Reel Repair by Alan Tani

General Maintenance Tips => Smoothdrag.com => Topic started by: Donnelly on March 05, 2011, 11:42:15 PM

Title: Daiwa 153 HSTLA
Post by: Donnelly on March 05, 2011, 11:42:15 PM
The factory drag washers on these are said to produce 8.8 lbs. by Daiwa. If I upgrade to Carbontex from Smoothdrag does anyone know how much the drag poundage will change?

Thanks for any info.
Title: Re: Daiwa 153 HSTLA
Post by: alantani on March 06, 2011, 01:00:41 AM
should be the same.  i think these reels has carbon fiber already.  check under the main gear, though.  often, they take short cuts there.  alan

http://www.deloscustomtackleshack.com/reels/daiwaadvantageHSTA.htm

(http://alantani.com/gallery/3/1_05_03_11_5_58_08.jpeg)

(http://alantani.com/gallery/3/1_05_03_11_5_59_18.jpeg)

(http://alantani.com/gallery/3/1_05_03_11_5_59_49.jpeg)
Title: Re: Daiwa 153 HSTLA
Post by: oldtrackster on March 06, 2011, 06:03:41 AM
Quote from: Donnelly on March 05, 2011, 11:42:15 PM
The factory drag washers on these are said to produce 8.8 lbs. by Daiwa. If I upgrade to Carbontex from Smoothdrag does anyone know how much the drag poundage will change?

Thanks for any info.

First let me tell you I have only installed two sets of carbontex the second only minutes ago on my 153hsta.  I don't own digital scales so my accuracy could be way off.  I didn't test the drag to see if it genuinely produced 8.8 out of the box.  After installing smooothdrag it did produce ~8.8 so it would seem you will not gain much in drag.  If Mr. Tani is correct (he usually is) this would make sense.  I will say the factory drags I removed looked much different and tore easily and suspect this means felt, but I lack the knowledge to know for sure and I wasn't about to see how easy or difficult it was to tear my new carbontex!  I could be talking right out my backside, but just trying to help.  If nothing else it will give you something to do on late Saturday nights.  Its an awesome little reel, I need a left hand one now.

There is a tutorial for changing out the drag washers on the 153hsta in the daiwa forum, I found it to be very helpful.
Title: Re: Daiwa 153 HSTLA
Post by: alantani on March 06, 2011, 06:13:46 AM
buggers!  i thought this meant carbon fiber!  >:(


Quote

Seven-Disc Super Drag Wet drag system with Daiwa's exclusive fiber composite and stainless steel washers for super-smooth fish control


Title: Re: Daiwa 153 HSTLA
Post by: oldtrackster on March 06, 2011, 06:23:54 AM
Quote from: alantani on March 06, 2011, 06:13:46 AM
buggers!  i thought this meant carbon fiber!  >:(


Quote

Seven-Disc Super Drag Wet drag system with Daiwa's exclusive fiber composite and stainless steel washers for super-smooth fish control



Does this mean from my description you believe they are not carbontex?  sorry for the silly question I am just trying to learn.  They were wet to the point of leaving a finger print like described by smooothdrag.  Whatever daiwa put on them seemed to be just a bit thinner than the cals grease.
Title: Re: Daiwa 153 HSTLA
Post by: alantani on March 06, 2011, 04:13:13 PM
they were not carbon fiber and changing them out to carbontex was the right thing to do.  carbon fiber does not tear.......
Title: Re: Daiwa 153 HSTLA
Post by: Donnelly on March 06, 2011, 05:22:33 PM
Wow! Thanks for the quick replies. Now I guess I have to find out if I'm really getting the 8.8 lbs. the factory quotes. If I am, I guess there's no sense changing them unless you guys know differently.

I have 16 HSTLA's and a couple of them I use for jigs didn't seem to be giving me much drag last year. Even a 2 and half or 3 pound bass was pulling drag pretty easily even with the drag cranked all the way down.
Title: Re: Daiwa 153 HSTLA
Post by: alantani on March 06, 2011, 06:49:48 PM
greased carbon fiber is the standard.  nothing works better.  nothing is even close!
Title: Re: Daiwa 153 HSTLA
Post by: Dawn on March 07, 2011, 06:04:30 PM
The factory drags are not carbon fiber. It's some kind of black papery stuff.  I'm not sure what they call it.
Also these reels don't have a washer under the gear.

Dawn
Title: Re: Daiwa 153 HSTLA
Post by: oldtrackster on March 07, 2011, 07:35:17 PM
Quote from: Dawn on March 07, 2011, 06:04:30 PM
The factory drags are not carbon fiber. It's some kind of black papery stuff.  I'm not sure what they call it.
Also these reels don't have a washer under the gear.

Dawn

I have two questions.

