5000 and 170 haul

[Shellbelly]

A friend dropped off a few reels yesterday.  He had no interest in these and knew I like to try to make stuff work. 

I keep a few newer 5000s in use so I went into this one first.  I believe it's a serial # reel, not a date code.   491908.  '67 or earlier, I believe?  It was just dirty and dry.  Cleaned up nicely and runs really well.  Great reels!

The other 3 are 170's.  Never used one or been inside a 170, but they look like they would at least produce one decent reel in the worst case.  Are these worth salvaging?  I don't think Abu made junk back then, but I have been inside some spin caster junk in my time so I usually don't play with them.  If they're a quality reel, I'll dive in and try to make a nice one. 

The rods are basketcases that will just have to wait....with the 30 or 40 others.

Lastly, there's a little aluminum fly reel with no markings.  For now, I'm assuming Japanese and paper weight.

I think those reels are stuck in the seats!   That's gonna be fun.

[foakes]

Good quality stuff!

Best, Fred

[Gfish]

I have 2–5000's; early 60's + a '73. Great reels, love the spool bushings instead of ball bearings. I like the old Abumatics too. Have a 120. Better than the Zebco 33 and various Shakespeare spincasters, about even to me with the Johnson 100B.
 All good spincasters, but the Abumatics always seem to have some extra cool engineering. I wonder how do they think-up some of that stuff.
The 120 has a coin adjustable "range drag". Get it where you want it, then if you suddenly need less, turn the handle backwards up to about a 100 degrees. Then that fish that sees you and suddenly darts away as you bring him in, won't break-off.

[Shellbelly]

So far, two of the three 170s have issues.  Besides being filthy, one handle bearing has sheared lugs (fatality) and both have worn brake springs to the point of losing the end of each spring.  Each one dropped a little piece of the spring when I emptied their handle bearings.  I should be able to file the broken edges flat so they won't ruin their washers.  May try to spread the springs just a little to make up for what they lost. 

I still think I can get one of the three to 100%.  Maybe two.  Haven't broken into the 3rd one yet.

[DougK]

I have a 5000 of similar vintage, with those tiny white handles.. it runs well, fish it for pike, still trying to actually catch one.

The newest 170 might be Japan-made ? Notice it's missing the badge that the older ones have, which is characteristic of the Sweden-made ones.
The Abu 170 is still marketed, made in China, but those aren't very good. I had one and its rotor grooved within a year or two.

I have a pair of Sweden Abu 120 spincasters with the coin drag, they are better than any modern spincaster.

That fly reel looks like a 1950s Horrocks-Ibbotson Sportcraft. It could also be a Shakespeare Russell - there were several variants of this reel with different brand names.
Here's my Russell..

[ExcessiveAngler]

A friend dropped off a few reels yesterday.  He had no interest in these and knew I like to try to make stuff work. 

I keep a few newer 5000s in use so I went into this one first.  I believe it's a serial # reel, not a date code.   491908.  '67 or earlier, I believe?  It was just dirty and dry.  Cleaned up nicely and runs really well.  Great reels!

The other 3 are 170's.  Never used one or been inside a 170, but they look like they would at least produce one decent reel in the worst case.  Are these worth salvaging?  I don't think Abu made junk back then, but I have been inside some spin caster junk in my time so I usually don't play with them.  If they're a quality reel, I'll dive in and try to make a nice one. 

The rods are basketcases that will just have to wait....with the 30 or 40 others.

Lastly, there's a little aluminum fly reel with no markings.  For now, I'm assuming Japanese and paper weight.

I think those reels are stuck in the seats!   That's gonna be fun.

Nice!  I have that same little red Abu, except mine, has a red metal spool.
The handle is neat, but kind of small lol!
I was actually thinking about modifying it and making it a little hot rod!
Unfortunately, the first time I opened it up! the little brake blocks jumped out and put them selves away for safekeeping!
So, you say it's pre-1970?
Had no idea that it was that old!

EA

[Shellbelly]

Well, I'm no Abu expert so I looked up some info on this site and elsewhere.  From what I read, they stopped using serial numbers in 67.  From then they used date codes that are a bit complex but contain a lot of info. 

I have another 5000 with a longer chrome handle that has larger, kind of clear red knobs.  I think the handle may be Abu after-market.  Both are 4-screw designs, which I believe are earlier models.

Those blocks like to vanish.  I stick those on a little piece of blue painter's tape as soon as I pull the spool out.

A couple of days later, he brought me a green/gold 6600 C5 and a little newer silver 5000.  I won't fish the early red ones but the later ones will get put in service pretty soon.  I've never used a 6600 so I'm looking forward to tossing some spoons and top dogs with that one.  I expect to be amazed. 

[Gfish]

The Abu dudes even changed the order of the date codes around. I think somewheres after '70, the year became the first 2 digits and the month the next 2. Any logic? Or fore-thought? "Hey let's try this now", "yeah, why not?"