Hi crew, is it possible to change the drag curve of my reels? I would like to set the drag for fishing focused on the 40 lbs line class.I don't need to have a lot of drag because I don't do long range fishing. For me 12 lbs on the strike is the norm, and only exceptionally during the fight with some bftuna (60 Pound) I push the drag value to 18 lbs So I really don't need all the power of the Cavalla 12, I prefer a more linear curve with a slower and longer drag progression.Can anyone help me improve my reel to suit my needs?
I believe this is what you are look for .
https://alantani.com/index.php/topic,34556.msg408249.html#msg408249
[update- improved the explanation of belleville orientation - changes in blue]
The progression is affected by both the cam ramp and the belleville washer set strength and orientation.
If you want a more linear progression, the bellevilles should all be the same strength and orientation, with the ideal orientation being all opposed(vs nested) if you want to have the same effect as lowering the cam ramp angle compared to a set of all cupped bellevilles (and vice versa). Having different strength or mixed orientation bellevilles in the stack will tend to make the ramp up more uneven. The ratio of travel to clamping load will be more linear when the bellevilles are not compressed too much, so as strange as it sounds, stronger Bellevilles may also be the answer.
Playing with some different strength bellevilles might get you close enough to what you want that grinding down the cam may not be necessary.
The nice thing about cam grinding is that if you are lucky, you can just swap cams to get a different drag curve if you need a change for a different situation. But be prepared to ruin a couple cams before you get it right.
It should also be noted that whatever you set the drag at is not going to be what the load is on the fish taking line, which will be constantly changing. Getting to precise about the settings is something that I don't worry about. Here's why:
As the fish takes more line, the friction from water along and across the line increases the drag at the fish's end of the line on top of the drag setting.
This is a big part of the reason why the rule of thumb for setting maximum drag is 1/3 of the line rating, and why big game fishers have specific strategies for avoiding line breakage with fast moving fish and hundreds of yards of line out. A fish can break the line at a very low drag setting if there is a decent amount of line out being pulled sideways by the fish and/or boat moving.
Getting a more linear drag ramp up and/or being able to move to a specific drag setting can be useful. I just think that it doesn't need to be too exact. In real life, the actual drag at the fish is going to be varying dramatically in situations where it matters most.
-J
Unfortunately I am not and will not be able to make this modification on the Okuma Cavalla.
I wrote an email to Cal's repair shop and they said they don't know the reel and therefore can't do it, do you know anyone who can receive my reel and remap the drag scale?
I agree that it might be worth simply replacing the belleville washers, though I'd be inclined to try thinner versions first, in a coupled and opposed configuration as J suggests, ie ()().
The overall thickness of the belleville stack will likely be reduced, but shims are standard in a lot of reels to retain the correct spool spacing.
All you'd need then is a vernier and the internet, eg https://www.bellevillesprings.com/belleville-washers/ (https://www.bellevillesprings.com/belleville-washers/).
If the current ones are, say, 0.8mm thick, you could try 0.6 or 0.4mm.
J could well be right that "...strange as it sounds, stronger bellevilles may be the answer," but I don't have the engineering know-how to understand why.
Keep us up on developments.
Good luck, Justin
Quote from: redsetta on November 06, 2025, 10:52:20 PMI agree that it might be worth simply replacing the belleville washers, though I'd be inclined to try thinner versions first, in a coupled and opposed configuration as J suggests, ie ()().
The overall thickness of the belleville stack will likely be reduced, but shims are standard in a lot of reels to retain the correct spool spacing.
All you'd need then is a vernier and the internet, eg https://www.bellevillesprings.com/belleville-washers/ (https://www.bellevillesprings.com/belleville-washers/).
If the current ones are, say, 0.8mm thick, you could try 0.6 or 0.4mm.
J could well be right that "...strange as it sounds, stronger bellevilles may be the answer," but I don't have the engineering know-how to understand why.
Keep us up on developments.
Good luck, Justin
Unfortunately, I am not capable of doing it and I don't think there is anyone in Europe capable of making such changes.
Nobody in Europe has alternate bellevilles or a caliper?
Quote from: JasonGotaProblem on November 07, 2025, 11:56:05 AMNobody in Europe has alternate bellevilles or a caliper?
The problem isn't so much finding the bellevilles, we don't have reel repairers who can do this kind of work.
I can't package up and ship you my self confidence in my own abilities. But I would if I could, because this sounds and feels like an easy DIY project (grinding a cam, much less so). We believe in you.
Hi MG - Give it a go. You can buy a set of calipers or a micrometer pretty cheaply and bellevilles can be bought outside of reel manufacturers from engineering suppliers (though they can be a little expensive when buying just a few). Just need the relevant measurements.
I got mine for Penn reels from a chap in the UK, but he has long retired (if he's still with us). I think his son now runs things - Quentin Millman. Not sure if he handles Okuma though.
The actual procedure isn't that hard provided you take plenty of notes or photos as you go.
I was aprehensive at first but worked on a few Penn Internationals to get their drags working as I wanted. They were awful when I got them, secondhand. Took a few goes but got there in the end and now have enough confidence to tinker with friends' reels.
Take a look at this post where I worked on my 5N. Based on my experiences with the reel design, changing bellvilles will not work. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but in this instance, the cam needs to be reprofiled(ground) to make the changes you would like to see, ie a more progressive ramp.
https://alantani.com/index.php/topic,35497.0.html (https://alantani.com/index.php/topic,35497.0.html)