Finally got the nerve to tear into my first two 6500 CL3 after receiving the carbontex washers from Dawn. Oil on the spool bearings w/ Reel X, grease everywhere else. If I give the handle a quick spin, the line guide will travel from one side to the other. Quite an improvement from before where it would only goes quarter to a half of that distant. I read one of Alan's post where he gets the line guide to move back and forth 13 times? I can't seem to find that post, but my question is how much freespool should I get? The small knob on the right is loose btw. I would think for a good distant cast, I need a little more freespool? What do you think?
I just completed a Abu 7000. Had one bushing, and seems the other bushing was missing. I replace the bushing with an open and lubed bearing, and the missing bearing also with an open and lubed bearing. I cleaned the worm gear and pawl and also lubed. I get maximum 5 back and forth on the line guide. I'm sure I could get more, but I really cannot get a good grip on the spool to spin it do to the cross bars. Oh, and this is with those black plastic weights that is supposed to slow the spool down to limit backlash. I hope the guy whom I serviced for doesn't immediately backlash is reel thinking that it's sticky. That will be bad.
The lube of choice was TSI301.
Forgot to mention I took the paw and lead screw apart, cleaned and lube with Reel X also. Is TSI301 that much better?
yeah, the tsi 301 is phenomenal! there are a few tricks to the whole process. the main thing is to clean everything out and then lube it with tsi 301. everything includes the levelwind assembly. also, the plastic idler gear that sticks onto the left side of the spool has a hole that the spool shaft stick out of. i ream that out with a 1/8th inch drill bit to give it a little more room. that's about all!
Thanks Alan. I'll give TSI301 a shot.
Quote from: vudo on February 15, 2012, 04:02:10 AM
Finally got the nerve to tear into my first two 6500 CL3 after receiving the carbontex washers from Dawn. Oil on the spool bearings w/ Reel X, grease everywhere else. If I give the handle a quick spin, the line guide will travel from one side to the other. Quite an improvement from before where it would only goes quarter to a half of that distant. I read one of Alan's post where he gets the line guide to move back and forth 13 times? I can't seem to find that post, but my question is how much freespool should I get? The small knob on the right is loose btw. I would think for a good distant cast, I need a little more freespool? What do you think?
I think you will be fine, maximum freespool is not the major factor in casting. Just as important is the type of spool you use, and the bait.
Well... to me this looks quite much
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=om9RsvF0fvg&feature=relmfu
Quote from: alantani on February 16, 2012, 07:22:50 AM
yeah, the tsi 301 is phenomenal! there are a few tricks to the whole process. the main thing is to clean everything out and then lube it with tsi 301. everything includes the levelwind assembly. also, the plastic idler gear that sticks onto the left side of the spool has a hole that the spool shaft stick out of. i ream that out with a 1/8th inch drill bit to give it a little more room. that's about all!
Another trick for a bit of friction reduction, and much ease of maintain after the fact is to lose the little dimple on the top of the idler gear. This assumes your reel is current.
Carve off the dimple, chamfer the top of the hole, and use an e-clip, like Abu used to do. Removal of a dimpled gear has caused many a major screw-up, as the entire post can sometimes come off with the gear still attached. Ouch. Bye-bye, 30.00 sideplate !!
i have the 6600c3ld
would a lever drag be less effecient than a star drag
i can only get 5sec f/spool.new bearings/tsi301/no level wind/no left plate clicker/no drag brakes.
pressure plate dont touch drag.
reel is spotless,no bent shaft.
5 secs
put it all back together with everything connected,same 5secs!
Quote from: wallacewt on April 22, 2012, 03:10:50 AM
i have the 6600c3ld
would a lever drag be less effecient than a star drag
i can only get 5sec f/spool.new bearings/tsi301/no level wind/no left plate clicker/no drag brakes.
pressure plate dont touch drag.
reel is spotless,no bent shaft.
5 secs
put it all back together with everything connected,same 5secs!
And you have a small clearance in spool shaft (I mean spool control knob(s) not too tight)?
Sounds like problem is isolated to bearings...
Did you wash them before putting TSI301 in?
Yesterday I played a little with my 4600c3. Rebuilt drag stack with carbontex and cal's grease.
I did not measure time but line guide went 12 times back and forth when reel had all parts in place (including centrifugal brake blocks).
I have a new totally tricked out 4500C custom made by Jerry Foran with 6 bearings including a double bearing levelwind with a ceramic pawl. Its levelwind doesnt travel anymore than a stock 4600C3. But it casts twice as far, so I dont think that "trick" matters at all. You tube has more than a dozen videos of guys showing off their freespool. But each one is reeling in at mach speed and then throwing the mechs out of gear to display the reels ability. I cant imagine that being good for your reel or a test of its true ability.
What 0119 said. I suspect a reel that loose would backlash every time ?
thanks gulf
cleaned and dipped (new bearings)
tension knob set correctly
it also casts very well (with weight)
level wind crosses once!(without weight)
???
Something definitely wrong if you are getting only 5 seconds, and one cross of the level wind.
With the reel in free spool, check for any binding (even slight).
Clean the main shaft and the little gear that slides on it well and then lube with TSI 301. Check to see that the little gear spins freely on the shaft, as it may be slightly tight. You may need to ream it slightly larger (I think Alan goes with 1/8").
Be sure to clean everything associated with the level wind. Clean it well as this is where at lot of gunk can build up since it's not protected. Lube all the moving parts with the 301.
Quote from: wallacewt on April 23, 2012, 01:03:56 AM
thanks gulf
cleaned and dipped (new bearings)
tension knob set correctly
it also casts very well (with weight)
level wind crosses once!(without weight)
???
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 :o :o :o 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.
i shall try again
thanks for the help
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?
bb spin freely
on shaft,out of reel,
thumb bar moves freely
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.
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.
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.
Wallace
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.
just had an after thought.
i suppose with these power handles it is
possible to bend the shaft.
thanks for your time makule,appreciated
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.
.