Just installed the Tres Irby (Hatteras Outfitters) upgrade on my BG 6500, but I passed on the Abec 7 bearings. Now has 6.3:1 stainless gearing plus the 4th bearing in the level wind.
Last summer, I put the Penn 704 size washers in to try to beef up one of the wimpiest drags in any reel out there. I said I'd report back with some feedback. When I took the reel down to do the upgrade, both of the Penn washers were chewed up pretty badly. I guess because they're not an exact fit for the inside of the gear. If you do the swap, just keep an eye on them. The Penn washers are cheap enough to change a couple of times a year. The reel now has Smoothie washers. The last time I tried Smoothies was in the mid 1980s, and they didn't last very long. But these seem to be of a new type of material, so we'll see. A preliminary pull test, very unscientific, indicates more top end drag pressure. Almost feels like my Calcutta
The drag is the weak link in every Abu conventional I ever used. Hope I've found the solution--but at $5 for 3 Smoothies plus the thrust washer, it's an expensive fix if these new Smoothies wear as fast as the originals.
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