How much freespool?

JGB · April 23, 2012, 04:45:53 AM

Like Makule said. Clean all grease off the levewind gears and the levelwind worm. Then lube only with TSI for the best performance. The Extreem reel stuff works super well here but needs to be re lubed every couple of days. For more durability lube with a mixture of TSI and corrosionX (lower performance). To test the levelwind assembly drive the levelwind at very high speed with compressed air spinning the gear. Any issues will show up. Worst case you can 'break' in the levelwind with WD40 and high speed work out with compressed air. When it runs real free blow out all the WD40 and lube with TSI. This will wear off any corrosion and rough spots and suspend it in the WD40. BE WARNED

that any flaws will become very apparent and cause part failures. Better now than when on the water with a big fish. The compressed air demands for this is very high 60-100 PSI. A air can will not work here.
Jim N.

wallacewt · April 23, 2012, 04:52:39 AM

i shall try again
thanks for the help

Makule · April 27, 2012, 06:12:02 AM

Re-read the thread and have a few questions, Wallace: First, when you clean the BB, do they spin freely (the inner race/sleeve must spin freely, independent of the outer race)? Second, if you were to put the spool onto the shaft/axle (not in the reel) would it turn freely? Third, does the thumb release work properly, or is there some sticking or slight contact?

wallacewt · April 27, 2012, 08:00:47 AM

bb spin freely
on shaft,out of reel,
thumb bar moves freely

wallacewt · April 27, 2012, 08:05:23 AM

i can flick 1oz 50m on 5.6 boat rod,no trouble
with acasting rod i dont think id have any trouble to throw 2oz 100yds.

Makule · April 28, 2012, 04:44:00 AM

Quote from: wallacewt on April 27, 2012, 08:00:47 AM
bb spin freely
on shaft,out of reel,
thumb bar moves freely

If the spools spins freely on the shaft when it's out of the reel, then there must be something that's happening when you put the spool into the frame. If the spool, in the frame but without the level wind installed, doesn't spin freely, then it's not the level wind mechanism. This would suggest that it may be that tiny gear that rides on the shaft that is too tight, or that the thumb bar is not completely disengaging the spool. The easy fix would be to ream out the hole of the small gear to 1/8" (it's about 3/32") if that's the "problem". I don't know how to check the operation of the thumb bar.

The next thing one would look for is if the shaft is bent, but you've already said it's straight. Given that those reels are quite precisely built, it wouldn't take much of a bend in the shaft to gum up the free spool. You'd probably need a dial indicator with the spool on a lathe to really determine straightness.

Hard to diagnose without actually seeing it close up.

wallacewt · April 28, 2012, 08:14:41 AM

funny that you mention ,"ream it out" thats what i did this morning and also polished the shaft under the pinion.just the same,more photos coming.last resort will be get it tested in a lathe.

Bryan Young · April 28, 2012, 05:09:13 PM

Wallace

wallacewt · April 28, 2012, 10:07:55 PM

i just wrapped a piece of very fine grit around a
cotton bud and gave it a spin in the drill.
same with the shaft.
did it improve?yes slightly.
think ill order a new shaft or dont worry about it.doh!
i dont like to be beaten by a reel that cant think.

wallacewt · April 28, 2012, 10:44:56 PM

just had an after thought.
i suppose with these power handles it is
possible to bend the shaft.
thanks for your time makule,appreciated

Robert Janssen · June 04, 2012, 10:43:58 AM

I'm not sure how many of you actually noticed before posting, that Wallaces reel is the short-lived lever drag version of Ambassadeur.

These reels have little in common with other ambassadeurs, and differ from other lever drag reels as well.

They have little or no freespool at all, by reason of design. It is the nature of the beast.

Adding lubricants or cleaning this-or-that will help nothing.

The lack of freespool is caused primarily by the drag seperating spring acting directly upon the brass or bronze bushing in the spool.

So, to begin with, these bushings could be replaced with ball bearings (odd size, if irc). One might want to ascertain that the spring abuts the inner race of the bearing very closely as well.

Then the reel suffers from the common affliction of axial pressure acting upon the very small ball bearings, which prompts the desire for a spool bearing sleeve. This also of a rather specific size.

THEN things may begin to behave normally, and allow the usual progression of fine tuning.

.