Just reading all through here and wondering what sort of mods I can do to this reel I picked up without replacing too many parts or what the possibilities are to upgrade it.
From what I can tell this is one of the reels with the bearings on the end caps 3x10x4 I think since the 4x10x4 I ordered didn't really work. It's pretty hard nailing down the correct schematics for this one since it's labeled 5600c but the actual ones I found to match are for a 5600ca 5600CA 80-01-00 (3).PDF
I already upgraded the drag and cleaned everything and regreased and oiled. Other than upgrading the end cap bearing is there anyway to swap from the fixed spool to a spool with bearings? Or add bearing the the default wormgear without buying a new one?
Any tips you pros may have for me?
I picked this reel up on a whim for $25 after having fun cleaning up my grandfather's zebco cardinal 4 I found in my mom's garage.
You can't add any bearings to that reel without replacing the parts that you mentioned.
You can upgrade the drag with Carbontex from Smooth Drag. She has a metal kit that is much better.
Keith
For best performance, use a Dremel, a wool polishing bit, and some Simichrome or blue jeweler's rouge. Polish the copper shims in the side plates, the brake drum, worm gear bushing, idler gear stud,and spool shafts ends. Clean any polish residue with 99% isopropyl alcohol. Hit all of those, with the exception of the brake drum, with a drop of TSI 321. It'll move really, really good. You'll get 90% the performance of upgraded parts and bearings for a fraction of the cost and an hour of your time. If the reel doesn't have them already, get the small fiber brake blocks which come on the 1500C/2500C and you will have a reel very capable of casting great distances.
As far as the spool goes, your reel will only work with spools that have a pressed in spool shaft, not the axle/free floating type like has been used since the early 90s.