Help me choose parts to upgrade OG JDM Daiwa Fuegos

[Cbump]

I just bought two factory older Fuegos. I want to upgrade spool bearings, drag washers, and possibly change to a swept handle, which I think requires a new drag star. 
 

However, I have zero clue what parts I need, what’s compatible, if this is something I could do myself, etc.  

 

If anyone has a comprehensive list of exactly what I need (links would be mighty helpful) that would be great. 
 

Thanks! 

 

Here’s the model I got:

 

 

[garroyo130]

I won't be of much help, but that's a good purchase.

[PourMyOwn]

Some of my favorites right there, you're going to love them. 

 

Before I spent a penny on new bearings, I'd do an acetone flush of the factory ones. Often the stock bearings on higher end reels are worth keeping. 

[Cbump]

1 hour ago, PourMyOwn said:

Some of my favorites right there, you're going to love them. 

 

Before I spent a penny on new bearings, I'd do an acetone flush of the factory ones. Often the stock bearings on higher end reels are worth keeping. 

Thank you. I will check into that. I haven’t laid my hands on these yet. Hoping there are delivered today. Supposed to be really smooth as is according to the seller. 

[bulldog1935]

Here's your link

https://www.hedgehog-studio.co.jp/page/228

[Cbump]

Thank you. Those two Fuegos don’t look like mine. 

[JustJames]

11 minutes ago, Cbump said:

Thank you. Those tell Fuegos don’t look like mine. 

Your Fuego is considered higher end reel with magnesium frame and free floating spool not the cheap newer Fuego model. 
Here review of OG Fuego, sorry I cannot be a lot of help since my favorite is Alphas platforms not Zillion.

http://www.tackletour.com/reviewdaiwafuego.html

 

[PourMyOwn]

28 minutes ago, bulldog1935 said:

Here's your link

https://www.hedgehog-studio.co.jp/page/228

Thank you-i have a pile of TD (S,X,Z) here and I could never find a place to start. All of the customization is mind boggling.

[Cbump]

52 minutes ago, Bass_Fishing_SoCal said:

Your Fuego is considered higher end reel with magnesium frame and free floating spool not the cheap newer Fuego model. 
Here review of OG Fuego, sorry I cannot be a lot of help since my favorite is Alphas platforms not Zillion.

http://www.tackletour.com/reviewdaiwafuego.html

 

Thanks for the link. I had no idea they were “higher end”. 

[new2BC4bass]

I have 3 of them.  It was my first low profile baitcaster when they closed them out in 2009.  Got 2 new ones for $144 and change.  Had the first one tuned and the bearings upgraded.  Sorry, but don't remember the brand of bearings.  Personally I don't think the bearings help performance all that much on this reel.  Same can be said for my other tuned reels.  I find that on most of my tuned reels I can run brakes a bit lower and cast with a bit less power for the same results as before the tune.

 

The original Fuego was an underrated reel by many...but not all.  I think you will enjoy the reel quite a bit.  Looks to be in super good condition for its age, but then so are mine.  All my reels have covers on them when not in use.

 

At 7.4 oz. it is considered heavy by some today, but I have no problem fishing my 8.3 oz. Zillion or 9 oz. Procaster.  I admit that a combo weighing less than 9 oz. is a blast to fish, but one weighing 12-13 oz. or so is not a deal breaker for me.  The hot sun tires me more than the difference in combo weights.

[Tatulatard]

I'd get an aluminum silver long arm star, clicker and then an aluminum chinease handle then polish that up and run it with a red lock plate, silver nut and two of the old I style knobs in black but cork woukd also look sharp.  Spool wise I hear the stock is ok one out of a 100m TD-Z, zillion pe specials, hlc or rays studio finesse spoolare the ones to get.  Stock spool is kind of heavy and for 3/8 oz and up.

[Cbump]

I thought the gear ratio part of the article was funny….

During our field tests we hooked into a number of bass that proceeded to run towards the boat. The Fuego made it easy to keep up with these sprinters and made up the line deficit quickly, allowing us to maintain tension on the fish. The reel features a blistering fast 6.3:1 gear ratio which matches the ultra fast supertuned Team Daiwa Advantage. Because the reel was so quick it is ideal for burning spinners or cranking jerkbaits, but we had to constantly remind ourselves to slow it down when slow crawling plastics.

 

 

 

Article also says about 6lbs of max drag. Crazy that most of my reels are 12-20max now. 

[bulldog1935]

actually, the crazy part would be using more than 3-4 lbs of drag

 

 

any more unless you're offshore are just numbers on paper

[Cbump]

Just funny that 6.3 was blistering then and max drag about 6. Now we have 10gear reels and 20lb max drag. 

[zell_pop1]

6.3 gear ratio was pretty much standard back then not "blistering speed", but tackletour always were biased for Japan made reels.

[webertime]

6.3 ratio but that reel still has a 28+" ipt.

[WRB]

On 7/2/2022 at 11:57 AM, Cbump said:

I just bought two factory older Fuegos. I want to upgrade spool bearings, drag washers, and possibly change to a swept handle, which I think requires a new drag star. 
 

However, I have zero clue what parts I need, what’s compatible, if this is something I could do myself, etc.  

 

If anyone has a comprehensive list of exactly what I need (links would be mighty helpful) that would be great. 
 

Thanks! 

 

Here’s the model I got:

 

 

JDM ? Looks like original TD Fuego. Check brake plate, the early TD Fuego had a factory upgrade to replace it.

Tom

[zell_pop1]

53 minutes ago, webertime said:

6.3 ratio but that reel still has a 28+" ipt.

But even that was not unusual. Just looking at my 06 BPS catalog so did under $100 reels like Daiwa's Procaster series of reels and Pflueger's Trion series.

[new2BC4bass]

Well....it is blistering fast compared to the Curado 3.8:1 reel.