fishingcajun Posted January 24, 2011 Posted January 24, 2011 Any help on upgrading Revo's, Revo S, Black Max, etc. Quote
Delaware Valley Tackle Posted January 24, 2011 Posted January 24, 2011 My first recommendation is a professional cleaning. Revos respond especially well to being cleaned and properly lubed. I'm a true believer in the Cabontex drag washers and they are fairly in expensive. Beyond that, I'd see what a cleaning does and then evaluate from there. Quote
Super User J Francho Posted January 24, 2011 Super User Posted January 24, 2011 Handles are all pretty much interchangeable, as are some of the bling. You probably need to be more specific in what you want. Can't see any point in trying to upgrade a Black Max. Carbontex would be a replacement in my mind, since Revos already use a similar material. Quote
Delaware Valley Tackle Posted January 24, 2011 Posted January 24, 2011 Handles are all pretty much interchangeable, as are some of the bling. You probably need to be more specific in what you want. Can't see any point in trying to upgrade a Black Max. Carbontex would be a replacement in my mind, since Revos already use a similar material. Granted, the difference in drag power is not as noticeable as in other brands of reel. Even though the materials are similar, the Carbontex washers seem to have a tighter weave and smooth out the drag some on a Revo. I agree with not investing a lot in the Black Max. Quote
Super User J Francho Posted January 24, 2011 Super User Posted January 24, 2011 Well, the Smooth Drags product is way better than the OE parts on the Revo. Just saying that I don't think you'll up the drag, though you're right, Smooth Drags do hold grease better, if you go to a wet system, if you want smoother. That's def. an improvement. Quote
central.PA.bass Posted January 25, 2011 Posted January 25, 2011 Do you think it would be beneficial to upgrade the drag on a Revo S with the Carbontex drag washers? I'm ordering some for my 09 Premier and was gonna get some if they were gonna be beneficial... what is the drag on a revo s? Quote
Super User J Francho Posted January 25, 2011 Super User Posted January 25, 2011 Is the drag giving you trouble? Quote
lightsout Posted January 25, 2011 Posted January 25, 2011 If you do your homework you can find parts from other reels that will interchange. To save weight, you can swap the handle to a BPS carbonlite handle. The gears from the carbonlite/Pro qualifier tournament will also swap into certain revos. The duraliminum will give you a noticeable decrease in weight over the brass. Quote
central.PA.bass Posted January 25, 2011 Posted January 25, 2011 Is the drag giving you trouble? The premier is.. I set the hook and the bail spins or "slips" regardless.. I do not have that problem with any of my STXs.. And no the drag on the S isnt giving me any problems.. just looking for projects to do this winter to pass the time.. Quote
Super User J Francho Posted January 25, 2011 Super User Posted January 25, 2011 The Premeir's aluminum gearing cannot handle the higher drag force that the S/SX/STX can. You trade drag power for weight on that type of reel. You could add a Carbontex washer to the mix, but you'll still have to be careful with max drag power. Quote
central.PA.bass Posted January 25, 2011 Posted January 25, 2011 I called BPS and they are out of stock on all carbonlite handles and didnt know when they would get more.. lady said they'd be around 30some bucks Quote
KenG85 Posted January 25, 2011 Posted January 25, 2011 So what's in the 2010 premier that gives similar weight and the ability to handle 20lbs of drag. Is that not the same duralumin gears? Quote
hitchhiker Posted January 25, 2011 Posted January 25, 2011 A good thorough cleaning and polishing of key areas should have any revo in primo condition. You could ask BPS for a used carbonlite handle from a returned reel and get a swept drag star. Don't forget the nut, locking ring, and screw. It should be about 1/2 the price of a new one. It only has two bearings in the handle though. You could add 2 bearings to the levelwind in an S and add 1 to the Premier, but you'll have to order a different level wind tube from a Winch or an SX to accomodate the extra bearings. Can't think of much else, but I'm sure there's more. Quote
lightsout Posted January 25, 2011 Posted January 25, 2011 So what's in the 2010 premier that gives similar weight and the ability to handle 20lbs of drag. Is that not the same duralumin gears? Your right, I believe one of the J.M. reels has the duralumin gear and has 15lbs(?). Its the design of the drag stack on a given reel, not the duralumin matierial. Quote
Super User J Francho Posted January 25, 2011 Super User Posted January 25, 2011 Who knows what the manu spec'd for the new reels. What I guess I'm missing here is why spend all this money to get something else? I mean, why not just buy what you wanted in the first place? There's nothing wrong with upgrading, or replacing worn parts like drag washers or bearings, but it seems like way too much ado and money for minimal gains. Quote
central.PA.bass Posted January 25, 2011 Posted January 25, 2011 But when the Revo Premier (2009 version) comes with pathetic drag initially, why not upgrade it? Especially when you cant get a good hookset because of the drag being so weak? Quote
rubba bubba Posted January 25, 2011 Posted January 25, 2011 Especially when you cant get a good hookset because of the drag being so weak? You could do that, or you could use your thumb more as another option. Quote
central.PA.bass Posted January 25, 2011 Posted January 25, 2011 I guess... I'd rather have the security of knowing my drag is strong enough to not slip when I set the hook.. different strokes for different folks I guess.. Quote
Super User J Francho Posted January 25, 2011 Super User Posted January 25, 2011 Wrong tool for the job. The Premier was for light baits, and light line. You want max drag, get an SX/STX. Quote
central.PA.bass Posted January 25, 2011 Posted January 25, 2011 just out of curiosity.. then why did Abu Garcia upgrade the drag on the new Premiers? Quote
KenG85 Posted January 25, 2011 Posted January 25, 2011 I think, at least for me, it's cabin fever. And learning about the reel mechanics is fun. I find it pretty interesting. Also, the best part about learning something is applying it. So helping assemble something into something unique is rewarding. I know I wont be able to wait to use my customized stuff once it warms up. And there's the money issue. I bought my Revo S for 80 bux 2 years ago. Now i want something better, so instead of paying over 200 for a new one. (well 150 if i sell my Revo S). I can spend 70 - 90 creating my own unique product customized to my liking. Quote
Super User J Francho Posted January 25, 2011 Super User Posted January 25, 2011 just out of curiosity.. then why did Abu Garcia upgrade the drag on the new Premiers? Sales? Who knows. They aren't very durable reels anyway (all Revos), based on what I see after a couple years use. Guys love them, and they work well though. Quote
KenG85 Posted January 25, 2011 Posted January 25, 2011 Who knows what the manu spec'd for the new reels. What I guess I'm missing here is why spend all this money to get something else? I mean, why not just buy what you wanted in the first place?There's nothing wrong with upgrading, or replacing worn parts like drag washers or bearings, but it seems like way too much ado and money for minimal gains. I was responding to this, btw. Quote
Super User Chris at Tech Posted January 26, 2011 Super User Posted January 26, 2011 Sales? Who knows. They aren't very durable reels anyway (all Revos), based on what I see after a couple years use. Guys love them, and they work well though. What do you see breaking down in the Revos? Quote
fishingcajun Posted January 26, 2011 Author Posted January 26, 2011 KenG85, That's what I was looking to do. Upgrade with better parts. My reels are all less than two years old and work fine. I couldn't afford to buy all winch's, so I had to settle for a couple lower end models. I thought I read in a post that all lower end Revo's could be upgraded. Quote
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