Are there any mods I can do to my ice washers to make the drag less severe? Love how smooth they are but a few clicks from locked up solid to free spool is not ideal.
Are carbon washers better for this? Or is there anything I can do to my current setup?
Thanks
Are carbon washers better for this? Or is there anything I can do to my current setup?
Thanks
In reply to Post #1
Remove 1 ice washer and replace it with the original (felt) washer.
Tried the ice/teflon/carbon washers, overhyped product imo and have put the felt washers back in my 5500 Xdt, don't get it why so many people like to give up so many drag positions.
Remove 1 ice washer and replace it with the original (felt) washer.
Tried the ice/teflon/carbon washers, overhyped product imo and have put the felt washers back in my 5500 Xdt, don't get it why so many people like to give up so many drag positions.
In reply to Post #1
Carbon washers will be very similar as like the ice they don't compress, zinno has given an option which will work.
the other thing that works is using a spring in the spool cap, i dont know what reels you are using but if the spool cap has been converted on come as quick drag with the spring removed then by refitting a spring or using spool cap with a spring will also slow down the drag.
The only way i could tolerate carbon washers in my xt techs was to fit a spring in the spool cap, in the end i went completely back to standard with all felt compression washers.
Carbon washers will be very similar as like the ice they don't compress, zinno has given an option which will work.
the other thing that works is using a spring in the spool cap, i dont know what reels you are using but if the spool cap has been converted on come as quick drag with the spring removed then by refitting a spring or using spool cap with a spring will also slow down the drag.
The only way i could tolerate carbon washers in my xt techs was to fit a spring in the spool cap, in the end i went completely back to standard with all felt compression washers.
In reply to Post #3
They are shimano xtd 5500, so not sure of the internal setup but I have only changed the washers nothing else.
I did see a while ago someone saying they had removed 1 washer and replaced with felt but the felt ones require grease where as the ice washers are meant to be used without grease so I wasn't sure how that would work
They are shimano xtd 5500, so not sure of the internal setup but I have only changed the washers nothing else.
I did see a while ago someone saying they had removed 1 washer and replaced with felt but the felt ones require grease where as the ice washers are meant to be used without grease so I wasn't sure how that would work
In reply to Post #4
Place firstt a felt washer and then 2 ice/carbon or teflon washers, there is already so much grease on the felt washers (too much actually) that you do not need extra grease for the felt washers when you have made the spooll grease free.
Place firstt a felt washer and then 2 ice/carbon or teflon washers, there is already so much grease on the felt washers (too much actually) that you do not need extra grease for the felt washers when you have made the spooll grease free.
In reply to Post #1
When I had the larger XTD I went with 3 ice and 2 felt with the grease squeezed and scraped off. This was much better and was the way I left them when I sold them
When I had the larger XTD I went with 3 ice and 2 felt with the grease squeezed and scraped off. This was much better and was the way I left them when I sold them
In reply to Post #4
you should be fine to mix them, the washers are separated by metal washers and dont come into contact with each other, my old emblem z's have been using mixed washers for over 15 years now they are 2 and 3 i cant remember whether its 2 or 3 felt it was that long ago.
I haven't looked at an xtd but would suspect they have a bush rather than a spring in the spool cap if so it would be possible to slow them down by retro fitting a spring but then you would have to source one that fits and then the strength may be wrong, it would be easier to just try swapping an ice for a felt to see how it feels then maybe take 2 ice out.
I personally prefer all felt and like the extra adjustment imo in a carp reel the main benefit of carbon or ice is to speed them up
you should be fine to mix them, the washers are separated by metal washers and dont come into contact with each other, my old emblem z's have been using mixed washers for over 15 years now they are 2 and 3 i cant remember whether its 2 or 3 felt it was that long ago.
I haven't looked at an xtd but would suspect they have a bush rather than a spring in the spool cap if so it would be possible to slow them down by retro fitting a spring but then you would have to source one that fits and then the strength may be wrong, it would be easier to just try swapping an ice for a felt to see how it feels then maybe take 2 ice out.
