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[BigFisher]

Im also having a back and forth tracking problem on some of my old baitcasters, It will get stuck shortly when it hits the end of the track. What would be the solution to fix this? Also where is the best place to get a reel serviced and price?

How complicated is it to figure out how to service a baitcaster yourself? thanks

[dennyman]

Express Reel service just off of No. 3 Rd in Abbotsford would be the closest. Look up his website for his rates. Kevin does good work and has a fast turn around time. The other good thing is he can share with you tips to keep your reel in good working condition.

[blaydRnr]

Express Reel service just off of No. 3 Rd in Abbotsford would be the closest. Look up his website for his rates. Kevin does good work and has a fast turn around time. The other good thing is he can share with you tips to keep your reel in good working condition.

x2

You have a worn pawl...it doesn't take much to have them off spec.... Kevin is a great guy and he takes his craft very seriously...you're looking at about $30 for parts and full tuning service.

He also sells good refurbished reels at very reasonable prices.

[milo]

I think that Andrew's Kalex 61 is a lefty reel and comparable in size to the 6501, so that is what he should be looking at.

Andrew, I know how it is to be a student on a tight budget. But if you are serious about your fishing, you can't afford to have a cheapo reel that is going to pull a number on you every year. It simply ends up costing much more than having a better quality reel.
If you like the look and feel of an ABU baitcaster on your rod, try to find a new Ambassadeur 6501 C3.
This eBayer ships to Canada cheap and his prices are great:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ABU-GARCIA-AMBASSADEUR-6501-C3-Baitcast-Reel-LEFT-HAND-MADE-SWEDEN-/370576142562?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item56480f30e2#ht_5917wt_974

I am in Burnaby. If Hook is out of your way, give me a shout and I will fix your Kalex free of charge - you just buy the spare worm gear.

[Silex-user]

Way to go guys for willing to help the guy out. Karma  (steelhead gods) will be good to you guys this steelhead season.


Silex-user

[HOOK]

BigFisher - you probably have the tiniest spot worn on one point at the end of your worm gear which is why it sticks briefly then starts to track. relace the wormgear AND the pawl

Andrew - the parts should be around $20 if i remember correctly. If searun wont do the quick fix for free let me know because your actually only about 10-15mins across the bridge and im serious it will only take a few mins normally

someone asked how hard it is to service your own reels - its not hard but be damn careful when you take it apart that you dont allow ANY parts to just fall out unless you already know how it goes back together. It seems that each model has different insides as well so be prepared for that, my dads older Abu's are way trickier to put back together than the newer ones and they really need to have things sitting perfectly in order to fit together and work properly.


here is the best tip for when your reel stops tracking properly. ALWAYS replace BOTH the wormgear and pawl. An improperly worn pawl will screw up your wormgear quicker and a worn wormgear will wear your pawl wrong fairly quick. I always replace them both, last time i replaced any of them was about 5yrs ago and these are used for BBing which is very long casts and alot of reeling each day out which is alot of wear on the reel.

good luck with your reels everyone

[milo]

here is the best tip for when your reel stops tracking properly. ALWAYS replace BOTH the wormgear and pawl. An improperly worn pawl will screw up your wormgear quicker and a worn wormgear will wear your pawl wrong fairly quick. I always replace them both, last time i replaced any of them was about 5yrs ago and these are used for BBing which is very long casts and alot of reeling each day out which is alot of wear on the reel.

Excellent advice.

An alternative would be to get a ceramic pawl, only available form Mike's reel repair:

http://www.mikesreelrepair.com/ceramic-pawl-repl-pn5176-p-86458.html

The advantage of the ceramic pawl is that it doesn't wear out and it makes the reel even smoooooother when casting and cranking.

[HOOK]

thats very true Milo, i have the ceramic upgrades in the wifes reel and she loves how easy it casts, damn thing is almost to smooth. smoother than my little Calcutta 

if we are BBing she can almost outcast me which is why i did the upgrading for her 

[penguinabc123]

wow thanks for all the kindness everyone.
I wish some of this had been posted in the morning as at about 930am I took it back over to riverside fly and tackle and they said it is both the pawl and the worm gear. They quoted me $38 to have them both fixed so hopefully that seems reasonable. I just hope I can make it through steelhead season and start putting aside some money for a new one.

Hook - thanks again for the offer, next time I break something Ill be sure to ask you if you know about it first!
Milo - I am starting to get the hint that I should shell out the money for a 6501 of some type, or maybee a more high end reel. I am hoping this fix can get me through until November (my birthdy) and either by that time or inbetween now and then I can put some cashola together for one. Thanks for the tip though and for the offer to help!

Thanks again to everyone for all the advice and tips I seriously didn't even expect two responses let alone two pages!

-Andrew

[Fish Assassin]

Riverside does god work. More importantly it's local, don't have to ship it to Abbotsford and points east to have it repaired.

[HOOK]

$38 sounds reasonable however they are definately charging you labor costs. How long will they have the reel for is the other thing when it could have been done right there at the counter in about 5mins, that is if they dont just fix it right then and there.

years ago i called Mike's reel repair about fixing my reel and they said 6weeks or more wait time. This was the reason why i started fixing them myself because i fish way to much for that. Now i could wait because i have enough spare setups that i could just grab something else in the meantime 

its always a good tip for a fisherman to have a backup rod and reel, backups are normally the cheaper stuff that was replaced by the higher end gear upgrade

glad you got it sorted out Andrew

[penguinabc123]

Ya thanks I am hoping to know just how long it will take to get done by tomorrow. If it is going to take too long I may jump on the earlier posted ebay deal or I saw a 6500c4 posted in port moody on craigslist brand new I may check out.
but with any luck it will be done fast and I won't need to worry, I really like the backup idea though, gives me an excuse to save up for a new toy

[milo]

Ya thanks I am hoping to know just how long it will take to get done by tomorrow. If it is going to take too long I may jump on the earlier posted ebay deal or I saw a 6500c4 posted in port moody on craigslist brand new I may check out.
but with any luck it will be done fast and I won't need to worry, I really like the backup idea though, gives me an excuse to save up for a new toy

The Kalex 61 reel that you are having fixed is a lefty.
The 6500C4 is a right-hand retrieve.
When purchasing any Ambassadeur baitcaster, make sure you look at reels whose number ends in "01" (5001, 5501, 5601, 6001C, etc...), as reels ending in "00" (5000, 5500, 5600...)are all set for right hand retrieve and can not be modified. Shimano reels are also numbered in the same way. (e.g. A Calcutta 250 is for right-handed retrieve, whereas the 251 is a lefty).

Make no mistake, you WILL end up with more than one reel...and soon. So you better start learning the nomenclature before making a wrong purchase, especially off Craigslist. 

[penguinabc123]

UPDATE:

Just got a voicemail from Riverside saying that it is going to cost $77.43 to get the worm gear/pawl/line guide all replaced and put back together.
Now is it just me or does that seem pretty high. I can buy a brand new Kalex for $80 give or take so why would I fix this one? And it's unfortunate I had to wait 10 days before they let me know it would be so much more, I could have picked up a used reel by now.

I'm kinda frustrated, any thoughts?

-Andrew

[jump14]

Personally it seems pretty high for what is required. On a popular auction site you can get a new Kalex reel shipped for about the same price the others are asking to repair. I'd personally look around for other options on a reel if that repair is for that price... If you look around you can find a good deal on a used 6600c4 or 6500c3 abu. I was just on vancouver island last week and poked my head into a pawn shop and saw a few 6500s for under $45 and took a few apart and they looked good so I scooped two of them up. All up to you though in the end!