Braided line breaking

[Englishman]

This topic has come up several times, including a thread started by me about 3-4 years ago. From the responses above there is now waay more recognition that plastic pulleys previously used with wire, and worn, grooved or cut will snap braid than when I posted I thought this was the reason I was getting sudden braid snap-offs. I was just shouted down by the "braidiacs" LOL
Anyway as the guys say it is really a case of switching out your pulleys and making sure they are super smooth and clean. I wish I knew where to get "braid pulleys" that someone mentioned. Personally I would only ever use braid again on stainless steel pulleys . It is just too risky on plastic and there is always the high pitched pinging sound, like a really tightly stretched elastic band, as the braid goes over the plastic pulley. The friction of polymer on polymer is terrific!
Until I get new down riggers I will stick to wire, and maybe even then I would not risk braid without metal pulleys.

 

[Stosh]

There is no such thing as a braid pulley. You just have to make sure your pulleys are smooth, or replace them with new ones when using braid. Also, make sure the pulleys are not ceased up - this can happen. If they are ceased, even braid will cause grooving.
Stosh

 

[Seafever]

I'll say it again...

One reason we get groove wear on a pulley housing (be it wire or braid) is:- if the pulley itself doesn't swing freely and binds (when the line is pulled back from being underway), this will cause the downrigger line to rub against the pulley housing and and create a groove. If you troll for quite a distance without changing the downrigger depth, it doesn't take all that long for a groove to wear into the pulley housing.
Wire is worse than braid for this because wire is harder and tougher....and the pulley housing is plastic.


IF YOU TAKE THE PULLEY/PULLEY ASSEMBLY APART AND LUBE IT WITH THE APPROPRIATE GREASE....AND THEN PUT IT BACK TOGETHER BUT NOT OVERTIGHTENING EVERYTHING..
SO IT SWINGS FREELY WITHOUT BINDING BUT WON'T COME APART......THEN YOU HAVE SOLVED SEVENTY PERCENT OF THE PROBLEM.


Sand out the grooves in the pulley housing with fine sandpaper....or just replace the pulley housings. If the pulley unit does not swing freely back and forth, you'll be doing them again after a while anyway only sooner.

Scotty does not make a "braid" pulley. But they do make replacement pulleys.

Stainless steel pulley on downriggers? Personally I've never seen them....but anyway, the wear grooves DON"T OCCUR ON THE PULLEY ITSELF...they occur on the HOUSING that holds the pulley on Scotty riggers.

In a perfect world the downrigger line would be at the exact angle of the pulley housing when under way at all times regardless of speed. When you speed up or slow down the pulley housing angle changes accordingly.

Or should.

If the housing was installed a little bit tight at the factory...or the internal plastic is just dry..
then the pulley housing does not swing freely at all times and will create friction points on the d/line which is at a slightly different angle because the housing is not swinging smoothly and is binding at points until pressure overcomes the static friction.

This is compounded by the fact you have a 12,15 or 20lb ball adding weight/pressure to stop the housing from swinging freely.

Capiche?

 

[fshnfnatic]

What type of grease would be appropriate for the type of plastic that Scotty uses in their pulleys ?Would
Superlube Dielectric grease be fine?

 

[Dogbreath]

A waterproof silicone or lithium grease would be ideal to grease a pulley

 

[Seafever]

Don't forget that when you are underway and letting out line to get to depth, most people including myself let the gear down pretty fast.

The braid or wire then acts like a bandsaw on the pulley housing as it goes down if it's rubbing on the pulley housing.

I'll post a few pics.

also Scotty does not make a Left and Right downrigger...they are all the same. So the line guide is in front of the boom on one side and behind it on the other. This may or may not contribute to the problem.

 

[Seafever]

In this pic you can see where the grooves occur on the housing because that is where the line will rub against. Whether it's wire , braid or gagnon. If you look closely you can see where I've sanded out previous grooves.

 

[Seafever]

They are easy to take apart.

I used a longer bolt and cut it to size so that it will take the nylok nut on top of the other nut to hold the adjustment better. Notice that the collar that holds the pulley housing on the arm isn't all that big.

So when you put it back together you have to be very careful that it isn't too loose so it pops off the collar yet still swings freely.

Last time I lubed I used a combo of powdered Graphite and White Lithium grease. But the marine grease per Dogbreath is probably better.

 

[Dogbreath]

Last time I lubed I used a combo of powdered Graphite and White Lithium grease. But the marine grease per Dogbreath is probably better.

Yes the reason I posted about that stuff was because I was thinking about a Guy I fished with a number of times who loved to spray WD 40 on his downriggers-and as we all know it's not the greatest since it dries to a varnish-sure it seems fine @ the time but you end up paying.

 

[fshnfnatic]

A waterproof silicone or lithium grease would be ideal to grease a pulley

Thanks for the reply Dogbreath.Got some Lucas Oil marine grease that should do the trick.