penn 535GS with broken frame

[steelfish]

hey guys, I got this Penn 535GS with nice versa drag and massive teeth, the reel was making noises when fighting a fish, well after an inspection ended up being the frame is cracked all the way on the left side "bridge" or left side when the left side place attach to it, its cracked where the top screw is locate.

so, before saying to this local captain that his reel needs a new frame that costs around $65 shipped (to Baja) plus some bearings and the handle knob is about to break too, so the total cost to repair the reel is above $100.00, do you guys think its there a way to reinforce the frame on that location so it be be used for few more time?

I did a quick search on the web and I think finding a used frame for the reel is not an easy option.

[MarkT]

It's toast. You should be able to get another one for $60.  Put a wanted ad on BD and you can probably get one for less than $60.

You could try and JB Weld it to get a little use from it until he can replace it.  I probably have a couple of those handles laying around.  I replaced the ones on my GS reels with Daiwa SL handles.  I sold off both my 535's, the 545 and 555.  I still have a 525 and a 525 Mag.  I liked that the gears were replaceable.  I had 4.25:1 in the 555 and 5.3:1 in the 545.

[thorhammer]

Hey Alex, I prolly have a handle that fits that if you need one- may not be identical but fits, from a GLS. Great reels. I've caught some nice fish the GS series and never seen a frame crack like that. If you HAVE to fix it and not replace...i'd carefully drill some divets, not all the way thru, to give some bite- if there is room- and try to JB weld it. Better than nothing, and I've used it on trailer hitches and it lasted years. I can send some with the handle; lemme know.

[Donnyboat]

Good luck Alex, if you can get a wedge in there then fill it with JB weld, it should be okay till you can get another, cheers Don.

[steelfish]

hey thanks guys,

I have JB-weld and also have PC-7 paste epoxy which is pretty similar (some say this is stronger), but not sure which one would add better and stronger adhesion for a trying on reinforce this frame, the rest of the frame has a lot of meat so I dont think the reel will explode on a big fish at the worst it will continue to scratch the spool when flexed.

[thorhammer]

Hey Alex, I prolly have a handle that fits that if you need one- may not be identical but fits, from a GLS. Great reels. I've caught some nice fish the GS series and never seen a frame crack like that. If you HAVE to fix it and not replace...i'd carefully drill some divets, not all the way thru, to give some bite- if there is room- and try to JB weld it. Better than nothing, and I've used it on trailer hitches and it lasted years. I can send some with the handle; lemme know.

I didnt see the rest of Mark's post, and said the same thing. my bad.

[foakes]

For me, I don't think it is worth your time or good reputation to try a fix on a charter reel by JB welding the graphite frame, Alex —

It is just going to fail and come back on you again.

Here is a decent value on eBay for $115, shipped.

Best to get it done & move on.

Just my opinion and style.

Best, Fred

[MarkT]

I wouldn't pay more than $60 for a used 535 GS and I've seen them go for less than that.   I wasn't kidding when I said put in a want to buy post on BD, I'm sure someone has one who'd sell for $60 or less.

[steelfish]

For me, I don't think it is worth your time or good reputation to try a fix on a charter reel by JB welding the graphite frame, Alex —

It is just going to fail and come back on you again.
Here is a decent value on eBay for $115, shipped.
Best to get it done & move on.
Just my opinion and style.

Best, Fred

I totally understand what you said and actually my motto is to just repair a reel or rod ONLY with new parts ALWAYS, this reel is not actually from someone that runs a charter (my bad for saying a local captain), I should have said it belongs to a local "fishing guide", but the kind of fishing guide that dont own a boat but know the fishing area since he was a kid, is not uncommon that they are hired by wealthy people with big sporty boats to drive their boats and take them where the fish are, so they get paid by a arranged fee and an extra tip from the rest of the guys on the boat and sometimes they get some nice reels and nice rods as tips for the good service for the day, problem is after months or years using those shiny reels those guys dont always have the money to pay for changing 4-6 bad bearings or/and new drag washers plus labor and few other needed parts, so depending on the person (fishing guide) I try to help them with new parts, no labor or just half cost and just few times with good used parts but explain them clearly that it might not last as long as a new part so, its that or $80 or more to get everything new.

this is a case of that, so, the option for getting another used reel for $60 its not that bad but that wasnt the plan because that reel might come with bad bearings or something, so, I think I can see if the welding helps a bit I dont think he will spend the money to get the parts new.

