Silly noob questions

[Dodger]

Hi All,

I'm new to this board though I have been a long time lurker.  Thanks to Alan, I finally found the courage to crack open a few old penn reels and started me on a reel repair obsession.

I've read a lot about greasing carbon fiber washers.  Sometimes, they are greased and wiped off, other times they are installed with grease on them.  I know that the grease is designed to keep water and corrosion out.

Forgive me if I misunderstand how the drag system works, but the pressure (friction) applied to a drag washer (tightening the star, pushing the lever, whatever) proportional to the force applied by the drag on the line? (The tighter you turn the star, the more drag you get). My thought is if the drag washer is installed with grease still on it, doesn't that reduce the friction that turns into drag?  Isn't whatever applies friction to the drag in each particular reel less able to apply friction because of the grease on the drag?

Simply put, how does a drag washer with grease on it still provide friction to apply drag?  I know it still works, I just don't understand why it works. 

S

[Makule]

Your description of how the braking system works is correct, and you are also correct that a lubricated brake disk has less braking power than one that is not lubricated.  The trade-off for the less braking power is the increased degree of smoothness of the brakes, and the reduced potential for the brakes to ever stick.

[Squirmypug]

With a little grease it doesn't really reduce the drag much at all.It does keep the drag from getting sticky at high drag so sometimes you can actually get a little more "usable/smooth" drag than with dry washers.

[kamuwela]

on penn reels with the added washers they put it on and let the excess sqeeze out. the grease doesnt lower drag pressure at all. the grease gives you a smoother drag. on larger lever drags i wipe off the excess and wipe some on the back side of the drag plate to prevent salt intrusion

[alantani]

there probably is some decrease.  the big advantage is that grease will reduce or get rid of the "start up" portion of the drag curve.  that's the extra amount of drag needed to get the spool moving, not just keep it moving.  with sticky drags, there is an initial surge that cal sheets refers to as "start up."  sometimes that extra amount can be as much as 50%.