Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum
Fishing in British Columbia => General Discussion => Topic started by: dennisK on September 07, 2005, 12:03:42 PM
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my 5-6 yr old 5500c3 ambass's button is stuck down. I took off the side plate and cannot see a spring....any idea if there is a quick fix i can try?
thanks
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My nephew is having the exact same problem. Looking forward to an answer.
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I had the same problem with my 65001. I fixed it by sliding a screw driver undernieth and popping it up. Sounds crude but it worked. I had this problem 3 years ago and haven't had it again since.
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I had the same problem with my 6500 C3 yesterday. I had to 'pick' the release button up alittle before the reel would go back to a lock position. I'll do some maintenance this weekend to check.
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that's amazing to have so many similar sounding problems - maybe abu needs to do a recall...
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Yup, not to mention that my brake button came off and won't stay on now. It's probably just the black plastic retainer inside the button cap but thats a problem I shouldn't have to deal with.
Anyone want a immaculate abu reel? ;D
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For reel problems, there are two places to get these taken care of:
Stryker Rod and Reel (http://www.rodandreel.ca) in Surrey.
Mike's Reel Repair (http://www.mikesreelrepair.com/) in Abbotsford.
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that's amazing to have so many similar sounding problems - maybe abu needs to do a recall...
The abu c3's are crap. If you plan on spending alot of time on the river go with a shimano or quantum.
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The abu reels last fine as long as you regularily clean them. After about a week and a half of fishing I completly strip and re oil and grease my whole reel. Once you get the hang of it, it's simple to do everytime.
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You do have to clean your reels you know. For anyone fishing the Fraser any significant amount you really should invest in a bigger reel such as the Abu 7000. Keep the smaller Abu's for the smaller Vedder, Cap size rivers. You'll save money in the long run. My opinion from experience.
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:D i agree you should clean your abus on a regular basis as dirt and dust build up quick. especially at the fraser during sockeye sand is a big issue :D
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there is an armature inside the reels that engages or disengages the clutch when the button is pushed or the handle turned. Often times after lots of casts , depends on how often your reel is used i guess, the notch where this armature contacts with the clutch gear, wears enough to cause this problem. If the reel is less than a year old, this should be a warranty issue. If it has happened after a couple seasons of rigourous casting in our local salmon/steelhead fisheries, I would chock it up to normal wear and tear and have your reel serviced. The actual parts are not all that pricey and the competent coffee table reel mechanic can generally be successfull with the do it yerself repair. Some shops (berry's is one) do have inventory of "some" parts for these reels. Best to phone ahead and make sure. Other than that , Mike's reel repair, 1 877 404 1119. they are closed sat/sun/ monday i think but not sure.
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the abu reels aren't that bad to take apart,lots of schematics on mikes reels repairs to help make assembly easier, and i agree with the cleaning of the reel after fishing it a few times i own a 5500/6500 c3 and Calcutta 400 for about 4 years now and since i I've owned them the only thing i had to change in the 6500 c3 is a pawl so far the other reels still original parts in them . when i clean them i disassemble them completely.
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I use a 7000C3 for over 8 years now for bar fishing. I always take it apart completely for cleaning and regreasing after every season. The only thing I have to replace are drag lining with Smoothie from Mike's Reel Repair. I also own a C5 and a smaller C3. I am happy with ABU reels. ;)
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A friend of mine just bought a C3 south of the border, and said the reel stopped working after he caught 1 fish during his first outing with it. Are there any abu garcia warranty center/locations in the lower mainland?
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Mike's Reel Repair. Unfortunately they're located in Abbotsford.
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They actually do the warranty even if bought at a different store/in the states?
Thnx, would probably be easier than heading south of the border to RMA.
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Stryker Rod and Reel is an authorized ABU warranty center in Surrey.
Price list for service: http://www.rodandreel.ca/services.html
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Excellent. Even better :)
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I realize this is an older topic, but there is no resolution, on the thread, except the usual light-hearted banter about buying a different make of reel, take it to a service center, etc.
With the new season either on, or fast approaching depending on where one lives, this will come up again.
Of the thousands and thousands of Abus fishing, this scenario does come up, but not s often, as some would make out.
There are four main causes of the problem. Not in any order:
a warped side plate.
lack of lubrication to the clutch arm, and the casting trigger.
normal wear and tear to the clutch arm.
lack of, or unbalanced spring pressure from the position holder.
