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Experience with Penn Service

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dleopoldi914

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I inherited a 320 GTI US Made conventional. As some have stated here I purchased the updated carbontex drag system. The drag seems to be seized up on this reel however. I bought to my local tackle shop and they said they didn't want to force it. This reel brand new is $100.

 

Seems like penn would charge me $27 flat labor, $10 shipping, 8 Handling=Total $45......This doesn't even mention if we need parts it is more. Is there someone that knows someone that is good with Penns and can install the drag and service the reel back to new?

 

Or.....

 

Should I just bite the bullet and send to Penn?

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It's a simple reel, the drag seized? I would just clean and reassemble the right side plate. You can't loosen the star drag or even when you loosen it, the spool won't give while pulling line? When It's thrown in freespool, works as should?

 

Edited by meccalli
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I’d submerg it in WD-40. Let it sit, checking it from time to time. Days, not hours. 

Any repair, be it a reel or a washing machine, they aren’t going to waste their time and your money screwing around with it. After wasting time trying to “Save” the part, the part might be beyond use anyway.

It you can get thing to move, go from there. Otherwise, thrash it.

Most likely the drag is’nt the only thing seized.

But that’s just my opinion.

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7 hours ago, dleopoldi914 said:

Spoke to rick at ricks reels and repair in Florida . He told me it is common if not serviced the drag will seize up. Services reel for $27 . He told me the washers are probably shot in the drag and he will put in my carbontex drag .

I started doing this kind of thing when I was 14 or 15. It’s not hard to figure out yourself on a reel like that. Drag washers are very simple to replace. Order the carbontex washers and just put them in. I’m sure there’s plenty of schematics online you can look at. Even if you had absolutely no idea what you were doing the only thing that you would have a problem with is putting the reel back together and aligning the eccentric jack to the eccentric or basically the thing that puts it from gear to free spool. Just align it by sight til the knob clicks back in there. But it’s all easy

Edited by Big Will
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This reel is super easy to service go to Alan tani’s website and there are tutorials to walk you through. The gti series of reels will last you forever if maintained. About the only thing I’ve ever replaced were the line leveling pawls and drag washers. If you are not comfortable doing it paying 40-45 bucks for a 320 gti is worth it all day long. 

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15 mins ago, giggyfish said:

This reel is super easy to service go to Alan tani’s website and there are tutorials to walk you through. The gti series of reels will last you forever if maintained. About the only thing I’ve ever replaced were the line leveling pawls and drag washers. If you are not comfortable doing it paying 40-45 bucks for a 320 gti is worth it all day long. 

The way I look at it.....Its like detailing a car. A car that is not taken care of for years probably needs a pro to get it ultra clean. Then you can do regular maintenance. I do this with alot of my reels. My 704 I got was a mess. Sent it out and got it done. Now I do the upkeep myself.

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22 hours ago, dleopoldi914 said:

The way I look at it.....Its like detailing a car. A car that is not taken care of for years probably needs a pro to get it ultra clean. Then you can do regular maintenance. I do this with alot of my reels. My 704 I got was a mess. Sent it out and got it done. Now I do the upkeep myself.

This makes sense. I have said it before but Penn's presence on this site makes me feel quite comfortable knowing if I had an issue, I could speak directly to Tony. That alone would make me buy a Penn over something else.

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