Handle play in 113h Senator

[BryanC]

I have a Penn 4/0 special senator that is used primarily for bottom fishing for grouper, with the drag locked down as tight as it will go.  There is quite a bit of play in the handle (compared to another 4/0 that I just purchased). 

I'm not sure if I'm using the terms correctly, but I would say that the handle still fits tightly on the sleeve, but the sleeve is a bit loose on the bridge.  It has rotational & axial play.  The axial play is most notable, compared to the other reel.

Should I replace the bridge & sleeve?  Or do I just need to put a thicker washer under the main gear?

Thanks in advance.

-Bryan

[richie668]

I have a 113h that had the same problem, in place of the fiber washer,I used a ht-100 6-875 washer behind the main gear. A trick that I learned from alan's posts.
After I put the reel back together it turned rough until I cranked down the star a few times. now it has very little play. I hope this helps.
Richie

[Roger]

Are you talking about the gear sleeve moving back and forth or the handle itself wobbling around when you have the star cranked down?

[BryanC]

The gear sleeve moves in & out and also has a bit more rotational "slop" than I would like.  The handle fits tightly on the sleeve.

[alantani]

you're going to have some slop in the gear sleeve and some play (gear lash) between the teeth of the main and pinion gears.  shim the gear sleeve.  there's nothing you can do about the gears.........

[chris73]

What do you shim the gear sleeve with? Metal or drag washer material?

[broadway]

Bryan,
     I'm not a guru like the rest of 'em on here, but I shimmed mine (on my penn 113hsp's 4/0) with a smooth drag, carbontex washer that came with the pack I ordered. Others use a (#6-875) from Penn's HT-100 drags.  Mine has been on for one year on two of my reels, and they work fine so far. Metal on metal=No Good. Thanks
Dom

[akfish]

Actually, in  a case like this, I think you want to shim with a very thin metal washer. Note that the gear sleeve and bridge are already metal on metal.

[broadway]

Akfish,
    That surprises me!  I thought I saw Alan recommend the #6-875?  Wouldn't it be smoother with the carbontex or even plastic?
Would it negatively effect the reel? Thanks
Dom

[broadway]

Bryan,
   I would listen to Akfish,  he's one of the guru's I was talkin' about...keep us posted, please. Thanks
Dom

[alantani]

actually, accurate has a bunch of teflon washers that would be perfect for this application.  we just have to find a way to get you some.  alan

[CarolinaCustomReels]

It sounds like you'll be actually shimming under the gear sleeve, not the main gear itself. For this application, you want a Teflon washer and not a fiber washer like goes under the main gear. I believe Avet or Accurate has a washer that will work.

Evan

Edit: Wow, just noticed that Alan pegged your answer before I got to it.

[slgriffiths]

Hey Richie and Dom,
I think you are talking about the washer between the main gear and the gear sleeve - not between the bottom of the gear sleeve and the bridge.  I doubt you would get a carbontex or HT 100 washer in there, regardless of the wear.  If you were following Alan's suggestions for using an extra drag washer instead of the fibre washer, that's not what Bryan is talking about.
akfish is right to say that metal on metal would be OK when shimming a gear sleeve - my feeling is that a brass or smooth polished stainless shimming washer would do fine in this situation, if it's outside diameter were not too small - maybe the same as the inner diameter of the teeth in the gear on the gear sleeve. There is very little if any pressure pushing the gear sleeve into the bridge in normal use.  
But Alan's suggestion (as usual!) for using teflon is much better.
Bryan, I guess you'd need to estimate or measure how thick it'd need to be, so the correct thickness could be selected - got any feeler gauges?
Simon.

Edit:
Oops, Evan, you got to it before I did too...
Sorry!

[richie668]

Have you considered spending the 12 bucks on a new bridge?

[slgriffiths]

Hmmm.
$3 teflon washer vs $12 bridge?
You tell me.
Simon