Hey Skip! To answer the original question about pre-upgraded Spheros... no, not that I'm aware of. The Saragosa (factory upgraded Spheros) still has Dartanium washers.
But NO worries, really! It's practically impossible to do anything that will mess up your reel. I understand the concern about not knowing what you'll encounter. But this is honestly not much harder than swapping a light bulb.
1) Just take the spool off by removing the drag knob and sliding it right off the shaft.
2) When you look into the front/top of the spool you'll see a small wire retaining clip that holds the stack of washers in place. Remove the clip with a small screwdriver.
3) Then Carefully* take out the washers from the front. Do this by tipping the spool upside down while keeping a finger on the stack to guide them out. (Sometimes they might need a little push from the bottom. Just use same small screwdriver.)
*I say Carefully only because you don't want them to just fall everywhere. The ONLY important part of the whole swap is keeping the washers in order. As long as you keep a finger on the stack when you tip the spool over, the whole swap is an absolute no-brainer.
4) After they're out, just separate the washers and lay them out in their original order. (They will alternate between felt/dartanium and metal.)
5) Then just replace each felt/dartanium washer with the new greased carbontex washers from Smooth Drag. (They sell the grease too! At one time they would grease them for you, not sure if the still do that. There are plenty of links on how to apply grease if not...)
6) Last steps are to just drop the washers back into the spool in the right order and replace the clip.
Very easy swap! 10 minutes, maybe... NO disassembly of the reel required.
And it really is nearly impossible to mess anything up. And definitely nothing that is past the point of correction with a little guidance.
If there are any issues at all, (the washers get out of order, can't get the clip out, etc.) just post info and somebody will be able to help get it straightened out!
Jason