In the image of the clutch arm, the guy opted to fix his by altering the radius where this part contacts the brake plate post. The usual fix is a slight "re-bend" of the very end of this part... that little 90 degree'er out there. Over time, the tip wears, and does not engage the driveshaft teeth too well. The re-radius does much the same thing: permits the clutch arm to come away easier.
The clutch arm is inexpensive, if re-worked past the point of useability..either by a bad re-radius, or a real bad re-bend of the tip.
The tip only needs the bend, not the main part of the arm. It needs to stay flat along the brake plate. They are about 4-6 dollars. I normally do not re-radius, just bend. Haven't lost one yet.
The position holder is also an inexpensive part, and if ruined in tension adjustment trials, costs about 5.00, or less. I have new on hand, and if I wreck the already wrecked old, on goes the new. The two stainless steel "prongs" will have too much, or unequal pressure preventing the clutch arm from coming back out. It's trial and error to get the right tension on each arm, of the right pressure. New is better. But it's nice to do a fix for ones'self.
These I have lost. Maybe 2 or 3 over the past 10 years. Hope this helps. Best, KD
(http://amelia-island-fishing.com/images/junk/sticky.jpg)
(http://www.yourfishpictures.com/data/500/medium/100_0738.JPG)
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My alltime fav reel from abu is the 6500 c4. Never had a problem with the abu's except the pawls. But that is normal wear and tear. I clean and lubricate about 3 times per season and no probs
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The C4's very nice!!. Pretty colour, too. The downside would be heavy hauling, using the winch style of fishing, rather than the pump and crank, as the tranny's 6.3-1. Very fast, but in the wrong hands, not too good with bigger fish.
We have sportsters up this way, that compromise a transmission in 2 years or less.
Also, they tear the grips and posts right off the handle stay...a pretty good indicator of winch style fishing. Not just make them loose, they are torn right off.
They do this with the flatter 'paddle' style of handle. Even the older 'roundy' grips come away, but more so the paddle style.
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I could see your point but i love that thing hauled in plenty of springs last year with ease and i don't jump in the boat and chase them down i always play them to the beach. Haven't even had to replace the pawl and worm gear yet. I had a 6 star series for 10 years and replaced the pawl about 10 times a season and the worm drive 5 times a season.
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Its the new ones that are crap. I got mine from back in the day in 1997. I replaced all plastic and worn out parts in 2001 and haven't had a single problem. Drag is still silky smooth and I still haul in the big ones with it. My dad gave me his older 6500 aswell its a 92 model he replaced all plastics in 1999 and i use it for flossing sockeye, or float fishing/casting to springs at creek mouths. I personally have had problem with the c4's and like like my c3's in 4600, 5500, 6500. If it aint broke don't fix it. Just lubricate it and clean it.
Abu garcia are great reals when they work! And the old ones are super reliable, but lately they've gone cheep on materials and thats what is creating problems
But i wouldn't mind owning a couple diawa luna's but the fact that they are 350 dollars doesn't fit my budget to well so i'm gonna stick with my abu's.
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The fraser has super fine silt and that gets into the gears and acts like a file and just grinds them down to nothing!
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The fraser has super fine silt and that gets into the gears and acts like a file and just grinds them down to nothing!
Makes me wonder why people lay their rod and reel in the water when they're taking a picture of the fish they just caught. Can't be good for the reels.
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The early Abus from the mid-60's used a 3.X-1 ratio. Later, when the stacked (drag) array "ultracast" type came out, Abu decided to make a winch set of gears, for them.
There are still 4 ratios possible...for the ultracast types:
Winch (3.8-1), Euro (4.7-1) Standard (5.3-1) and Hi-speed (6.3-1)
The Euro style is pretty rare, but it fishes vey nicely, using a gearset from the pre-ultracast days, with the little line-out clicker feature, like the 7000's.
A nice little "mod" for some reels of today is: revert back to the brake plate from the low 80's...note that it's all-metal.
Compare this brake plate to the one I posted a few up.
The older one has 3 direct springs to help bring back the cast button, and: 2 trip levers, all same like the pre-2006 7000's.
It's only good for a few model reels, due to the height of the drive-shaft post. Unless one's really into wild-catting, and has tools to modify the post's height.
(http://www.mugendou.com/abu_parts/0142.jpg)
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there is only one reel i might replace my c4 with and that is the original made in the first couple of years they came out calcutta. My buddy has had one for about 6 years now never ever taken it apart and cleaned it or greased it just a couple of dabs of oil on his pawl maybe a couple times a season. He has never replaced the pawl or worm gear or has had it break down on him works just like it did when he first bought it.