Upgrade drag on old Ambassadeur 6500 ?

[Drisse]

Hello !

I wonder if its possible to change the dragstack on an old Ambassadeur 6500 ? I know I need a new maingear for the new drag, but will a new maingear fit those older modells ? Didn't have a newer reel to measure on at the moment. Attach a picture of the old drag. Tha maingear is 30mm diameter and 4,4 mm thick.

[Ken_D]

Hi. Abu's now supplying carbon for the top main gear. Dawn at Smoothdrag is prob. still doing them as well. The main gear's teeth appear to be pretty ok as well, so curious to learn why you want it changed out.  If you don't also change the pinion, you will not be pleased. When you indicate you want a new gear, if you mean you want to swap a today gear's ultracast with 3 inside washers, no can do.  

You need to open drawings for early Abus, and see if transmissions are still available.  Best place for that is Nutter, (as seen in Alan's schematic thread) as they attempt to list the Abu drawings by time. Scroll down to their "old" collection, and see if you can find a close or exact match for your piece. The 4500, and 5000's all share the same innards as 65's reel to reel for your era, so look for those if you don't see a 65.

http://alantani.com/index.php?topic=796.0

[Drisse]

Yes Ken, I meant if it was possible to use todays gear with three inside washers.

Will se if I can get or cut a modern drag washer for thisone.

Should be this schematic: http://www.nutterrodandreel.com/pdf/Abu%20Garcia/old/6500c%201976.PDF

Thanks alot for your answer Ken_D

[Ken_D]

Hi.. I suspect its more like this one.  The one you picked uses two really hard and thick phenolic type washers.  The 7079 as showing in this drawing is now carbon from Abu, and Dawn at smoothdrag. It's the same as the gear in your picture.   On yours, is your bottom washer hard and stiff, or soft and pliable?
http://www.nutterrodandreel.com/pdf/Abu%20Garcia/old/4500c%20761200.PDF      

After you go bug-eyed when combing schematics for commonalities, check the pinion gear part nos. first. If different gears show, and the pinion part number is the same, then you can more than likely use the gearset because the pinions are the same.

Check here as well, for this and that, up to the low 2000's.      
http://www.realsreels.com/ABu%20Reals%20Bob%20Hulme.pdf

[Drisse]

On the reel I have, the washer in the maingear is soft and the washer under the maingear is hard. The one under the maingear looks to be of the same material as those tiny washers you can find in old antique Record reels.

[alantani]

in the middle of the main gear you see a piece of spring steel that serves as a secondary anti-reverse mechanism.  if you don't mind prying that out, you can use a pair of jigmaster drag washers in the reel and they work great.  it's a cheap and easy drag upgrade.

[Drisse]

Thanks alot for the advice Alan