TackleTour

Picked up one of these given how cheap they are/were at TW.
Anyway, just wondering if your SV103 is similar, or mine was assembled funny

With the drag loosened all the way, (what I assume is) the handle shaft ball bearing is exposed.
Tightened to normal fishing drag pressures, the base of the star drag just barely closes that gap.
Makes fishing it in SW a bit questionable, and why bother with CRBBs at all.

Nope, that's pretty normal. You wanna shed a ton of weight on that reel? Ditch that star and get a Zion on from Tackle Trap.

what’s most disturbing is that daiwa reel siting on a shimano rod. lol

my drag star are the same but i changed one out for a type r drag star
i like the long reach but it’s more cosmetic than functional.
i may do a zaion and see how that feels with a carbon handle

goldrod wrote:what’s most disturbing is that daiwa reel siting on a shimano rod. lol

my drag star are the same but i changed one out for a type r drag star
i like the long reach but it’s more cosmetic than functional.
i may do a zaion and see how that feels with a carbon handle

My SV103XS has the Zion star and a ZPi carbon fiber handle. Oh man, its soo light it aint funny, especially with a set of hypercork knobs.

Placing another washer under the drag star should take care of that.

Ok, might try to take one washer out beneath the drag star so it sits lower when cranked down.

The other thing I'm trying to work out is if the inside of the line guide is meant to be polished or not.
The outside looks good.
Felt a little rough inside with a toothpick, likely to be OK with braid, which is what I'll have on it in the end.

Your reel seems to be fine in all ways...just enjoy it. They are truly a great reel! Enjoy it!

I try to look at these thing objectively..., and not say its fine because it's got a Daiwa or Shimano logo on it.
What attracted me to this reel were price, Al frame, Made in Japan, and SV spool. Boxes ticked.

I've contacted Daiwa US anyway to get their thoughts.

It's just deposits from water. Take a cotton swab and some degreased solution next time you clean the reel to it.

LgMouthGambler wrote:It's just deposits from water. Take a cotton swab and some degreased solution next time you clean the reel to it.

Thanks, I thought it could be, but new reel from TW... so .
Didn't wipe off easily with water, might need a solvent as you said...
But in the end, the transition is fairly distinct and coating is missing is a small area. Just looks like a dodgy part.

You can always call Daiwa, or even Tackle Trap as they are Daiwa warranty facility. Ask for Spanky and tell him your concern, or he may even pop in here. He is pikeroadbassin on this forum.

My question to daiwa

With the drag fully loosened, the drive shaft bearing is exposed,
and tightened to normal fishing drag, the gap is just barely closed.
Just wondering if there was any issue in assembly, and if not, if there would be any issue with using this in saltwater. The gap seems like an easy point of water intrusion.

The second is about the line guide, which looks smooth and polished on the outside, but inside (where it matters) is a bit rough. Again, just wondering if that is how they are.

This was Daiwa's response, bit of a cop out re: line guide.

The gap is normal, it is just the design of the reel. On the line guide, look isn’t important, but feel is. If the line isn’t being frayed and the line guide doesn’t feel touch, then it will function just fine

If you have any other questions let me know

Casey Yoern
Customer Relationship Specialist

Anyway, it doesn't matter. I god rid of the reel.

The reel was perfectly fine. You worry too much.

Sure, if you can't see or can accept the design flaw and quality issues.

High maintenance, you are.