during a fight with a fish under high pressure and temperature portions became molten and adhered to the drag plate. Not sure that really explains it though...

@Rocket Dog - Thanks for the tip on the parts. This reel is probably worth buying a couple of extra spares if I can find them!

@alantani - Perhaps you are right.

@Keta - Perhaps as well.

Tight Lines,

Nathan