Reel Repair by Alan Tani

Conventional and Bait Casting Reel Rebuild Tutorials and Questions => Penn Tutorials and Questions => Topic started by: Jeremy on June 07, 2020, 06:48:44 PM

Title: 500 style bridge
Post by: Jeremy on June 07, 2020, 06:48:44 PM
Hello, I wasn't sure where to put this but this seemed the best. I'm working on a Pro Gear Pacifica and the parts are NLA. The sleeve had rounded off where the handle attached so I grabbed an old (?) bridge with the same sleeve and pushed the pin out and put the sleeve on the bridge of the pacifica. Everything seemed to be the same but I think the height of the hole for the retaining pin on the pro gear was a couple thousandths different. I put in a brass pin and worked it in with a drill til it was smooth enough that it's serviceable however, I'd prefer better. My question is: The bridge of the pacifica has the dog and dog spring on the opposite side of a jigmaster bridge. other than that everything (seems) to be identical. Did Penn make a reel with the dog on the opposite side? I have attached a picture to show what I'm talking about. The Penn bridge (3-500s) is the chrome bridge, the Pro Gear is the brass bridge.

Thanks,
Jeremy

(https://i.ibb.co/nsZCDHh/Brige2.jpg)
Title: Re: 500 style bridge
Post by: Crow on June 07, 2020, 06:53:12 PM
Looks like one is "right hand", and one is 'left hand".
Title: Re: 500 style bridge
Post by: Jeremy on June 07, 2020, 07:40:45 PM
Quote from: Crow on June 07, 2020, 06:53:12 PM
Looks like one is "right hand", and one is 'left hand".

I guess it's possible the Penn bridge I have is a left handed one, though it isn't stamped as such. I don't have any other jigmaster bridges or even a jigmaster to check it against.
Title: Re: 500 style bridge
Post by: Jeremy on June 07, 2020, 07:50:11 PM
Hah, just looked at Alan's jigmaster rebuild and the dog is on the same side on his reel. looks like I can replace with a standard jigmaster bridge/sleeve! Sorry!
Title: Re: 500 style bridge
Post by: PacRat on June 07, 2020, 08:13:28 PM
Crow is correct. The chrome Penn bridge is a lefty. Someone here may want to trade but they will likely need the main and pinion to go with the lefty. I think the gears are cut different.
-Mike
Title: Re: 500 style bridge
Post by: Jeremy on June 07, 2020, 08:51:12 PM
if someone wants it, they can have it for free! I wouldn't complain about a trade for a rh bridge and sleeve though. 
Title: Re: 500 style bridge
Post by: day0ne on June 08, 2020, 05:43:02 AM
I've found that the pin height isn't the problem, though you can fix it there. If you look at the base of the shaft the sleeve rides on, you will see that the ProGear is tapered and the Penn is squared off. This causes the problem when using a Penn sleeve on a Progear bridge.