Drag Washers

[the baker]

Hey all

Anyone using the carbontex drag washers in the tyrnos 30 and TLD 25 reels and can you tell me what the upgrades are like and what was the cost

the other Question I have is that can you use Cals drag grease on any drag washer

Thanks for your help

Dave

[sina]

Hey Dave

I have only put carbontex in one of my abu's, the other abu has been changed to an upgraded dry washer. I have used Cal's on both and found that cal's runs beautifully smooth on the carbontex but not so much on the dry washers. Will probably clean up the dry's and just keep that like that (dry).
I have a TLD25 but am just running the stock washers still, about 5 years now and they still run very nice and smooth.

Cheers
Sina

[anthony72]

Hi Dave,

Like Sina, I am using them have found them fantastic and improves drag, using on two chronarch reels, two toriums 20 and calais, I use the one lot of grease for all washers even the standard ones, I use enough to very lightly cover them so they are almost dry. I have not had any trouble at all with any. The small tub I bought from Jack Erskine will last me a life time.
Costs not sure check with who you get washes from, but i installed all mine but I think i was quoted 50-100 install including washers.
I bought all mine from http://jackerskine.com/dragfrictionwashers.html

[whiteman]

The Tyrnos should have carbon drags as standard. My 16 does. Upgraded my 25 using drag and grease from old Jack in Cairns. You can tell the difference in setting the drag for trolling - so much more precise.

Cal's grease is for carbon drags. Standard material drags in the 25 need to be dry or they'll stick and you won't be doing much with the reel!

[sina]

Baker your right on the sticky drag. I think the washers are the older Smoothies and with cal's on they do run a bit sticky. I'll stick with dry on those.
On the carbontex a slight cover is all I used and it makes quite a difference over dry. Reel smooth.
I got my cal's and carbontex from Tackle Warehouse about $20 for each.

[Scott nthQld]

I changed over to carbontex in in saltist and the difference in drag pressures is huge!!

I did the job myself (very easy in these reels), but the reel teccy from my tackle shop said 'No grease' on carbontex, even though the saltist uses a wet drag system. I asked him why, and he told me that carbontex drag washers work on fricton between the little ridges interlocking and if you grease them up, because of the lower surface area, you can end up with even less drag than the original washers.

[the baker]

Thanks for the information people

Dave

[Flex]

I changed over to carbontex in in saltist and the difference in drag pressures is huge!!

I did the job myself (very easy in these reels), but the reel teccy from my tackle shop said 'No grease' on carbontex, even though the saltist uses a wet drag system. I asked him why, and he told me that carbontex drag washers work on fricton between the little ridges interlocking and if you grease them up, because of the lower surface area, you can end up with even less drag than the original washers.

Not sure if this is correct,

I was told by the experienced guys at tackleworld to use a special grease on my washers, You just have to impregnate it properly. There is even a video of a guy online doing an upgrade with carbonex and he uses grease.

I installed em myself on a spheros, used it up cape yorkfor 2 weeks straight and found it to be fantastic.
I had about 5-6kg more drag and it was alot smoother than original

[TimiBoy]

I'm not even sure you should swap.

I take my reels to D&H Reel Repairs. I took my Torium 30 to Duncan and asked for Carbontex washers. He said I didn't need to. He bead blasted the original washers (which he said were of excellent quality) and where the reel previously would hold about 7kg, we held 16!

He said this would degrade over time, and he would redo it next service. Cost including the service? $40. Hasn't degraded much (though I need to be fishing more) and we are about 9 months down the track.

Cheers,

Tim

[whiteman]

I changed over to carbontex in in saltist and the difference in drag pressures is huge!!

I did the job myself (very easy in these reels), but the reel teccy from my tackle shop said 'No grease' on carbontex, even though the saltist uses a wet drag system. I asked him why, and he told me that carbontex drag washers work on fricton between the little ridges interlocking and if you grease them up, because of the lower surface area, you can end up with even less drag than the original washers.

Change "reel techy". Methinks he doesn't know what he's talking about.

[the baker]

so what are the wet drags like with water reason I ask is I have an open boat that I chase billys out of and the reels cop the water a fair bit

Dave

[try to fish]

greased carbontex washer should last a looooooooooooooooooong time!!!

[banshee]

Change "reel techy". Methinks he doesn't know what he's talking about.

Don't know about that,sounds to me like he's the only one so far that understands these things self lubricate,the only time I would consider grease would be if a spike in start up was causing problems.
Having said that the only person in my opinion to recieve good advice is Timi Boy,I suggest any one within a Bulls roar of this Duncan bloke should use him.

[reggy]

It is my opinion that Pro Gear make the best star drag reels and that Accurate make the best lever drag reels.
Both these companies supply their reels with greased carbon drags.
I also believe that the grease on the drag washers protect the metal components of the drag and prolong the life of the drag system as well as enhancing it`s performance.
I would recommend greased carbontex for any reel. I am not saying that a dry carbon drag is not good. Just that I think a greased one is better.

[Scott nthQld]

Change "reel techy". Methinks he doesn't know what he's talking about.

Yeah a bloke who has been doing it for over 30 years and is Townsville Shimano Gold Class Sefvice agent sure doesn't know what he's talking about........

Read about it all you like, I'd much rather take the word of someone with PRACTICAL experience than text book know it all syndrome