Reel Repair by Alan Tani

how would you know when to switch out your drag spacer?  I have a g454F and I really have to crank down on the star to get a decent drag.  I mean the star is nearly to the limits.  I've open the reel about 3-4 times to check the drag washers.  By the way I changed the washers out to CF drags from Dawn and greased with Cal's grease.  Everything seems to be in proper order, I just can't believe I have to tighten the drag that much.  Any ideas?

Carbontex and Penn HT-100 washers are most likely thinner than the stock Newell washers and grease will have a little to do with it. You can double up on the CF washers to get more height in your drag stack or add a belleville washer below or above the drag spacer. I prefer below if there's room.

You might need to add a washer or two below the star I think. 

Would you know if the metal washer drags are the same from the penn 500?

Not too sure.  The only penn part im using in my Newells are the spring tension washers (belleviles) from the 113hlw's since I couldnt find any original newell Belleviles.  As far as drag washers goes, Im not 100% sure if the penn washers will fit.  You can try?  Should only be $4 at most for a set of washers.  Finding OG newell washers is near impossible.  Just remember, you take away from the drag stack, you take away stopping power.  You add to the drag stack and you might have forever stopping power (not good).

If you want, I can take a look at the reel for you.  One of my clients pulled out from a service/restoration job so I wouldnt mind having one to fill its place.  Thats if you live down in hawaii?

Thanks peesherman.  I live Kauai, but that's okay.  I think I'll fiddle with it, might add a washer or two.  Mahalo.

Yes same metal washers.  Talk to Dawn at Smooth drag...she's on this forum.

Doesn't that little fishing shop in Lihue have what you need esp. if you tell them that you need drag washers/spring washer for Penn jigmaster?

Yeah, one of my friend's grandparents owned that store. 

Used to visit Kauai ever break to visit my brother who lived in Hanamaulu.

yeah i know, but she tends to run out of drags washers most of the time.  She (jean) sells the washers individually, not as a set.  $$$.

Tacoma09,

A question for you:  What are you using for the "Thrust Washer" that sits between the bridge sleeve and the main gear.  Did you change this out too when you replaced your drag washers with Carbontex?

Also, if you didn't throw away your used Newell drag washers, in pinch, you could add one washer to your drag stack to increase the stack height.  A better solution:  the HT-100 drag washers for the Penn 500 and 505HS have the exact same i.d. and o.d. as the Newell 454 drag washer, the thickness might vary but you can add one of those and it will work too.  What you do is insert the extra drag washer ontop one of the existing drag washer like a sandwich, reassemble the rest of the drag stack, button the reel back up, test to see everything is working, and go fishing.

Quote from: Ratchet on April 15, 2012, 12:12:07 AM
Tacoma09,

A question for you:  What are you using for the "Thrust Washer" that sits between the bridge sleeve and the main gear.  Did you change this out too when you replaced your drag washers with Carbontex?

Also, if you didn't throw away your used Newell drag washers, in pinch, you could add one washer to your drag stack to increase the stack height.  A better solution:  the HT-100 drag washers for the Penn 500 and 505HS have the exact same i.d. and o.d. as the Newell 454 drag washer, the thickness might vary but you can add one of those and it will work too.  What you do is insert the extra drag washer ontop one of the existing drag washer like a sandwich, reassemble the rest of the drag stack, button the reel back up, test to see everything is working, and go fishing.

Ratchet, the set that I picked up from Dawn are all carbontex washers.  I just purchased another set with metal drag washers to build the stack..

I add another washer under the gear, seems to work better.  I tried adding a washer within the stack, but that was too tight.

Quote from: tacoma09 on April 17, 2012, 07:25:51 AM
I add another washer under the gear, seems to work better.  I tried adding a washer within the stack, but that was too tight.

That should work.  Just keep in mind that the further the main gear sits from the bottom of the bridge sleeve, the less potential overlap you have between the pinion gear and main gear teeth when engaged (not in free spool).    One last thing, do you have part #3-18 (drag spacer washer)?  If Newell ever comes back to life, you might want to order a couple of these (they used to be around 50 cents each and I think they come in 2 sizes, thick and thin).  Add/remove one or two to your drag stack to increase/decrease the height.  That way, you don't have to grind out the inside of your right sideplate to keep things from binding.

Yes i do have the drag space washer.

Tacoma09,

Since all seems in order component-wise (nothing missing), what you are seeing is the result of just a tiny variation in the thickness of the Carbontex washers and your original drag washers.  I've not had a chance to use genuine Carbontex washers in my Newells, I use Penn HT-100s, mainly because these are readily available where I live.  When I use HT-100's, I always find that they are too thin but that is because of the particular model numbers that I use, this is where the drag spacer washer(s) I referred to comes into play.  Also, Alan Tani posted an excellent Penn drag washer list that told you the inside/outside diameters and the thickness that I use as a reference.

BTW, I grew up in the Kapaa area, but that was in the days when Lihue Sugar Plantation was still in business.