Penn 113n US Senator Drag Question

Started by Whino83, October 08, 2021, 05:46:43 PM

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Whino83

I recently picked up 2 of these reels new. I threw some line on one of them to do some casting and I found that when I back the drag star all the way off  it still has just a little bit of drag pressure. With the style fishing I do I need to be able to back the drag all the way off to no resistance. My question is can I flip a spring washer somewhere in the reel or something so when I back the drag star completely off I'll have zero drag pressure?

If I lost a few pounds of max drag that wouldn't hurt me at all. I just need to be able to back the drag completely off.

handi2

Yes you can remove a washer below the drag star. If there is one between the star and handle remove it too.

With the reel in freespool is that too fast to cast?

Keith
OCD Reel Service & Repair
Gulf Breeze, FL

Alan Matsuno

I can not answer your mechanical question.  Do these reels have a clicker?  If yes, free spool with the clicker on.  Drag adjusted as desired for landing a fish.

Whino83

Quote from: handi2 on October 08, 2021, 06:02:21 PM
Yes you can remove a washer below the drag star. If there is one between the star and handle remove it too.

With the reel in freespool is that too fast to cast?

Keith

There are 2 spring washers under the star. I removed but it didn't change the drag pressure at all.

As for casting I grew up casting old penn's with 8 and bait. I've did a ton with an old 113H I have. Compared to my old 113H this 113n is a lot better. I'm about to go to a pond near my house and do some more casting now.

Whino83

Quote from: Alan Matsuno on October 08, 2021, 06:05:06 PM
I can not answer your mechanical question.  Do these reels have a clicker?  If yes, free spool with the clicker on.  Drag adjusted as desired for landing a fish.

Yes they have a clicker. Free spooled with the clicker will be to light for what I'm needing. I need a sweet spot between free spooled with the clicker and what I've got now with the drag backed off with the clicker on.

Whino83

After looking at the schematic again I see there is a spring washer under a spacer on top of the drag stack. It seems like I could possibly flip that spring washer over and that would allow me to have zero drag tension once the star is completely backed off. I may try that later but I'll wait and see if someone more knowledgeable than me comments here first.

handi2

Quote from: Whino83 on October 08, 2021, 06:09:52 PM
Quote from: handi2 on October 08, 2021, 06:02:21 PM
Yes you can remove a washer below the drag star. If there is one between the star and handle remove it too.

With the reel in freespool is that too fast to cast?

Keith

There are 2 spring washers under the star. I removed but it didn't change the drag pressure at all.

As for casting I grew up casting old penn's with 8 and bait. I've did a ton with an old 113H I have. Compared to my old 113H this 113n is a lot better. I'm about to go to a pond near my house and do some more casting now.

Yes you can lessen the height of the drag stack. You just have to make sure the round slave still sticks out enough to have drag pressure.

If you had extra metal washers you could change the thicker top one to a thinner one.
OCD Reel Service & Repair
Gulf Breeze, FL

RowdyW

You could just use free spool & educate your thumb covered in leather.     Rudy

Donnyboat

With the drag, right of I would be concerned, that the eared washer may pop out of the grooves,, then your drag may not work, when needed. Rudy is correct, use free spool & train your finger, to do the work, good luck, cheers Don.
Don, or donnyboat

RowdyW

#9
Don, this is a U S Senator not a Special Senator. The eared carbon fiber washers do not tend to slip out of the main gear. There are no metal eared washers in the Baja or U S Senator which are almost identical.

Whino83

Using my thumb is out of the question. I pier fish on the east coast for cobia. Which means I throw out a live or dead bait with lots of lead, back my drag off with the clicker on just tight enough so the current doesn't pull line from the spool, and then set the rod down while I go work another cobia rod in the same fashion or go catch bait. So the rod is left unattended and with the current I need to be able to back the drag off to almost free spool during a slack tide and add a little drag as the tide runs. Even if the tide isn't running I'd never free spool my reel with the clicker on. Cobia hit the bait so hard and fast at times and then immediately spit the bait causing the reel to backlash even with the clicker on and I've seen rods go over thr rail before. Backing the drag off keeps the spool from overrunning before I can get to it on a fish that comes in hot to the bait.

To run a test I took the hard plastic washer out from under the main gear and found that to allow me to back the drag off completely which is exactly what I need. But I obviously need that washer in there so I have to put it back in. I wish that plastic washer was thinner. I'd be in business if it was.

Whino83

#11
I am a machinist and I am at work tonight. I feel like going home and getting the reel, taking it apart, grinding about .010" off metal drag washer on top of the stack on a surface grinder, reassembling, and seeing how much of a difference that makes.

oldmanjoe

 ???    Is there 3 # 8 tension washers in that stack ?    I think if you remove one or two you should get what you want .
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Swami805

Grinding the washers down a little sounds like a good bet, think I'd try that 1st. Maybe a little off each one instead of having one really thin one.
Do what you can with that you have where you are

Donnyboat

Don, or donnyboat