hotrodding the ambassaduer 5 and 6 series ... courtesy of Alan Tani

Here's another Alan Tani tutorial.  Enjoy!

-Allen

******************************

when i first started doing reel seminars 5 years ago, one fourth of the reels brought in were ambassaduers.  initially, they took up a third of the time.  it took quite a while, but i figured out the right combination of penn ht-100 drag washers and metal washers.  my problem was always a space issue.  the penn washers i had were always too thick.  recently, dawn at http://www.smoothdrag.com/ came out with a line of carbontex drag washers that fit perfectly.  just slap on a coat of cal or shimano drag grease, switch out the drags and witness the miracle!

many of you have these old ambassaduers.  it had been a love/hate relationship. 



good looks and cheap, but unreliable.  well, i want all of you to pull out those old seized up ambassaduers, and get ready to fall in love all over again.  this is one reel that anyone can fix at home.  here's how....

first, check out the smoothdrag website at  http://www.smoothdrag.com/ and check out the carbontex drag washers.  DO NOT get the old green or black smoothies.  then call the smoothdrag lady.  her name is dawn and her phone number is (760) 949-0271.  order up a set of drag washers and some of cal's drag washer grease.  she is absolutely one of the nicest people in the world.  and tell her alan said hi!

next, go the the ambassaduer website  at http://www.abugarcia.com/schematics/index.cfm  and find the schematic for your reel.  just as an example, i'm going to pick ambassaduer -> c3 -> 5500 -> 9909.pdf.  let's start....

start with the left side plate.  back off one screw (key #199)  ONLY.  squirt a small amount of grease into the screw hole and put the screw back!!!!  do not remove the side plate.  remove the next two screws, one at a time, and grease them as well. 



remove the handle nut  cap and screw (key #'s 14868, 96274 and 15359)



remove the c-clip (key #4490)



remove the handle nut (key #15359), the handle (key # 24500), the stainless steel spring (key # 5115), the star (key # 24502) and the cast control knob (key #'s 21717, 20917, and 20090)



remove the right side plate assembly (note that this photo shows the cast control knob still in place.  it must be removed first).



separate the reel as shown below.



lube the level wind assembly.



lube the left spool bearing (key #13472) by popping out the nylon sprocket gear (key #23403).  don't forget to pop it back in!



lube the right spool bearing (key #13472)



replace the spool assembly (key #970823) back into the frame and insert the spool shaft (key #802630)




now, for the right side plate.  remove the two right side plate bridge screws (key # 5229)



NOTE THIS IMPORTANT DIFFERENCE:  older reels have a more reliable anti-reverse dog (key #20671).  note that the dog has to "grab" the ratchet gear at base of the gear sleeve (key #22079), as shown in the schematic that i've chosen to work with.  newer reels have a less reliable anti-reverse roller bearing, as shown in the photo below

if you have a dog, note the proper position of the dog now, and make sure it is reassembled in the same way. 

remove the right side plate cover (key #24511).   note that the anti-reverse roller bearing sleeve and the two cupped pressure washers (key #5131) stayed with the side plate cover.



grease the screw holes



separate the drag/gear cluster as shown.  note left to right, the ....

thrust washer (key #5189)
gear sleeve (key # 22079)
fiber washer (key # 13169)
main gear (key #21200)
3 alternating drag washers (key #20907)
flat slotted metal washer (key #20906)
flat keyed metal washer (key #20905)
cupped slotted metal washer (key #20960)

also shown in the photo are four new carbon fiber drag washers and a second flat slotted metal washer.  ignore the second flat slotted metal washer. 



apply a generous coat of cal or shimano drag grease to the new carbontex drag washers, rebuild the gear drag/gear cluster and discard the orginal ambassaduer drag washers. 


if your reel has a dog (key # 20671), put the dog back onto the ratchet gear (key # 22079), install the spacer (key #22001)  and then drop the drag/gear cluster back onto the right side plate base (key #24508) .

if your reel has an anti-reverse roller bearing, replace the roller bearing sleeve as shown in the photo below.



replace the right side plate bridge screws (key # 13369) and install the cupped pressure washers in a "()" orientation as shown below.



find the small white plastic brakes on the spool (key #20211) and press them in.  failure to do this and the right side plate assembly may not seat properly.



install the right side plate assembly back onto the frame.  make sure that the brakes are pressed "in" and that the anti-reverse dog is also "in."  the right side plate assembly should seat cleanly, flush and with a "snap."  tighten down the three right side plate screws. now check to make sure that the gear sleeve (key # 22079) turns freely and that the anti-reverse mechanism functions properly. 



install the cast control cap assembly.





install the star and spring.



grease and install the handle.



install the handle nut and c-clip



install the handle nut cap and retaining screw.



pat yourself on the back and have a beer.  well done!

Somebody has been reading old how-to's...

I will add one thing since that tutorial was written before the current Ambassadeurs were introduced. The current Ambassadeurs now have carbon fiber drag washers. So you can go to any good reel repair shop and buy drop in carbon fiber replacement washers for a few bucks. No need to cut or make changes to washers. I happen to like the Abu Garcia ones since they are much thinner than the Penn washers. You only get the three main ones though. The small washer under the main gear is still composite. I happen to like the composite there though, but that's a whole other story...

Good info there, and long live Alan Tani!

Yup, an oldie but a goodie that I hope some of you will be able to put to good use.  The first Abu I rebuilt, at one of Alan's seminars, was back when we had to cut down HT-100 drags.  I was glad when Smoothdrag started offering after market carbontex drags, and even gladder (is that a word?) when they Abus started coming with them stock.

So ... why do you like the composite washer under the main gear?  You got me curious ...

-Allen

I rebuilt an Abu Garcia recently that was built like Alan's post with a cut down carbon fiber washer under the main gear(a cut down stock Abu carbon fiber). I had not been fished much and the washer under the gear was all loaded up. It was the only one really working. And it was starting to wear a groove in the gear. And I didn't like the feel of the drag either. I came to the conclusion that Abu Garcia had left that washer alone for good reason. Maybe it's an isolated case, but I've converted all of my Abu's to carbon fiber drags and left that washer alone and have not had any problems as of yet. I better knock on some wood....