Mr. Tani the site you linked has a very good price on the left hand model currently and that is just my cup of tea.  Have you used this site/company before?  Or can you speak to their legitamcy?

Ms. Dawn its very awe inspiring to speak to someone as famous as you  ;D.  The "washer under the gear" statement obviously should mean something to me, but I do not know what it means.  Would you are someone please explain the signifigance of not having a washer there?
Title: Re: Daiwa 153 HSTLA
Post by: alantani on March 07, 2011, 07:39:46 PM
never used that site before.  i just pulled it up for the photos. 

for the drag washer, a carbon fiber drag washer underneath the gear gives the best performance.  plain washers can stick. 
Title: Re: Daiwa 153 HSTLA
Post by: oldtrackster on March 07, 2011, 07:52:59 PM
Quote from: alantani on March 07, 2011, 07:39:46 PM
never used that site before.  i just pulled it up for the photos. 

for the drag washer, a carbon fiber drag washer underneath the gear gives the best performance.  plain washers can stick. 

So when I look at the photo above.  The brass piece (the gear) and the next washer is metal.  A better design would be the brass gear a carbon washer then the metal washer thus never allowing two pieces of metal to be against each other anywhere in the drag stack?

Adding a carbon here when the design was not made that way would probably foul the performance because the height of the drag stack would be changed?
Title: Re: Daiwa 153 HSTLA
Post by: Dawn on March 08, 2011, 12:59:12 AM
Hi

I'm only famous in certain circles  ;D, but thank you.

Most reels do have some sort of spacer washer right under the gear, usually some sort of plastic or phenolic, as you noted it keeps metal from touching metal.
The TDZ reels don't have one there.  I haven't ever heard of anybody putting one in, but if it could be done it would probably be better.
I don't actually know how the configuration is under the gear.

Dawn
Title: Re: Daiwa 153 HSTLA
Post by: alantani on March 08, 2011, 01:07:58 AM
there still might be room.  some of dawn's drag washers are pretty thin.  you can get thin like that with a high quality weave.  alan
Title: Re: Daiwa 153 HSTLA
Post by: Dawn on March 08, 2011, 01:34:55 AM
There's a little gear under the big gear in these reels.  Don't know if a washer under there would work. 


Title: Re: Daiwa 153 HSTLA
Post by: alantani on March 08, 2011, 01:40:29 AM
i've slipped drag washers underneath some daiwa drag stacks before.  it just depends on how much clearance you have.  alan
Title: Re: Daiwa 153 HSTLA
Post by: Donnelly on March 13, 2011, 12:57:22 PM
Sorry...I've been busy and haven't had a chance to get back to here. This is very good info. I would think the tolerances on this reel would not allow for a washer under the gear and as Dawn describes it may even interfere with the gear underneath.

So to summarize...we think it might be worth it to give a set of carbontex a try as they may increase the maximum drag weight a little? We all agree carbontex is a better drag material but other than a complete failure, and subsequent need to replace the washers, why else would I need to upgrade?
Title: Re: Daiwa 153 HSTLA
Post by: oldtrackster on March 13, 2011, 02:40:48 PM
Quote from: Donnelly on March 13, 2011, 12:57:22 PM
Sorry...I've been busy and haven't had a chance to get back to here. This is very good info. I would think the tolerances on this reel would not allow for a washer under the gear and as Dawn describes it may even interfere with the gear underneath.

So to summarize...we think it might be worth it to give a set of carbontex a try as they may increase the maximum drag weight a little? We all agree carbontex is a better drag material but other than a complete failure, and subsequent need to replace the washers, why else would I need to upgrade?

I am going to put carbons on all my reels eventually.  it's better material that lasts much longer and doesn't get sticky and I enjoy tinkering between fishing trips and the cost is minimal.  Have you tested the drags on a scale to see what you are getting?  It seems a 2 or 3 pound fish might get some drag on occasion, but shouldn't pull line easy.  I would not be surprised if the reel does not get 8.8 from the factory as advertised.  It seems drag ratings are often inflated.  Mr. Tani might be able to chime in with the norm for factory drag weights.
Title: Re: Daiwa 153 HSTLA
Post by: alantani on March 13, 2011, 03:22:39 PM
the upgrade is often not to increase the drag range.  often it is to avoid sticking.  there are usually other things (gears, drive shafts) that will give out first and these problems limit the functional drag of a reel.   for instance, you can get 25 pounds of drag out of a 4/0 senator 113h, but that will shred the gears!  8 pounds in a jigmaster will round off the gear sleeve.  and so on.  it's not all just about more drag. 
Title: Re: Daiwa 153 HSTLA
Post by: Alto Mare on March 13, 2011, 03:43:50 PM
And that's another great example why...... you're the man!  ;)