Abu ultra mag XL (formerly mystery)

[Gfish]

Good explanation, Jason. I could add a little; the thin metal rod on Alex's picture post(2nd picture from top) is engaged at the same time as the kick-lever(when the freespool lever is depressed)and it rotates that circular carriage(which rides on the worm). The line guide has a spring loaded dentent. The carriage has groves, 1-horizontal & 1-vertical, rotating it lines it up with the vertical groove. This releases the line guide to move back & forth during the cast.

It's a pretty narrow spool and the reduced friction effect of the moving line guide is prolly minimal for cast improvement. On the wider models it may be more effective.

As the carriage bumps into the line guide during retrieve cranking, it depresses the dentent which then pops into a horizontal grove in the carriage—-you're back in levelwind business!

I left out one thing, when you begin cranking after a cast, that metal rod again rotates the carriage so it's back in the right position to grab the line guide. Also the carriage has beveled sides to make it easier on the dentent.

[Gfish]

Yeah, it could be a structural   weak point on the reel, and yeah it's real cool. I've never seen that system on their latter reels, so maybe it had problems, or coulda been too expensive to manufacture.

Check it out, I have a size "V" (5), which is about a 3/0 size reel: the line guide is split vertically and held together by a magnet. Released from the carriage, you can push the 2 wires apart, moving them to either side of the frame. So no levelwinder friction on a cast at all. Same thing; the carriage will pick-up both wire units as you retrieve, and the magnet make sure they stick together and stay in the carriage groove. One other cool thing; you can push each levelwind wire down into a special notch on either side of the frame and turn it into a temporary no-levelwinder conventional.

I had this reel for several years before I figured out all those options.

[Brewcrafter]

That sounds cool!  I would be just THE guy sitting there having a good time fiddling with the adjustments and levelwind options and totally forget to actually fish...- john

[DougK]

It appears the line guide disengages from the mechanism that moves it when you're in free spool.

So it's not like my 5000C where the line guide remains engaged on the cast forcing the spool to lose momentum to move the gears that drive the line guide.

Nor is it like my modern abu blackmax where the line guide stays static on a cast, losing momentum to the friction of line sliding across the sides of the aperture.

Instead it becomes free to slide back and forth at will during the cast, getting re-engaged when you start reeling.

I have another model Abu Ultra from that era with the free-sliding line guide. In practice it's rather a pain. The line coming off the spool doesn't have enough energy to keep the guide moving back and forth along the spool. So in effect it's a static line guide. But, not static enough - I found out from using this reel that I tend to tip my reel to the left when casting. So the line guide slips over to the left on each cast. This causes line to build up on the left side of the spool..

other than that it's a fine reel, still have fond memories of catching silver salmon with it in Alaska when I couldn't do it on a fly rod.. 

[JasonGotaProblem]

I just won the bid on a ultra mag 'V' and I'm super excited about it. I ordered some 80# braid for it based on diameter (not intended fishing load) and I'm betting with some tuning it'll be a great surf caster.

Any idea what the max drag on one of these is?

[Gfish]

No. Wasn't in the original paperwork. One thing to consider; the outer-most graphite tail-plate cover houses the spool bearing as well as the Mag control on that side. Which means a graphite support for the spool over there. I wouldn't go more'n 15lbs. on the drag.

[steelfish]

I just won the bid on a ultra mag 'V' and I'm super excited about it.

  

and thats why abu garcia reels are like rabbits, one month you only have two and suddenly next month you have 15.

[akfish]

I used to see these reels occasionally in the shop. They were made in several sizes -- at least three -- including a large one at least as big as a 7000 Ambassaseur.

[thorhammer]

I just won the bid on a ultra mag 'V' and I'm super excited about it.

  

and thats why abu garcia reels are like rabbits, one month you only have two and suddenly next month you have 15.



Ain't that the goldang truth. Then you start tinkering, then buying parts reels, then upgrading the nice ones, and taking the parts left from upgrade to rebuild the parts reels, and next thing you know, BeachBob's your uncle and you are buying his left-over frames and stuff, and Reel Fishing Problems (Nick) helps your problem and sends you a CT spool to build around, then you meet Simon Shimonura and buy his extremely pimp Abu handles and parts. Nice guy, very responsive, BTW. All that actually happened in the last couple months, lol. Always wanted UltraMag. My bass fishing partner fished them in 90's hard. Nice reels. Agree, I'd be careful on the drag and 80 braid; those reel parts aren't exactly plentiful.

[JasonGotaProblem]

I used to see these reels occasionally in the shop. They were made in several sizes -- at least three -- including a large one at least as big as a 7000 Ambassaseur.

Any insight from servicing them? Common failures seen, etc?

And thats sorta what happens to me with rod building.

[JasonGotaProblem]

I changed the name of the thread, it's not a mystery anymore. My XL V is supposed to arrive Monday. Now I gotta build a rod for it.

[Gfish]

Alright, Jason! A pretty handy reel. You should be able to cast 1 - 4 oz pretty well with it. Set it up for trolling(disable the levelwinder)maybe, bait fishing or bottom fishing.

[philaroman]

...You should be able to cast 1 - 4 oz pretty well with it...

double-check those #'s
I'd guess the reel is intended for 1/4-1 oz...  1/2-1.5 oz., tops
it's not the cast -- it's the retrieve
cranking 3-4 oz. cast-after-cast, would eventually chew up the gears akin to moderate winching
(especially, if there's added resistance from bills, blades, paddle-tails, etc.)

of course, you can go much heavier if you basically move the terminal weight w/ rod & pick up slack w/ reel

[JasonGotaProblem]

...You should be able to cast 1 - 4 oz pretty well with it...

double-check those #'s
I'd guess the reel is intended for 1/4-1 oz...  1/2-1.5 oz., tops
it's not the cast -- it's the retrieve
cranking 3-4 oz. cast-after-cast, would eventually chew up the gears akin to moderate winching
(especially, if there's added resistance from bills, blades, paddle-tails, etc.)

of course, you can go much heavier if you basically move the terminal weight w/ rod & pick up slack w/ reel

Are we all talking about the same reel here? The "V" size that is delayed in shipping but supposedly arriving tomorrow, is the 2nd largest one. Not the lil guy i got That started the thread. That big'n cant throw a 4oz lure? And if it can't retrieve a 4oz lure how the f am I fighting a ___# fish on it?

[Gfish]

The V is constructed in certain areas differently than the smaller sizes. Maybe Philaro. can get his out  and test it, then we'll know for sure. Mine's back on the mainland ready to be bottom fished when I go back someday, using prolly 3 - 8oz sinkers.
I did tweak the graphite tail-plate somehow, so it is misaligned slightly(causing spool friction) and doesn't cast like when it was new. I also stripped a couple of screws on that side. Was not a patient reel maintenance person before I joined this Forum... However, the gears are fine and sitting secure on that typical Abu metal frame.