Reel Repair by Alan Tani

I have several Sealine 300H reels.  This is a really good size for East Coast deep bottom fishing for black sea bass, cod, haddock, pollock, ling, maybe even blueline tilefish. It could probably do well with smaller tuna too.  Here is a link to the Sealine reel specs:  https://alantani.com/index.php?action=dlattach;attach=12635;image and the 330H schematic: https://www.mikesreelrepair.com/content/schematics/Daiwa_SL300H2C_300HW.pdf

As you can see the 300H has a 3.7 gear ratio and can hold a quarter mile of heavy braid to get deep. Now, wouldn't it be better for deep fishing if the gear ratio were a little faster, say 4.2:1?  The Sealine 50H has the 4.2:1 ratio, and its main and pinion gears can be put into the 300H.  I've heard from deep-droppers that that is close to the ideal ratio for that type of fishing,  a little bit fast but plenty strong for hauling up big fish and three pound sinkers.

A few years ago I was lucky to find a 50H gear set on ebay (believe it was JD Treasures).  In the pic, you can see the existing 300H gears above and the new 50H gears below.  The 300 drag stack had the original three black fiber washers and one red under-gear washer. The new gears take the same drags.  I'll find carbontex replacements to make the swap.

Going to take my time with this, and post as I make progress...         

Decided to break the budget and ordered an Ultimate Upgrades kit.  Ha -- you didn't know there was a drag kit for the Sealine 50H gear...  Well, my research on this site suggests that Bryan's Penn 114 kit can be made to fit it with minor modification to the main gear (deepen the slots for the eared washers).  There is some risk, but gonna roll the dice... Now thinking I might buy the Cortez sleeve too 

I believe, though I'm often mistaken, that the 50 gears are the same as the 47H gears. I didn't think it looked like the same size as a 114 drag, but I'm wrong a lot. When I did a drag upgrade for a buddy I ended up grinding out the "ridge" around the bottom of the cavity. Its depth was sized for the cardboard drag disk's height and would limit how much you could crank down the drag, and also force you to use a really thick bottom washer. ...so far so good.

Edit: you said 114 not 114H. That sounds more reasonable.

Quote from: JasonGotaProblem on November 18, 2025, 02:41:57 PMI believe, though I'm often mistaken, that the 50 gears are the same as the 47H gears. I didn't think it looked like the same size as a 114 drag, but I'm wrong a lot. When I did a drag upgrade for a buddy I ended up grinding out the "ridge" around the bottom of the cavity. Its depth was sized for the cardboard drag disk's height and would limit how much you could crank down the drag, and also force you to use a really thick bottom washer. ...so far so good.

Edit: you said 114 not 114H. That sounds more reasonable.

Yes, 114, not 114H.  Thanks, that bottom ridge might be a problem, but there are multiple ways to resolve it.  We'll see...  Although inexperienced in this stuff, I'm encouraged by what I've read on the site.

I don't know if others use this trick to scour the site for timeless tidbits of knowledge, but this is what I do (click and see how to use Google to find obscure technical details on alantani.com): https://www.google.com/search?q=site%3Aalantani.com+50H+114+855+drag 

Quote from: JasonGotaProblem on November 18, 2025, 02:41:57 PMI believe, though I'm often mistaken, that the 50 gears are the same as the 47H gears.

Jason's comment sparked my curiosity.  Been using SmoothDrag's list as a reference for comparison, and there is says that the Sealine 50 and 47H take different drags, but the the 50H and 47SH use the same.

I used copilot AI to build a chart comparing various Sealine reels below.  I find AI very useful but you have to check it.  In fact, some of my copilot info is getting scraped from this site, so it can become an echo chamber  Nevertheless, here it is for what it's worth.  If it needs correction I'll edit:

Model    Gear Ratio    Main Gear    Pinion Gear    Drag Stack    Bearings    Star Drag    Gear Sleeve Compatibility
47H    3.8:1    041-5601    041-5701    375-9301, 375-1101, 375-9802    2 BB (5x11x4 mm)    B21-5001    Unique to 47 series
47SH    5.1:1    041-5601    B76-2601    Same as 47H    2 BB (5x11x4 mm)    B21-5001    Unique to 47 series
50H    4.2:1    041-5701    750-6012    375-9301, 375-1101, 375-9802, 375-9902    2 BB (6x12x4 mm)    B21-5002    Shares sleeve with 300H & 350H
300H    3.7:1    413-9711    750-6111    Same as 50H minus extra washer    2 BB (6x12x4 mm)    B21-5003    Shares sleeve with 50H & 350H


My takeaway from this info: 

• The drags of the 50H, 300H and 47SH are about the same
• The 47H and the 47SH have the same main gear? - should double-check.  If so, this is interesting to Dr. Frankenstein, and should be investigated further, but I digress from the thread.

