sealed drag problems

the_grube

the_grube

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Reel is a Nautilus X-frame that I bought new about 4 years ago. Issue is that the drag doesn't work at all while the reel is full. After stripping about 50ft of line it kicks in and works (albeit kind of herky-jerky) until the next time. I soak the reel in dish-soap about once a year, but haven't ever had the sealed drag apart.
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Lots of gummy residue that smells like tires after a good burnout. My guess is that cleaning this up will fix the problem? What do you all recommend for cleaning sealed drags with?
 
the_grube said:
Reel is a Nautilus X-frame that I bought new about 4 years ago. Issue is that the drag doesn't work at all while the reel is full. After stripping about 50ft of line it kicks in and works (albeit kind of herky-jerky) until the next time. I soak the reel in dish-soap about once a year, but haven't ever had the sealed drag apart.
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View attachment 149212


Lots of gummy residue that smells like tires after a good burnout. My guess is that cleaning this up will fix the problem? What do you all recommend for cleaning sealed drags with?
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DimeBrite said:
Send photos and your description to Nautilus service and see what they advise.
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Yeah, I’d be letting nautilus clean this up.
 
What is so special about the fly reels that an average guy wouldn't be able to service/clean the drag? Hundreds of thousands of fisher folks have been cleaning their high end baitcasters and spinning reels for years and years. It's not exactly rocket science to properly align an O ring to seal the drag. Right? Asking for a friend...
 
Chinook Angler said:
What is so special about the fly reels that an average guy wouldn't be able to service/clean the drag? Hundreds of thousands of fisher folks have been cleaning their high end baitcasters and spinning reels for years and years. It's not exactly rocket science to properly align an O ring to seal the drag. Right? Asking for a friend...
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Seems like running a rubbing alcohol soaked que-tip to remove the built up residue would be pretty innocuous and probably fix the problem right?
 
the_grube said:
Seems like running a rubbing alcohol soaked que-tip to remove the built up residue would be pretty innocuous and probably fix the problem right?
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Look at the Alan Tani website for general reel cleaning and lubing guidelines. A lot of good info there. I bought a jar of drag washer grease and a tube of blue Yamaha marine grease and that is what I use after cleaning with rubbing alcohol. Never had a problem.
 
Chinook Angler said:
Look at the Alan Tani website for general reel cleaning and lubing guidelines. A lot of good info there. I bought a jar of drag washer grease and a tube of blue Yamaha marine grease and that is what I use after cleaning with rubbing alcohol. Never had a problem.
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Also, if you know how to clean and lube your drag, you are not up the creek when your drag craps out when you are a thousand miles away from the repair shop and due to fish the next day.

They sound like somewhere you might not want to go on the internet, but these people are actually a good source for all your drag needs…

SMOOTH DRAG – Smoooooth Drag Carbontex® "replacement drag washers"

www.smoothdrag.com www.smoothdrag.com
 
the_grube said:
I've filled out their web form twice now, last week and again just now. Will call them if I don't get an email.
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Suggest calling them up and describe the issue. It has helped me resolve a past issue quickly. Nautilus was helpful.
 
Called Nautilus, it's $45 plus shipping one way to have the reel rebuilt. Gonna go with that option on this rig. Takes 10-15 business days for them to process and I can live w/o this reel that long.
I do have a 'dirt bag level wind' that 'a friend' of mine uses for pulling plugs with the same drag issues. I might poke at fixing that drag myself. Thanks all for the responses!
 
the_grube said:
Called Nautilus, it's $45 plus shipping one way to have the reel rebuilt. Gonna go with that option on this rig. Takes 10-15 business days for them to process and I can live w/o this reel that long.
I do have a 'dirt bag level wind' that 'a friend' of mine uses for pulling plugs with the same drag issues. I might poke at fixing that drag myself. Thanks all for the responses!
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No reason not to if its only $45--especially that time frame.

I've sent two Hatch's back to and they only charged me $20 total, but it took 2-3 months.
 
small price to pay rather than screwing it up.

I do like my Danielsson's in that even though they're stacked sealed drags, the maintenance is super simple. The singular issue I've had with them was walked through with me by their customer service. super simple. That said, there's something to be said for something like Tibor or other cork drags. Sure, may require a little more maintenance, but if you can easily service without sending it in, that's huge.
 
clarkman said:
small price to pay rather than screwing it up.

I do like my Danielsson's in that even though they're stacked sealed drags, the maintenance is super simple. The singular issue I've had with them was walked through with me by their customer service. super simple. That said, there's something to be said for something like Tibor or other cork drags. Sure, may require a little more maintenance, but if you can easily service without sending it in, that's huge.
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I talked with Ted at one point about the reel maintenance thing years ago, and I asked him what I should do with my new Everglades reel as it was my first cork drag reel. His advice, paraphrased, amounted to “Go fishing, and don’t do anything to it for a year or two other than to rinse it every so often. Then lube it once and forget about it for another couple years.”
 
This is why I always suggest to guys going on a trip to make sure to take a cork drag reel along. I have several sealed drags and like them. But when I am thousands of miles from home I want a reel that I can take apart and clean/lube it in 5 minutes and be back in business. Sealed drags are great....until they aren't sealed.
 
ifsteve said:
This is why I always suggest to guys going on a trip to make sure to take a cork drag reel along. I have several sealed drags and like them. But when I am thousands of miles from home I want a reel that I can take apart and clean/lube it in 5 minutes and be back in business. Sealed drags are great....until they aren't sealed.
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That's how I feel about a lot of equipment people buy for the warranty or price. Gear failure isn't a question of "if" but "when", and the warranty only applies when your shit is broken, maybe, and if it's broken you aren't fishing it. The laces on one of my wading boots broke the other morning. Disappointing because I've only been wearing the boots for four months, but a simple knot saw me fishing that day and so on (and I haven't bothered to replace the lace yet). If a BOA boot had broken (no matter how great the warranty) I'd have been SOL.
 
the_grube said:
Called Nautilus, it's $45 plus shipping one way to have the reel rebuilt. Gonna go with that option on this rig. Takes 10-15 business days for them to process and I can live w/o this reel that long.
I do have a 'dirt bag level wind' that 'a friend' of mine uses for pulling plugs with the same drag issues. I might poke at fixing that drag myself. Thanks all for the responses!
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Tibor will clean up, adjust ad replace dogs if needed for $ 80.00. My Gulfstream has seen some combat in the salt and has held up well. I figure that is a small price to pay when something big is on the line. We spend money on these proven reels because of the reputation for not failing when it counts. I once had a big saltwater fish completely toast a drag on a certain lower brand of reel on the first run. Buy the best you can afford, cry about it once and pay to have it serviced.
 
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