I have gotten many help from the Ohana here that I try to help some fishing guides like him as a way to continue and contribute with the ohana chain of good deed (but no buying him a $65 part as gift), I think I can help more guys here in Baja to trying to payback some members of the ohana family in at.com

but sometimes I dont like or want to explain that much because it might be misunderstood as a "taker" or sponger request for freebies.

[oldmanjoe]

  I would fix it with   https://www.gorillatough.com/product/gorilla-super-glue/
    A few drops will do it .      You can also add cloth behind it and a few more drop of glue to broaden the strength   

[jurelometer]

I think you have a chance for a repair to work. 

The cross section from the left sideplate locking into the foot and crossbars is what provides the assembled reel's structural integrity.  That thin little ring where the break occurred is too small to make the reel much stronger, unless the entire frame is very weak (unlikely). That part of the frame just protects the line from getting into the spool, and the spool getting dented.

As long as the sideplate locks well into the crossbars, I think you have a shot.  The repaired area just has to be strong enough to survive impacts when the reel gets banged around in the panga.

"Graphite" frames are just nylon with some carbon fiber and glass filler.  The nylon  is strong but flexible. The added fiber stiffens the part.  The more fiber, the stiffer the part, but it becomes more prone to fracture.

Epoxy will bond to nylon, but the bond is rated in the medium range.  Roughing up the surfaces as much as possible will help.  You want to provide some mechanical bonding, so use rough cross sanding to hopefully get some undercuts.

Fiber filled nylon is weldable, but needs very specific temperatures, technique and some donor material.  Chances for success here are probably low.

CA glues, especially the cosumer varieties ("Crazy Glue", "Super Glue", etc) don't bond especially well to nylon, and will lose bonding strength when repeatedly exposed to moisture.   This would not be my first choice.

I would clean the area with a quick rub of acetone, rough it up and try a tiny dab each of the PC-7 and JB weld.  Wait a day and try to pop off with the tip of a knife.  If one holds, then you are good to go.  If you can work n  in a strip of thin fiberglass cloth as Joe mentioned, even better.  But the key is getting the mechanical bond.

-J

[steelfish]

The cross section from the left sideplate locking into the foot and crossbars is what provides the assembled reel's structural integrity.  That thin little ring where the break occurred is too small to make the reel much stronger

I think the same way, that thin ring of graphite might just need some bond that keep it in place, since the frame is build as topless frame the strength of the frame relies on the foot and cross bar, actually the crack on the reel is not that "big" or noticeable as it looks in the picture, in the 3rd picture you can see Im applying force with my finger to make the crack more clear in a picture to the owner to see it, but once you put the screw and the sideplate to the frame the crack is hardly noticeable.

maybe the sounds he heard when fighting a fish is a bad bearing that cause the spool to move a bit an touch the frame, actually is really hard to find a problem when someone say he heard a strange sound when the reel have some pressure

[oldmanjoe]

 Another though is if you have friend in a body shop  , they usually have the gun and different plastic filler rods for the bumper and trim parts .
  Maybe a soldering gun and a nylon zip tie for the filler rod .

[jurelometer]

The cross section from the left sideplate locking into the foot and crossbars is what provides the assembled reel's structural integrity.  That thin little ring where the break occurred is too small to make the reel much stronger

I think the same way, that thin ring of graphite might just need some bond that keep it in place, since the frame is build as topless frame the strength of the frame relies on the foot and cross bar, actually the crack on the reel is not that "big" or noticeable as it looks in the picture, in the 3rd picture you can see Im applying force with my finger to make the crack more clear in a picture to the owner to see it, but once you put the screw and the sideplate to the frame the crack is hardly noticeable.

maybe the sounds he heard when fighting a fish is a bad bearing that cause the spool to move a bit an touch the frame, actually is really hard to find a problem when someone say he heard a strange sound when the reel have some pressure

If he broke the frame by dropping it, it might not have neen noticeable until fighting a fish.  That would cause the frame to flex a tiny bit, and the spool would scrape on the broken edge. 

-J

[steelfish]

that probably was what happened, he didnt had any idea of the source of the strange noise, but we couldnt deplicated, everything on the reel is in good shape, maybe clean the bearings, except the crack on the frame that I saw it when took the left sideplate out.