45 series

The Tournament models are a family of super long stroke reels that are technically very similar, although they don’t form an official Daiwa series. For clarity, we’ve grouped them into three series.

The 45 series are the most expensive models in the Tournament family. Designed for long distance casting, these casting reels share the range with the smaller SS-35, SS-35II and Z35T models, but the 45 series is superior due to its 45 mm stroke. They are successive models with improved designs. Still highly prized for sports casting, these reels have set several records.

They have no drag, and will have to be converted when used for carp fishing. They come in left- or right-handed versions, with left-handed ones being rarer. For these reasons, they are less often seen on the bank. Three JDM models were released, with the SS-45 being the most sought-after.

On this page, you will find general technical information. The reel is broken down into different segments presented in the order in which the reel is typically assembled. For detailed model info, click the models below.

Body assembly

The body is made of SiC Whisker reinforced carbon composite. The capsule design provides high torsional stiffness and protects from water and dirt. Two side covers and a rear cover are fitted, which is great for servicing. A bail kicker is mounted on the reel stem. It pushes the bail back after casting if it has not been closed by hand.

Besides colours and decals, the bodies within the 45 series are identical. They came in left- and right-handed versions, so side covers can differ depending on the handle position. Compared with the 3000‑5000‑35 bodies, they are quite similar, but longer at the front to fit an extra ball bearing. Because of this extra support point, they have no pinion holder and therefore no pinion holder housing in the body.

Anti-reverse

The anti-reverse mechanism is housed inside the body and uses a pawl that engages the ratchet on the pinion gear. When the anti-reverse lever (1) is activated, the pawl (2) is pushed down by a spring, locking the pinion (3) and preventing backward rotation. When the lever is off, it lifts the pawl together with a spring (4) on the drive gear, allowing the pinion gear to rotate freely in both directions. This ensures smooth and reliable operation. Make sure that the flat end of this spring is correctly seated in the recess of the anti-reverse pawl. Identical components are used for all three models, only the lever colour varies. It consists of the following main components:

Lever (1)
Pawl (2)
Ratchet (pinion) (3)
Pawl spring (drive gear) (4)

Worm gear oscillation

Featured on all Tournament models and superior at the time to the many seen locomotive oscillation mechanisms. Daiwa marketed this as ‘flat winding system’. The worm gear oscillation translates rotary motion into an up-and-down movement of the spool, ensuring an even and smooth line lay. The pinion gear drives the worm shaft gear (1), which turns the worm shaft (2). The worm shaft is supported by bushes (3). Ball bearings don’t improve line lay and only add weight, so they were probably left out on the Procasters for that reason. As it turns, the oscillating slider (4) that is attached to the main shaft follows the grooves on the worm shaft via an oscillating pawl, translating this motion into the up-and-down movement. The wormshaft is made of super duralumin and protected in a shield cover, which also functions as a guide for the slider. Identical components are used for all three models. It consists of the following main components:

Worm shaft gear (1)
Worm shaft + shield cover (2)
Bushes (3)
Oscillating slider (4)

The oscillating slider houses the oscillating pawl (5) in a bush (6) and tiny washer (7), secured by a cover plate (8). Two cover screws may be installed with thread-lock, and can be very tight when removed for the first time. Be careful, using the wrong screwdriver can easily damage them. The oscillating slider houses the following components:

Oscillating pawl (5)
Pawl bush (6)
Pawl washer (7)
Cover plate + screws (8)

Drive train

The drive train transmittes the power. All models use hypoid gears. The drive gear, powered by the handle, drives the pinion gear, which is directly connected to the rotor. In addition to rotating the rotor, the pinion gear also drives the worm gear oscillation system. Regardless of the handle position, the dentition of the drivegear is always to the left side of the pinion gear, so the rotor rotation is equal for both the left and right handle versions.

The gear ratio is 4.1:1, just like the 3000-5000-35 series. So for every full turn of the handle, the rotor rotates 4.1 times. The dimensions of the spool affect the line retrieve; when the original deep (PE5) spool is used, the line retrieve is 83 cm. While adequate for general carp angling, it is worth bearing in mind when using these reels unconverted for spodding, as most modern or dedicated spod reels have a considerably higher retrieve.

The drive train consists of two assemblies:

1: Pinion gear assembly

The pinion gear is made from super duralumin, a high-strength aluminium alloy, and finished in black almite (black anodised). The pinion gear is supported by two ball bearings. Unlike the 3000-5000 models, no pinion holder is used. All three models use identical components, Z45T has an additional washer between the pinion teeth and the ratchet. It consists of the following:

Pinion gear (1)
Anti-reverse ratchet (2)
Spacing sleeve (3)
Ball bearing (4)
Spacing sleeve (5)
Spacer (6)
Ball bearing (7)
Bearing washer (8)

2: Drive gear assembly

The drive gear is also made from super duralumin and finished in black almite. All three models use a threaded drive type, as they are fitted with screw-in handles. Although the drive gears are identical across all models, they differ between left- and right-handed versions. Right-handed models use a larger ball bearing on the handle side and a smaller one on the opposite side. Left-handed models follow the same arrangement, but include an adapter sleeve on the shaft end to allow the smaller bearing to fit opposite the handle. The two ball bearings supporting the drive gear are housed in the side covers. The assembly consists of the following:

