Are there any sources here in the US for stainless gears or one-piece frames? So far everything I'm seeing is coming from the UK.
Thanks
Mike
Nice guy to deal with and don't hesitate to call him he likes it
http://hookless.com/
Marc..
I got a sweet one piece frame out of the UK, QTC is the frame. 5500 and 6500 sizes. SS gears are hard to find anywhere.
Andy
Thanks guys. I'm doing some upgrades because I hooked a yellowtail (while targeting calico bass) with my 6500 and I was certain it was going to shred my gears. I landed the yellowtail with the deckhand yelling "murder that fish" in my ear and I was putting as much pressure on the fish as I dared. The gears and handle were my primary concerns. Later when I did maintenance on the reel I was amazed that there was no damage (or even visible wear) but also concerned about the minimal drag surfaces. My other 6500 has a 3 stack drag and I expected to find the same in this but it had very little fiction surface area. I don't intentionally target yellowtail with this reel but you never really know what will bite. I use my Ambassadeurs when I need real long casts with light jigs. I feel like if I'm going to upgrade the drag it would be prudent to also upgrade the gears and handle so that if this were to happen again I could relax and battle the fish without worrying about the reel blowing up in my hands. I have seen that Abu Garcia does make stainless gears. Does anyone know of a dealer that stocks these?
-Mike
Quote from: PacRat on March 19, 2016, 05:23:00 PM
Does anyone know of a dealer that stocks these?
Out of production and out of stock. Just a game of chance finding one.
Thanks for the heads-up. If I ever come across some stainless gears I'll jump on them.
-Mike
I'm very happy with my 5501 Inshore Classic and its 5:1 stainless gears.
Ambassadeur Predator is the European counterpart with the same gearing.
The Inshore Classic is a great discontinued reel, if you can find it.
However, I have heard the gears need to be modified if you will be swapping them into a model other than the Classic.
Chad
for as little drag washer surface area these reels have theyre amazing! Would love to see more upgrades for these!
Mark
Quote from: PacRat on March 19, 2016, 05:23:00 PMMy other 6500 has a 3 stack drag and I expected to find the same in this but it had very little fiction surface area.
Does it have the single thin O disk plus one under the main gear? That's what my 6500 has.
Btw, our host Alan has some very nice brand new stainless steel handles for $10, that are a great match to these reels. They are originally for Shimano Bantams, but fit my Ambassadeur 6500 perfectly.
Quote from: nelz on March 20, 2016, 03:54:01 PM
Quote from: PacRat on March 19, 2016, 05:23:00 PMMy other 6500 has a 3 stack drag and I expected to find the same in this but it had very little fiction surface area.
Does it have the single thin O disk plus one under the main gear? That's what my 6500 has.
Btw, our host Alan has some very nice brand new stainless steel handles for $10, that are a great match to these reels. They are originally for Shimano Bantams, but fit my Ambassadeur 6500 perfectly.
[/quote
Wouldn't have a picture of that handle would you?]
Go to the vendors section near the bottom of the main page & check Alan T's site.
Will do. Thanks