Here's some pics to see the drag and handle modifications. There were some questions about whether a TE handle would really go on a Cardiff. You can see the pics and decide if you wanna do it. If you've never taken a reel apart, just start from the outside and work your way sequentially in, then sequentially out putting it back together. You can cheat and pop the side plate off by unscrewing the three big screws, but you only want to do that if you just need to get to the spool.

The dartanium drag washer sits inside the largest gear. You want to lube it up with Shimano drag grease before setting it in place. Just rub the grease on your fingers and rub it over the washer, then set it in. You don't need a ton, just a thin layer all over the washer. You can also put a little on the bottom of the metal washer that sits on top. To get these washers out, carefully pry them out with a screwdriver or the tip of a sharp knife. You don't want to scratch the edge of the metal washer or cut into the dartanium washer on accident.
http://www.calfishing.com/images/reels/all_parts.jpg

You can see there is about 1/16" gap on the handle. By screwing down the nut a little tighter than normal, you can fish it like this OK. It's worked no problem for me for a few trips now.
http://www.calfishing.com/images/reels/te_handle_gap.jpg

All happy now
http://www.calfishing.com/images/reels/cardiff_300_mods.jpg

What is wrong with the stock handle on a cardiff? Just curious because I just bought one and thought the stock handle worked fine. Also what are the advantages of the new drag washer you show in the pictures.

The stock handle is fine, I just like a bigger handle.

I'm fishing 25lb with a very tight drag on these reels. With the dartanium drag, you can set the drag really tight but still get smooth pay out of line. The way I fish, the drag should only come into play on 25lb test on the biggest fish. A 6 or 7lber should not pull drag. BUT, when the big bite comes and the fish dives the other way, I want it to pay out some line. I fish it tight enough that when it does pay out the line, you hear a pinging popping sound as the line goes through the levelwind. The stock washers are made out of a cloth or asbestos type material and are stickier at a high drag setting, I think because they get compressed. If you're fishing that tight of a drag and it sticks, that's when you might snap off.

It's also been my experience so far with dartanium drags that it doesn't really matter if you back the drag off or not for storing the reel. The disc is so hard, I don't see how it could be affected. With the stock drags, if you leave the drag set tight, it will compress the disk and start to push it out the edges. That distortion is what makes it get stickier. If you have a curado with a fried drag, pull out the cloth disc and I bet it's pushed out and a little frayed around the edges.

That's just personal observation, not some expert info. I don't think most people set their drag as tight as I do for bass fishing :)

And what is that funny colored line or your reel? ;-)

Thanks for posting instructions with pics, looks cool.

Trev-

hey rob,
i was wondering when you put the TE handle on the Cardiff and there was some space in the Cardiff shaft and the TE handle did you have a problem fishing with the gap that was left or was it sound?

http://www.calfishing.com/images/reels/te_handle_gap.jpg

Yes there is a gap, that's one of the questions I was trying to answer here.

Does it fish ok?
Yes so far.

Could it potentially have a problem?
That could be possible.

Does Shimano recommend that you do this?
No, I really don't thinks so.

I was told by a Shimano Customer service rep, that the dartanium won't work in the cardiff, obviously, it will. I was also told by this person, that the dartanium drag system consisted of several drag washers, yet you're only using one. I would like to convert my drags in my Cardiff 300 to dartanium and appreciate all your input. I will post a picture or two of my Cardiff 300 larger paddle handles shortly.

Thanks again!
Nicholas
nshinkle@adelphia.net

I'll have to pull the reel apart and check vs some extras I have in a bag. I think they are BNT2518, but I'll have to verify. Yes, the dartanium drags are a system. In a Calcutta 400, there's a bunch of washers. You have to get the right one that is approximately the same size as the cloth one.

Here's a picture of the Shimano handle I use on my Cardiff 300's. Mine are also "Super-Tuned", please email me for more info on "Super-Tuning" your reels!!!!

Nicholas
nshinkle@adelphia.net

using Dartanium in a reel without a "multiple" stack of Dart. Washers, will make it a "all or nothing" style drag.

the washer I find works better, in anything from a Curado, to a Calcutta, is a BNT 2137, the Calais drag washer.

Cool Japanese handle on that cardiff!!!!!!!!

Dane

> Here's a picture of the Shimano handle I use on my Cardiff
>300's. Mine are also "Super-Tuned", please email me for more
>info on "Super-Tuning" your reels!!!!
>
>Nicholas
>nshinkle@adelphia.net



just curious a on your super tuning techniques. I have a catala 400 and it ran like #### outa the box. I was thinking ceramic abec 5 bearings and som smooothie drag washers. anything under 2oz. casts like crap and im only using 14lb. test.

I ordered the BNT 2137 washer for my Cardiff 301 (lefty) but it's too big and looks skinnier in porportion than the one in the picture above. Is it the right part # or did Shimano put in a wrong part. Their package has the right part # on it though;(

It wil work fine, the other washer "Dartanium II" compresses slightly when the drag plate pushes against it. The standard Dartanium will not do this and you'll be OK

I did something similar one time only I put a Penn Squidder handle on a 209 Penn, since I hated the tiny handle on the 209. I also had quite a gap between the handle hole and the reel spindle. To help alleviate this, I made a "bushing" out of copper tubing. It was easy to bend and shape and fit into the handle "hole" gap and I filed it down to the width of the handle. This kept the handle from potentially stripping out on the spindle if the drag was too tight or a big fish was on.

I have a question. On picture number two, I can't figure out how to take off that gold nut. How do you do it? Thanks.

it's reverse threads on the left handed model. Turn it like you were going to tighten it and it will come off

They must have given me the wrong part because it looked different from the picture above.

I put on Extreme Smoooth Drag on the my Cardiff 301 and I like it. You need to sand it down smaller and thinner in order for it to work properly though.