Abu 6000 bearing replacement

[Diawlbach]

Hi all out there.
I am new to this website and still finding my way about so sorry if I have
posted this on the wrong page.
Anyway, I recently bought an early 4 screw sideplate Abu 6000 in mint condition
(foot No. 050600) but I want to replace the bushes for the 'C' model bearings (or
similar).
I have  have checked out a few web sites with conflicting information of what size
and what manufacturer's bearings I should buy ?
Any advice will be much appreciated.
Many Thanks,   Diawlbach.

[alantani]

if you have bearings already, then you can measure the ID x OD x HT in whole millimeters and order replacements from smoothdrag.com.  if you have bushings, you might fine whole metric sizes.  one of those rulers we had as kids would even work.  you might also find that odd size bushing the abu used for a while.  the best thing is to get a set of calipers (amazon.com has them cheap) and measure them out. 

[Ken_D]

Hi. I assume you have an early model, with the rippled side plates. And do-nut-shaped bronze bushings. Your axle stubs are offsize, if this is your type of reel.

The axle shafts are approx 3.25 millimeters. Three companies to my limited knowledge sell offsize bearings. One in Japan whose name I forgot, one in the UK (Rocket Fuel), and one in North America , Boca Bearings.  

A set of these bearings is around 25.00 and all the adds. To machine the axle stubs down to industry 3 mm, is either yours to do, or to farm out for about 25.00, depending on who you get.   Jerry Foran at hookless.com chucks the spools in his drill press, and simpy files the diameter down, checking as he goes. I did this, and it's about 25 minutes a spool.

If your offsize bearings fail, it's another 25. If industry ones fail, it's between 2.00 a set for chrome steel abec 1, up to 50.00 a set, for full blown ceramics. Standard abec 3, or 5 are about 3.00 a pop. for 3 x 10 x 4

If you are going to fish this reel, you'll get it loaded with boat rash, war wounds, etc, so there's no advantage in putting in off size bearings.   A nice 4 screw in good shape is an ebay sell for about 150-200. Scuzzy fishers sell for 40 bucks.

Good fishing and fixing.  KD

[Robert Janssen]

The axle shafts are approx 3.25 millimeters. Three companies to my limited knowledge sell offsize bearings....

Actually, not offsize- i think they're exactly and precisely 1/8" which is 3.175 mm which is 0.125" which is in and of itself completely normal for the time period.

Obviously, 3.00 mm is far more common, but at least 1/8" is likely a lot easier to find than 3.25 mm...


.

[Ken_D]

Oops.. offsize to mean not a common industry standard... 1/8 x 10 x 4 is not a common bearing size, in North America, possibly globally.  As above, sold via vendors listed.  Boca lists theirs as 3.175 x 10 x 4.

And if you take a 1/8 bore bearing, (1/8 x 3/8 x 5/32) it's loose in a 10 mm bore.
You can shim OD with a drinking straw from a slurpee drink, as 3/8 is not quite 10 mm,  but the axle stubs of the reel won't fit inside the bearing. The shafts need to come down several thou to get inside the bb.

Manually, no tools but a drill and a piece of emery cloth, it takes about 30 minutes to bring the axle shafts down to 1/8.  This takes stop and start times into the mix, as the bb is checked for fit along the way.

Which brings up another possibility: I wonder how a fellow can  clamp the inner race of a 3mm bb, and grind it out to 3.X to fit the old axle stubs. mini vise grips?  I have a retired machinist who likes bit-work like reducing axle shafts, and such. (I gave him 10 new old stock 7000 spools at 3.X, and he machined them to 3 mm. The old spools were 28.00, replaced by the 59.00 new ones. He charged me 10.00 a spool, so I won. )