Anyone know of a source for a Zebco Cardinal 4 Replacement Spool. I thought there was someone that is making one out of aluminum. Any knock offs or replacements. Please. Have a couple that don't have spools. Thanks
I found one several years ago from Les Shaw on eBay. Aluminum and if I remember right, he's in England.
This is where you can find him on eBay:
skylark31
The aluminum spools are pricey but worth every penny. I wouldn't fish a Card 4 without an aluminum spool.
Yup. The reel I bought on da bay had a hairline crack around the flange. Pretty obvious that it was from built-up mono pressure.
Too often folks put arbors on their spools which causes pressure to top and bottom
of spool causing it crack near top of spool! I have purchased reels with arbors on
the spool only to have it break in my hands when I went to remove spool. This
is the only weak point with these zebco cardinal reels!
The Cardinal 4 spools will break at the top 90% of the time —-few exceptions..
I would not fish a 4 without an aluminum spool.
3's seldom break (I have only seen maybe 3 busted in 30 years).
6's and 7's are made from aluminum.
For a source on these —- check out Les Shaw in I think Canada —- or Jimmy Daiwa on eBay in Malaysia.
Both are exceptional and dependable sellers.
Last week, I had my personal Cardinal 54 (one of my favorite reels) in a cloth bag. I tossed another reel on top of it in a box when cleaning up clutter. Checked the reel on Monday —- top of the spool had broken off.
Ordered an aluminum one from Jimmy Daiwa.
When replacing the plastic spools on 4's and this 54 —- with aluminum spools —-mone ends up with a bullet-proof and tough reel with no excuses or cringing when fishing one because it may fail.
I replace all of my 3's & 4's with aluminum spools.
Best, Fred
Quote from: timex63 on November 03, 2023, 07:55:53 PMToo often folks put arbors on their spools which causes pressure to top and bottom
of spool causing it crack near top of spool! I have purchased reels with arbors on
the spool only to have it break in my hands when I went to remove spool. This
is the only weak point with these zebco cardinal reels!
I have somewhere in the neighborhood of 25 broken Cardinal 4 spools in a zip lock bag laying on my desk. Interestingly enough, not one of those broken spools had an arbor installed under the line. Every single cracked or broken spool had mono all the way to the center post. Some had two sections of line, a quality top out with a cheap, wiry mono back fill. Most of them, though, were one continuous load of mono. My experience has been that excessive stretch and then being stored in extreme cold temperatures is the main cause of the front lip popping off. Too much UV exposure doesn't help, either.
One day, if I ever get caught up and have a little extra time, I'm going to make a jig to use with my drill press and glue those broken spools back together and secure them with nylon or aluminum binding posts. Then they'll be stronger than original. I came up with that idea about 15 years ago and then they came out with aluminum spools for the 3s & 4s so I went that route instead. ;) I see now that there are a couple of guys doing something similar. :D
Quote from: Midway Tommy on November 04, 2023, 05:27:34 AMQuote from: timex63 on November 03, 2023, 07:55:53 PMToo often folks put arbors on their spools which causes pressure to top and bottom
of spool causing it crack near top of spool! I have purchased reels with arbors on
the spool only to have it break in my hands when I went to remove spool. This
is the only weak point with these zebco cardinal reels!
I have somewhere in the neighborhood of 25 broken Cardinal 4 spools in a zip lock bag laying on my desk. Interestingly enough, not one of those broken spools had an arbor installed under the line. Every single cracked or broken spool had mono all the way to the center post. Some had two sections of line, a quality top out with a cheap, wiry mono back fill. Most of them, though, were one continuous load of mono. My experience has been that excessive stretch and then being stored in extreme cold temperatures is the main cause of the front lip popping off. Too much UV exposure doesn't help, either.
One day, if I ever get caught up and have a little extra time, I'm going to make a jig to use with my drill press and glue those broken spools back together and secure them with nylon or aluminum binding posts. Then they'll be stronger than original. I came up with that idea about 15 years ago and then they came out with aluminum spools for the 3s & 4s so I went that route instead. ;) I see now that there are a couple of guys doing something similar. :D