5500 C3 with AR dog (foot number 99-02-02)

[Keta]

CF is CF, if yours are ABU CF use them.

[JasonGotaProblem]

His look to me like abu hard washers. But I'm no expert, and I'm wrong a lot. I will, however, send some fresh cut carbons out if w2f wants to pm me his address.

[work2fish]

That's a beautiful fish, Sciaenops! What's the rod that your Ambassadeur is on in the picture?

This reel is from 2002. I'm not sure what the drag washers are made out of, but they feel almost like plastic to me, and they're thicker than the carbontex drag washers I bought, and much thicker than the washers in the other used Ambassadeur I have, which is from 2007. I'm pretty sure those are carbon fiber.

I'm sure the stock drag is fine for my normal fishing in PA, where a 5-10 lb channel catfish or carp is a nice fish, but I hope to do some saltwater fishing with it someday.

Mark

[work2fish]

CF is CF, if yours are ABU CF use them.

My other Ambassadeur is from 2007, and I think it has the Abu carbon fiber washers. On this reel, which is from 2002 the washers are thicker and feel like plastic to me.

His look to me like abu hard washers. But I'm no expert, and I'm wrong a lot. I will, however, send some fresh cut carbons out if w2f wants to pm me his address.

They are thick and feel like plastic to me, so you're probably right! Thanks for the offer of the fresh cut carbons, but I had already bought some for my other Ambassadeur before I realized that it already had carbon. I can use those.

Mark

[sciaenops]

What's the rod that your Ambassadeur is on in the picture?

Its a 7' Seeker Classic 193, all glass noodle inherited from my FIL. Good for 10# halibut, less so for 20+# dorado.   

When I got around to opening mine up (long after landing the pictured dodo), the originals were dry & smooth, so I went ahead and swapped em out for greased C-tex. Still one of my favorite reels.
 

This reel is from 2002. I'm not sure what the drag washers are made out of, but they feel almost like plastic to me, and they're thicker than the carbontex drag washers I bought, and much thicker than the washers in the other used Ambassadeur I have, which is from 2007

Sounds like CF replacements it is! Let us know how it turns out - I'm betting you'll like it.
 

[work2fish]

I ended up using all the original components except for the drag. Upgraded to carbontex washers. Took it fishing for the first time today and was lucky enough to initiate the reel with a nice channel cat. It had a few runs of several seconds on the drag, and the drag was silky smooth!

The other Ambassadeur I got already had Abu carbon fiber washers, so I left them in. I didn't catch a fish on that reel today, but the drag doesn't feel as smooth as the one with the carbontex.

Mark

[Keta]

A realy nice channel cat!

Check your metal washers for burrs and warpage and the gear for burrs.

[work2fish]

Check your metal washers for burrs and warpage and the gear for burrs.

Do you mean on the reel that still has the original washers? I'll check for those things next time I have the reel open.

That reel looked like it had been flooded (lots of very fine dirt particles inside), so it is also possible that I didn't clean the washers well enough. They were greased, and I just wiped off the grease. Can/should drag washers be cleaned with solvent?

[Keta]

Yes, the rough reel.  The CF washers might have grit impeded in the fibers and if so should be replaced.

[borntofish]

Check your metal washers for burrs and warpage and the gear for burrs.

Do you mean on the reel that still has the original washers? I'll check for those things next time I have the reel open.

That reel looked like it had been flooded (lots of very fine dirt particles inside), so it is also possible that I didn't clean the washers well enough. They were greased, and I just wiped off the grease. Can/should drag washers be cleaned with solvent?

They usually come good with a soaking it white spirits. You want a solvent that doesn't leave a residue.

[work2fish]

They usually come good with a soaking it white spirits. You want a solvent that doesn't leave a residue.

Thanks. That's good to know.

I had my son pull out the line to engage the drag a few times today and I realized that the drag is actually pretty smooth, but it is uneven, seeming to cycle between a bit tighter and a bit looser. That reel also has a bit of geariness when I turn the handle, but that is also cyclical. This makes me think that I had better take Keta's suggestion and check for warped or bent components.

[Shellbelly]

I agree with Keta.  Get what's needed to make it run smoothly.

I love my Abu's for wade fishing, but they don't like any invasive particles.  I have to make myself bring them inside the house and put them on the bench for cleaning after each use.  EVERY time I fail to do this, I regret it. They are very needy, but they are a great pleasure to cast as long as they're clean. 

[Keta]

Mine never see saltwater.

[Shellbelly]

Mine never see saltwater.

I never see freshwater unless it's a stock tank in a pasture.  So close to the coast that everything I own has salt on it.  Cleaning reels is a regular chore like mowing grass down here.  I have to watch out for my shelfies too.  Yep, I'm whining.

[work2fish]

Mine never see saltwater.

I never see freshwater unless it's a stock tank in a pasture.  So close to the coast that everything I own has salt on it.  Cleaning reels is a regular chore like mowing grass down here.  I have to watch out for my shelfies too.  Yep, I'm whining.

It's the price of having access to all those large, strong ocean fish . Here in Pittsburgh, unless we learn to catch flathead catfish from the shore (which we are failing at so far) the best we can hope for is to hook a large channel catfish or carp. 

These two Ambassadeur are my first attempt at working on my own reels. One of the things that attracted me to the Abus was their reputation as being easy to service and find parts for. Even though we don't have salt here, we do a lot of night fishing for catfish and carp, and we frequently are fishing during and after heavy rains. During a heavy rain the raindrops splash mud all over the reels. One approach would be to get expensive reels that are sealed, but those seem to be harder to work on, and I don't trust that they will stay sealed over time.

It's kind of like hiking boots. Anyone who hikes knows that there is no such thing as a waterproof boot. Either the water will eventually make it into the boot, or it will become waterlogged with sweat. Better to have a hiking boot or shoe that works ok wet and is easy to drain, dry, and clean. Not sure if the analogy totally holds up, but I like the idea of a reel that I can use in rough conditions, and then just go home and service myself.