Mike's Reel Repair

[tagnut69]

Hi what if any upgrades are avaliable for the ABU 2500c reels. Mine is from '76 and want to get the best out of it for tournament plug casting comps with 18g plugs.
also can it be fitted with instant anti reverse?

Cheers

Chris

[Ken D]

Hio, Chris. No instant anti-reverse available for this unit.

You can carefully ream out the end of the worm shroud to take a bearing, from the 6500 C5.

Same with the idler gear, you can pocket it, for a bearing.

You *could* try an idler gear from the Record series of reels, whose idler gear is already set up for a brg, but the tooth pattern is slightly different, and may interfere with both the worm activate teeth, and the spool teeth. The gear is the same boundary dimensions.

Add a ceramic line pawl.

Clean and lube the bearings with Super Slick Stuff. Use this on the
worm shroud too.

Have fun.
_________________

http://www.zombo.com

[waterone]

Actually, you CAN upgrade the 2500C to instant Anti-reverse, by replacing the side plates, main gear shaft assembly and the proper bushing with that from a 2500C IAR.

But why?

In reality all the record holder 2500C reels are the older style, with conventional anti-reverse. I have far too many 1500C and 2500C (as well as variations, and in my opinion, the IAR adds smoothness on the retrieve, but little else. For distance casting, it would matter little.

Actually, from an engineering standpoint the old AR is far more positive than the roller bearing, for purposes of fishing with heavy weight fish, I use both for saltwater fishing, for example.

If bringing the reel back into gear from free-spool more quickly is what you are needing, a new main gear shaft with trip plate (sorry don't know the correct name or part number off the top of my head) from the IAR reels with more than the stock (from the 1500/2500C) one pin would work - all my reels have that.

To make the best reel possible, for 18gr. casting, you really should try the following:

* Square the frame
* install a aftermarket spool from UT Reel Technologies
* Remove the level wind and ldler gear assemblies
* Install three bearings on the spool (works only when the frame is square)
* Match the oils to the casting that day
* Match brake blocks to the casting

All the above really will make the reel scream, but controllably.

As to removing the level-wind - you don't need it - you're not fishing, you're casting. As far as you can. On the grass. And you better be hand profiling the line on the spool.

One caution though, stay with Abec 3 or max Abec 5 bearings without squaring the frame. And do not add the third bearing without making sure the frame is absolutely straight. The higher tolerance will actually HURT you.

Lastly, if you want to simply cast your best, IMO you simply have to get one of the spools from UT Reel Technologies. I have many spools and all of the aftermarket spools that were made for the 2500C or will work in the reel, UT spools are the best I've seen. They are concentric, they are the lightest, and something people don't think about, the shaft's don't deflect under load.

[RealDoc]

waterone sweet post !

[Ken D]

Very good info, waterone....pray, tell: why not just got out and buy a current 25, or 26 with the iar, instead of modding the older one?
Have you priced the parts out to do the sidpleate and other mods you suggested?

Where do you place the third spool bearing?

What's the price of the aftermarket spool, and how do you get one?

I'm curious as to how an average rodster squares the frame, by eye, (no major tools, just the usual household suff..tape, and a wrench or 2, maybe a screwdriver), or access to an instrument shop. How do you do that?

How do you know that the frame is out of square to begin with?
You push the button, and the line goes out with no audible rubbing noise,
or do you hear something?

My hands-on experiance only goes to totally ruined frames for the 5000 through 7000, where the posts are loose and wobbly, coming away from the sides of the frame.

Thanks. KD
_________________

http://www.zombo.com

[waterone]

Ken all good points.

The only reason I posted to the degree I did, is the intial poster talked about casting in the 18gr casting - which I took to be the rarified air of tournament casting the 18gr plug in competition.

Oddly enough, Abu 2500C reel OWN the 18 gr tournament competion, even more than all other Ambassauders predominate in all other casting competetion, except for a few Penns and very few other reels.

Whether they are more adapable or not is the question, but it's a fact.

As to the modifications, you could argue that they have as much in common to a FISHING reel as a family car does to a rally car. Eliminating the level wind allows maximum distance without the drag of all that "stuff" and a aftermarket spool is "blue-printed" just like a a blue printed engine has all it's specs tightly controlled.

There are two major manufacturers of aftermarket spools for the Abu2500, the Avail and the UT Reel. Both are much, much lighter than the stcok spool and they are lighter than some one-off spools produced in England a couple of years ago. At one time the spools were made of aluminum and spool shafts of titanium for maximum strength.

I have spools made by at least five manufacturers and I really prefer the UT Reel Technology Spools. (I believe Mike has had some trade with UT Reel Technology.)

