I have 6 Penn 6500SS reels that need me to take apart the drags and clean them for once in their lives. While I have had all the reels completely apart, I have never taken the drag washers out, ever.

Is it as easy as taking the retaining ring off, somehow, then just rinsing the washers off and putting them back in? Do I use some sort of lube at all?

Is it as easy as taking the retaining ring off, somehow, then just rinsing the washers off and putting them back in? Do I use some sort of lube at all?

Pretty much. Use a small flat bladed screwdriver to take off the retaining spring (be careful not to shoot it across the room). Remove the washers and clean them in denatured alcohol. To grease or not to grease? With the HT-100 material, it doesn't really make a difference--I've done it both ways. Just make sure the washers go back in the proper order.

Hex shaped metal goes into the base of the spool, then the white Teflon one. next, the round metal with the slotted hole, a HT-100, hex metal, HT-100 and finally the second round/slotted hole metal. Put the spring on without shooting it across the room and you're good ;)

I just started typing a response, but Mike beat me to it. My respoonse was going to be exactly what he posted, so there you have it. :tooth:

Thanks a ton, truly appreciated. I think I will go with no lube as I'm sure as some of the reels are 10+ years old, there is no lube on them anyway. Thanks again.

If you have a small pair of needle nose pliers, use it to remove the retaining spring. I've had the spring fly off when using the screwdriver :doh:.

is this the same sequence for the 5500ss washers??
Thanks

In case you don't have the schematic/parts view for the reel, here is the link.

http://www.pennreels.com/03_service/parts/explist.htm


I'm going to take the washers out and slide them onto a screwdriver/pen/something so I don't mess up the order, but I have the manuals that came with the reel just in case.

Bassy,
Cannot understand how for as many years as you have owned the 6500s you
have never cleaned the drag. I do the drag two/three times to every one
time I open the reel. Always tiny sand particles on top washer and salt
corrosion. And a drop or two of 4 in 1 oil on top washer is enough and
IMO needed. Most Penns have same washer sequence. Once spring is
removed turn upside down and gently tap the washers out and they
should be in proper sequence.

A set of drag washers is cheap. They shouldn't be reused if there is any sign of sticking between washers. I'd replace them and apply plenty of cal's drag grease or shimano drag grease, in between. Don't worry about the excess as it will squeeze out.

Now is a good time to clean and lube the main gears as well as the bearings.

What Mike P said.

I also go a step further with my 650's and 704's - I take some Formula 2001 (or 2008 or whatever the hell year this is) and polish the metal washers before putting them back in. The urethane in the wax seems to help corrosion and deposits from building up on them.

I also use Flitz on the brass on the backside of the drag knobs, then the Formula 2001. Do the same to the shaft, too -

And no lube on the HT-100 fiber washers, as mentioned.

Just be careful with the little wire retaining clip - it will fly off and land in the worst spot to find it, which I think falls under Newton's Third Law of Buttered Toast :wall:

eelskimmer, I know, with 6 reels, even I can't believe that I've never done the drags before. Mostly because the setups are my guest bottom fishing rods on the boat and as I now use the 3 - 40-series light-tackle setups for most of my bass/casting fishing, most of the bottom fishing we've been doing doesn't rely on the drag all that much.

I've had the sideplates off and grease the insides every year, but never have touched the drags but will surely do them now and even go whole-hog and buy new HT-100 washers and replace everything this fall/winter. Over the years I had 2 "stems"/the part that connects the reel to the rod break on account of my having installed rodholders on the wrong side of the transom gate so the outboard woudl swing up and hit the reel and break that stem, so I've had to buy new housings and take all the parts off the broken reel and install them on the new body, but never touched the drags.

For now, I will take all the collective wisdom/experience and at least clean and reassemble them this upcoming weekend.

To be honest I rarely look at the drags on my 6500 & 5500SS's. To be honest, I don't think stripers and blues put too much stress on those reels. The lighter tackle is a different story...

Im not sure about tuna...I landed two last year on the 6500SS and Im still debating whether its a mistake not to replace the washers before my Cape trip in August where hopefully we will tussle again.

:confused:

When you guys mention cleaning them in denatured alcohol, you are only talking about the metal washers right? I have always just cleaned the metal washers in warm water with a little dish soap. The teflon and HT-100's I just wipe down with a rag and put them back in if they look okay.

If you like replacing HT-100 washers (because the start to stick after water intrusion) use them dry per Penn's instructions.

If you prefer to have smooth reliable drag that is impervious to the effects of getting splashed, grease them with Cal's or Shimano drag grease.

FWIW, I used to go through drag washers like candy. I have not had to replace a greased HT-100 since I started greasing them - for the last three years. YMMV

It was very easy getting that wire clip off and the washers out. I had all manner of gunk and dried salt from all the years of neglect. Once I wiped down all the washers and put them back in, it was a great improvement. This off-season, I'll be getting a bunch of the HT-100 washers and replace every one on the reels and I think I'll also grease the washers as I like the idea of "smooth and reliable". Thanks all.