Gen1 fathom upgrades

[Swampfox]

Hello I have a gen1 Penn Fathom 25nld2 and 40nld2. What mods is there for these reels to make them stronger and more durable like drag, SS internals? Thank you

[boon]

Do a handle upgrade, re-grease the drag if you feel the need, and call it good. They come with very strong stainless gears from the factory (which is why they feel a bit "geary"). The drag is Penn Dura-Drag which is woven carbon fibre like any other quality drag washer. They even include a spool bearing sleeve.

[Swami805]

You could send it to cal. Get better free spool and smooth it out some

[alantani]

got a nice handle for this one.  not much else that you can really do to these. 

[MarkT]

They're plenty strong and durable out of the box! I have a 15xnld2, 25nld2 and 40nld2.

[Keta]

A nicer handle would be a good upgrade and if you want a higher high speed and/or a lower low speed on your 40 FTHII40NLD2 gears fit.

[Surfrat]

Upgrading a Gen1 Penn Fathom, I would primarily focuses on improving cranking leverage, fine-tuning the drag system, and improving freespool. These modifications maximize your pulling power when targeting large offshore species.

The stock handles on Gen1 Fathoms can feel underpowered or uncomfortable under heavy drag.

On the 25NLD2 & 40NLD2, you can replace the stock T-bar or "football" knob with an aftermarket custom handle, it provides more leverage, reducing arm fatigue during tough fights. Options like the Penn 100 Handle Kit by BoilingTuna or the Blackflag handle offer offset arms and larger, comfortable T-bars.

The Gen1 Fathoms benefit greatly from smoothing and tuning the drag stack. The stock drag cams on Gen1s can cause some inconsistency in drag values. By degreasing and marking the two cam components, you can orient them to find the setup that yields the optimal freespool and drag ramp.

For the drag system, replacing or smoothing out your washers using high-quality grease improves the drag consistency.

If your freespool is sluggish or the reel feels stiff, it is likely due to contaminated bearing grease.

Cleaning the stock shielded bearings thoroughly and re-oiling them with a light oil (like TSI 301) significantly improves casting and dropping performance.

If the bearings are corroded, you can replace the stock bearings with high-quality ABEC-5 stainless/hybrid ceramic spool bearings.

[Swampfox]

Thank you everyone