Ambassadeur brake block upgrade

[slugmeister]

I hope this isn't really common knowledge, but I couldn't find anything about this online. I bought a new plastic 6 pin brake block assembly to replace the old 2 pin metal one on my old 5500C. It is a drop in fit, no mods needed. I used part #1116727 - 20B from Dadsoletackle. Some might argue that 2 blocks is enough. Maybe it is, but trying to screw around with the different color blocks on the water with teeny tiny little blocks was a nightmare. There's a reason I bought this, I've lost all of my brake blocks along the way. This new setup the blocks are captive, you can't loose them. You push them in until they click to disengage them. I don't adjust my brakes often, but is sure is nice to be able. There are also magnetic brake options for these, but they are not tool-less adjustable from what I've seen. After fishing with my 6 pin 5501C3, I'm leaning towards the centrifugal being a better system than magnetic, at least for me throwing relatively large and heavy lures. Hopefully this helps someone.

[oc1]

The centrifugal brakes work by friction; stuff rubbing together.  Magnetic brakes work by Lunz's magical unseen forces.  I'll take magic any day.

[tincanary]

Centrifugal is best for larger lures since braking force is applied at the start of the cast and gradually tapers off as the spool slows.  Magnets on the other hand, are most effective in the middle and end of the cast since the braking force is a constant, especially in linear magnetic brakes like the Abu MagTrax system.  There's also the Daiwa Magforce brake, which we will probably see implemented in more reels once the patent expires.  Magforce works similar to a centrifugal brake.  An inductor on the spool moves relative to spool speed.  The faster the spool is spinning, the further into the magnet assembly the inductor moves.  The Magforce is also constant, the magnet assembly and inductor will still interact and not be completely off when the spool is moving slow or at rest.  Magforce is probably one of the easiest and most effective brakes out right now.  Those Daiwas with the SV spools are super simple to cast and have a short learning curve for newcomers.  SV spools are typically used for short range casting.  Then there is Magforce Z which is a little different and more conducive to distance casting.  Both work on the same principle. 

[slugmeister]

Magic is fine, I simply have not seen a mag setup for an ambassadeur that you could adjust without a screwdriver to take the side plate off, then you need to add or remove magnets.. If you only throw a certain size of bait and like set it and forget it, they probably work fine. The centrifugal brake on the ambassadeurs works really well, the only problem with the old system is to adjust them you used different brake blocks which are tiny and super easy to drop and loose forever. This new 6 pin setup you don't have to change the blocks, you only engage or disengage as you want. There's no tools needed to take the handle side off an ambassador, you can adjust a brake in under 30 seconds. It's really nice when you could be throwing lures from 1/2 ounce to 5 ounce in the same day.

[JasonGotaProblem]

Dude I make adjustable mag brakes. I'm not the only one. I have a thread on them here
https://alantani.com/index.php/topic,36075.0.html

[slugmeister]

Sweet, that looks slick.

[UKChris1]

Abu make (or made - not sure if it is still available) the 6000C Mag Elite with green sideplates. This has a sliding button on the edge of a sideplate allowing you to adjust the amount of magnetic magic from almost zero to enough to cope with even my hamfisted casting of 5oz leads.

It is a seriously lovely little reel.

It also has the little wire prongs for the sliding brake blocks if you need them as well!

Edit: Oops it is the 6000C not 7000C

[Gfish]

I have an AbuGarcia Revo Toro Beast from several years ago. A good inshore baitcaster with a special drag system that can loosen-up even under serious pressure. It has the adjustable brake weights + the adjustable mags and of course the spool-friction control on the gear side. Best to adjust it all to the lure used before I go out. Adjusting the centrifugal system is an open the side plate and push on, or off—thing. The mag adjustment is a dial on the outside. 3 things to adjust is probably 2 too many for me out on the water.

Then there's the wind factor that can still cause backlash. A bear to dis-and reassemble with so many parts. A fun, but time consuming reel. Perhaps too much technology?

[thorhammer]

6500C3CT is a fav of Nick's and mine, and a lot of surfcasters. It is regretfully out of production, but Abu still makes a mag elite that's similar. Not a lot crosses over from the C to C3, the latter having ultracast spool bearing whereas the former has end cap bearings.

[slugmeister]

6500C3CT is a fav of Nick's and mine, and a lot of surfcasters. It is regretfully out of production, but Abu still makes a mag elite that's similar. Not a lot crosses over from the C to C3, the latter having ultracast spool bearing whereas the former has end cap bearings.

As far as I can tell, just about everything could cross over between my C and C3. The only notable difference is the drive shaft. The C has an anti-reverse dog and gear, where the C3 has an instant anti-reverse bearing. Other than that, they sure look similar to me. The spools, and brake assemblies interchange. The handles interchange. The level wind parts interchange. I'm not sure what the end cap bearings you are referencing are. Both my C and C3 have two spool bearings inside the spool that rotate on the shaft. There is one bearing on the drive shaft of the C, the C3 has the instant anti-reverse bearing. Those are the only bearings I can recall in the Ambassadeur's unless you add some. I just ordered a bearing level wind worm gear, and bearing level wind drive gear to try on my C3, along with some ceramic spool bearings to see how it does.

[thorhammer]

You have a later C.

[JasonGotaProblem]

I'm sure you've seen you can do a DIY CT conversion too. I have a thread on that as well.

Welcome to the rabbit hole.

[slugmeister]

I'm sure you've seen you can do a DIY CT conversion too. I have a thread on that as well.

Welcome to the rabbit hole.

Last year the levelwind pawl gave out on my C, and I pulled the line guide and drive gear out and used it like that. It worked well enough, but for the fishing I do, I much prefer a level wind. I then proceeded to forget where I left those parts, so that's why I bought the bearing upgraded level wind parts. I put my C3 level wind parts in my C, and My C3 is getting the good stuff.

[JasonGotaProblem]

You wanna really kick it up a notch use your brake plate from an old school one with a ratchet AR with the sideplate from a C3 and get backup anti reverse. I have that plus steel gears in one. Yeah I made a Swedish tank.

[slugmeister]

You wanna really kick it up a notch use your brake plate from an old school one with a ratchet AR with the sideplate from a C3 and get backup anti reverse. I have that plus steel gears in one. Yeah I made a Swedish tank.

I haven't done a whole lot to mine. The C, I replaced my anti-reverse pawl, it was some kind of goofy 1 leaf contraption originally, I replaced it with a 2 leaf pawl like every other reel, and never thought about it since. This year I put the 6 pin brake assembly in, which is what this thread is about. I don't think I've ever done or needed to do anything else to it until the levelwind pawl wore out.

My C3 I never did anything to it, this level wind and spool bearing upgrade is the first time I'm replacing anything. I wouldn't mind hunting down a 6500 side plate for both to get bait clickers though, I never realized that was an option until very recently. It might be a little tough as my C3 is a left hand 5501. Any chance you have a thread on that?