The third spool bearing is necessary only if you want maximum smoothness, or maximum resistance to deflection in the spool, otherwise it is completly NOT necessary, matter of fact it's a positive negative, if the frame isn't straight.

Remember those wonderflul bearings (and bushings) that Abu put in there first ball bearing reels? Remember how they had the raduised shape to the outside? This was thought to help keep the bearing shaft from binding when the frame was a little warped, or most likely, when the shaft flexed during the cast or when into a heavy fish. From what I've seen, heard, read, all most all the top casters with 2500C mount the third bearing in the left hand side of the reel, outside the bearing plate and in the tension adjustment cap. You must have the frame "square" This is done by trial and error, maybe one in three frames is okay.

If you have a machinist friend, he can construct you a jig to check at to see if the frame is at right angles to itself, nothing fancy. Most reel frame are so off that it's NOT funny. Investmetn cast are some of the worst, but if you find one of the machined frames from saltwater trolling, their close.

It's amazing that we can fish with frames and stuff that it so out of spec it's funny, and do so well. But when you are trying to do casting tournaments, you want to elminate variables.

For 99.8% of all fishing, I don't think you could want for a better light tackle baitcaster than the newer IAR Abus - I have six, but have modified 4 to be better performing to me and possibly only to me - then again I fish them when most would fish a 5000 or 6000 class reel.

Now I would like to sing the praises of something that only Mike sells, that's the ceramic pawl for the reels. I just ordered another 1/2 dozen as spares. If one is keeping the level wind, this is a necessary improvement.

Sometime ago, I installed one in a modified 1500C IAR, it's now got an almost a velvet feel to the retrieve now, I wouldn't have beleived that it would have made that difference. It's more noticable than the 2500C improvements.

Also, a lot of this stuff is not cheap, but worth it.

[Ken D]

Thanks, Chuck.... much appreciated.....I indeed do have a machinist chap I work with, down in Vancouver. I will ask Purefishing Iowa about the actual specs/tech drawing for the frame/s and see what happens.

I can apply this knowledge to the reels of choice here: the 55/6500C3/C4, and the 7000 in all it's variables.

It turns out that Ulf gets his ceramic pawls from Mike's. Also: I found the web page: http://www.utreel.com/se/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=39&Itemid=49

Translation: http://tinyurl.com/yg52aur

I don't have any 25's or 26's. They are a little small for the fishery here, but I really should pick up a couple of fleabag (ebay) beaters, now that braided line's available, to build up as little trolling reels for the grandkids.
Spin reels are not the way to go for small kids trolling. I'm using 4500's for them at present.

I can just see me in the Bulkley, with a 15 pound+ steelhead, making a 200 yard downstream run. zzzzzzzzzt....

Thanks again..........KD
_________________

http://www.zombo.com

[waterone]

Ken:

You are right this can translate right to 55/65/70 reels.

I have to confess I have a quite a bit of UT's stuff and it's all great. I learned about the frames from British distance casters and my Swedish friends, including
Ulf.

Again, I'd like to restate that the cermaic pawls are amzing, I never would have thought they'd make that big a difference. Something on that page from UT Reels is the new aluminum levelwind guide - what used to weigh 7 grams now weighs 2 grams !!!!!! That make a huge difference in casting - almost like you have the taken the whole level wind off. This of course with the ceramic pawl. Unless there is a real good reason for using the old steel or brass levelwind guide and pawl ALL and I mean ALL my Abu's will have the new aluminium guide and the ceramic pawl.

Yes if your not careful you'll backlash all to hades, but if you work with the brake blocks, and oils; its like casting, what silk, oil, I don't know, but casting is much, much less effort.

Oh yeah, you can really beef up the drags with a good aftermarket spool and new drag washers.

About the steelheads, I've caught stripers, bluefish and redfish a bit better than 15-20 lbs as well as a couple sharks well in excess with the 2500C and the lack of line capacity makes it, well interesting.

[waterone]

Ken, for some odd reason, Abu 2500C had a small following in Washington State and Oregon for a while where the preferred reel for summer steelhead for some fishings was the 2500C reel.

BTW, please don't encourage buying any 2500C reel, the prices have gotten ridiculous on 1500C reels as it is, then they'll start running the price up on 2500C reels!

[andref]

I recomend you to buy a complete levelwind from the amb 2600c elite, the lineguard and levelwind cover is aluminium and a BIG upgrade, then you can deside if you like the dual ballbearing "Screw"!!!

Can "waterone" explaine how you can Match brake blocks to the casting?

[Ken D]