Drive gear
Drive gear washer
Two ball bearings (different sizes)
Anti-reverse pawl spring

Main shaft assembly

The main shaft lacks a click spring holder, as there is no drag. The spool washer (1) and main shaft washer (2) sit together. The 6 mm main shaft (3) is made of 85 % titanium alloy, light yet strong. All components are identical, except the main shaft, which has a different part number on the Z45T. It consists of the following:

Spool washer (1)
Main shaft washer (2)
Main shaft (3)
Rotor nut + holding plate (4)

When converting, the main shaft does not need to be replaced. In addition to a new spool and drag knob, only a click leaf spring holder and spring, together with the necessary washers, are required. (First-generation) Basia parts can be used for these conversions, as components from the 6000–9000 series do not fit.

Rotor assembly

The rotor assembly is attached to the pinion gear using a rotor nut, secured with a rotor nut holding plate. The rotor assembly consists of a rotor, line guard system and bail assembly. Besides colours and decals, all components are identical for the three models, except for the bail and line roller components. Those were upgraded over time, first with a ball bearing and later with a Twistbuster line roller on top of that.

Rotor

The rotor is made from a magnesium alloy. As casting distance was crucial, all components were designed to be as light as possible. As with the 35 series, the line guard system is positioned opposite to that of the 3000–5000 and 6000–9000 models. Perhaps this was a practical choice so that, during factory assembly, magnesium and aluminium rotors (GS-9000 and SS-9000) could be distinguished.

Line guard system

This system consists of a set of rollers mounted on the rotor, that run along a rubber ring on the spool. This prevents line hangups. It consists of a set of the following components:

Line guard roller shaft (1)
Line guard rollers (2)
Roller shaft nut (3)

Although very reliable, this system is notorious on tournies for the squeaking ‘coffee grinder’ noises. A drop of reel oil or PTFE spray on the line guard shafts usually fixes it. If not, replace the spool rubbers and / or rollers. Removing the spool rubbers entirely stops the noise but disables the system.

Bail assembly

A two-piece bail is used on all models. The bail arm (1) and bail wire (2) are separate components, secured together by the line roller screw (3). Two bail arm screw retainers (4) connect the bail to the rotor. Inside the rotor, the bail spring (5) is housed in a spring chamber behind the bail trip cover (6), allowing the bail to snap open and closed quickly and reliably. It consists of the following components:

Bail arm (1)
Bail wire (2)
Line roller components (3)
Bail arm screw retainers (4)
Bail spring + spring shaft + washer (5)
Bail trip cover (6)

The SS models use U-type TiN rollers, with the Z45T featuring the Twistbuster design. This reduces line twist up to 90%, according to Daiwa. SS-45 line rollers run on bushes, whereas the SS-45II and Z45T are supported by a ball bearing.

Spool and drag

As the spool is crucial for long distance casting, the three models came in different versions with different spools, each for their own application.

Each was supplied with at least one aluminium spool, and a varying number of additional aluminium or graphite spools, depending on the version. The spool line-up is extensive, ranging from 4-degree tapered, ultra-shallow PE1 spools to the deepest 3-degree tapered PE5 spools, as well as reversed tapered spools designed for braided lines. They also feature a line memory system, allowing users to mark the size of PE line loaded, so it can be easily identified later.

All reels in this group have a 45 mm stroke, so the spools are interchangeble. Since all models have no drag, the reels can be converted if desired, using Basia 45 mm spools. When using the original spools for spodding, be aware that some spools are ultra shallow and not all feature a line clip.

Handle

Handles on the 45 series are very similar to the 35 series, except for the fact that these reels are not ambidextrous. So the reels come in left- or right-handed models. Left-handed ones, used by most of us, are much harder to find.

All models feature 85 mm screw-in handles, the threaded shaft screws directly into the drive gear. At the time, these handles were regarded as superior to the one-touch handles. The handles feature soft-touch handle knobs. Although these are comfortable to use, they are known to become brittle and hard over time due to ageing and exposure to sunlight and other elements, and may eventually break. On the Z45T, the handle knob shaft includes two ball bearings for smooth rotation. This handle is silver coloured, while the handles on the SS models are black.

Ball bearings

The main shaft (pinion gear) is supported by two ball bearings, just like the 6000-9000 models. The ball bearings on all three models are identical, Koyo bearings were used, known for precision and durability. The two bearings on the drive gear differ in size and are positioned according to the handle orientation, left-handed models one way, right-handed models the opposite.

Upgrading these models by adding ball bearings is limited. Worm shaft and handle knob bearings cannot be added, while upgrading the SS-45 to line roller bearings require replacing the complete line roller. See the table below for an overview.

Model name	Pinion gear	Drive gear	Worm shaft	Handle knob	Line roller	Total bearings
SS-45	●●	●●	-	-	-	●●●●
SS-45II	●●	●●	-	-	●	●●●●●
Z45T	●●	●●	-	●●	●	●●●●●●●