I personally prefer all felt and like the extra adjustment imo in a carp reel the main benefit of carbon or ice is to speed them up
In reply to Post #7
Thanks, I think for now I'll just try removing 1 ice washer for 1 felt and see how that goes.
Wondering if I can buy new felt washers without grease on them.
Any idea on how they should be fitted? Ie should I sandwich the 1 felt in between the 2 ice washers? Or felt at the top?
Thanks, I think for now I'll just try removing 1 ice washer for 1 felt and see how that goes.
Wondering if I can buy new felt washers without grease on them.
Any idea on how they should be fitted? Ie should I sandwich the 1 felt in between the 2 ice washers? Or felt at the top?
In reply to Post #8
Yeah, you can buy new felt washers from eBay.
I'd ditch the ones you've got and just use the ones that came with the spools, just so much better. Yeah, the carbon ones/ Teflon ones are super smooth, not that the stock ones are crap - tried both - problem being is if you ever have to fully lock your rods up super tight, you just won't be able to with these aftermarket ones, whereas the stock ones you can.
Yeah, you can buy new felt washers from eBay.
I'd ditch the ones you've got and just use the ones that came with the spools, just so much better. Yeah, the carbon ones/ Teflon ones are super smooth, not that the stock ones are crap - tried both - problem being is if you ever have to fully lock your rods up super tight, you just won't be able to with these aftermarket ones, whereas the stock ones you can.
In reply to Post #8
I would just swap the top ice washer for a felt one and would just put your old felt one's back
I would just swap the top ice washer for a felt one and would just put your old felt one's back
In reply to Post #7
I'd only fit them to the really slow daiwa drags personally, and probably leave some felt washers in the stack too.
My reels at the moment I've tuned to give me a full turn from a tight freespool to a tight drag, so probably 2 full turns from proper free to locked for casting and I find that perfect for me.
Was it you who services reels? Do you sell the proper felt washers? I had a bit of a mare sourcing some as have others
I'd only fit them to the really slow daiwa drags personally, and probably leave some felt washers in the stack too.
My reels at the moment I've tuned to give me a full turn from a tight freespool to a tight drag, so probably 2 full turns from proper free to locked for casting and I find that perfect for me.
Was it you who services reels? Do you sell the proper felt washers? I had a bit of a mare sourcing some as have others
In reply to Post #11
Agree, the retailers of Ice/carbon washers have done a great job in selling these to folks with reels already having quick drags.
Agree, the retailers of Ice/carbon washers have done a great job in selling these to folks with reels already having quick drags.
In reply to Post #11
Fitted them myself, didn't have them serviced.
They were quite a slow drag as standard so wanted to have a faster drag but also a bit smoother, but have gone from a couple of turns from slack to locked up to more like a quarter of a turn for all!
I'm reply to the other comment, I can get these 100% locked up with the ice washers no problem 👍🏽
Fitted them myself, didn't have them serviced.
They were quite a slow drag as standard so wanted to have a faster drag but also a bit smoother, but have gone from a couple of turns from slack to locked up to more like a quarter of a turn for all!
I'm reply to the other comment, I can get these 100% locked up with the ice washers no problem 👍🏽
In reply to Post #11
I agree with you and the only reels of my own that i have left with slight mods are the very slow daiwa drags
No i don't and haven't serviced anyone else's reels but being an engineer i have serviced and carried out repairs to my own and friends reels and also being of an inquisitive nature i was messing about with and understanding what had various effects on the reels drag many years ago
I agree with you and the only reels of my own that i have left with slight mods are the very slow daiwa drags
No i don't and haven't serviced anyone else's reels but being an engineer i have serviced and carried out repairs to my own and friends reels and also being of an inquisitive nature i was messing about with and understanding what had various effects on the reels drag many years ago
In reply to Post #8
Place the felt washer first then the rest
Place the felt washer first then the rest