Back to the subject of the thread...  I found that there is an Ultimate Upgrades (Bryan Young) 7-stack kit for the 114 and got that from Ken thinking I could adapt it.

Now, the 114 metals don't exactly fit the 50H main, outside diameter-wise. It looks like I would need to take off about 1mm from the outside of the metals. Shouldn't be a big problem.

The bitter truth:  The inside diameter of the Ultimate metals is about 14.3mm, but the sleeve is only 11.9, so the metals don't fit the sleeve. 

I hope someone with more experience can help me here (thanks in advance) with these questions:

• Can I still use the Ultimate eared washers in a drag stack for the 50H?  I think maybe because their contact is on the outside diameter, with the gear.
• I believe I can't use the Ultimate keyed metals because their contact needs to be with the gear sleeve, and they are too big.
• Am I crazy to think about putting a Penn 114 gear sleeve on a Sealine 300H? YES- PROBABLY!  Anyone have a 114 gear sleeve laying around? This opens a new rabbit-hole, where if the sleeve can be made to fit, then the 50H main would need to be reamed (and precisely) to fit the 114 sleeve. Makes me wish I had a friend with a machine shop   

I'm definitely in over my head, but what the heck!  If nothing else it helps me to appreciate all the work that goes into these reels.

The goal at this point is to get the drag strength of my 300H reel into the low 20's, which a 5-stack should do. Due diligence demands that I do the algebra to figure out if a 5-stack is possible with existing parts.

I have a friend who owns a 47H and a 47SH, and I've done drag mods on both. I don't believe they have the same main. I THINK both main and pinion differ in # of teeth between the models. And I also THINK they can be swapped (as a matching set) between models. But that's enough about what I "think" for one day. They can accept the same smooth drag kit.

Also what about the keyed washers from a different reel? You're getting into buying multiple kits to bastardize something but hey, when you want it you want it. I've certainly done similar.

Quote from: JasonGotaProblem on December 01, 2025, 06:26:25 PMAlso what about the keyed washers from a different reel? You're getting into buying multiple kits to bastardize something but hey, when you want it you want it. I've certainly done similar.

Yes, from a different reel!   My philosophy is that parts reels are cheaper than parts, so I have a good supply. The original stack had two keyed washers of different thicknesses, 1.9 and 1.4mm.   

I already bought the Ultimate kit, so will try  to use what I can from it. The single eared washer from the Daiwa stack is .9mm and the Utimate one is .4mm thickness.  My thinking about the mechanics of the keyed washers is that if the outside diameter fits, the inside diameter doesn't much matter.  It will stay centered in the gear and grab it by the ears, while the sleeve turns inside it. Make sense?

I might be able to achieve a 5-stack with three of the 1.4mm keyed washers (harvesting from other reels) plus two of the Ultimate eared washers.

I believe the Ultimate carbons are HT100 at 1.1mm.  Does anyone know the thickness of the the Smooth Drag carbontex washers? I heard they're thinnner.

Does that spreadsheet have anything about the 400H? I know there was an UU kit for that one.

How's that gear sleeve diameter compare to a 113H?

Quote from: Decker on November 18, 2025, 02:23:08 PMDecided to break the budget and ordered an Ultimate Upgrades kit.  Ha -- you didn't know there was a drag kit for the Sealine 50H gear...  Well, my research on this site suggests that Bryan's Penn 114 kit can be made to fit it with minor modification to the main gear (deepen the slots for the eared washers).  There is some risk, but gonna roll the dice... Now thinking I might buy the Cortez sleeve too 

At this point it is "snake eyes" on the kit.  The carbon washers are good, the eared ones are a little large on the outer diameter, and the keyed washers' inner diameter is too big to grab the sleeve. 

Quote from: Decker on December 01, 2025, 07:42:42 PMI already bought the Ultimate kit, so will try  to use what I can from it. The single eared washer from the Daiwa stack is .9mm and the Utimate one is .4mm thickness.  My thinking about the mechanics of the keyed washers is that if the outside diameter fits, the inside diameter doesn't much matter.  It will stay centered in the gear and grab it by the ears, while the sleeve turns inside it. Make sense?

yep, it will work

others reels have factory eared washers just like you described