How To Take Apart Abu Garcia Ambassadeur Eon Reel For Cleaning

Abu Garcia Ambassadeur bait bandage fishing reels are loved by catfish anglers all beyond the United States and are easily downward the most popular fishing reels for catfish.

The Abu Garcia Ambassadeur fishing reels tin bandage a mile, too as haul in monster catfish and they'll stand up to decades of use and corruption and continue on performing.

Keeping your fishing reels make clean and well lubricated assures optimum performance. If you don't have the time or the desire to take your catfish reels apart, your local reel repair shop will clean reels for around 20–xxx bucks each. If you like to tinker, taking apart an Abu reel is relatively easy, if you keep some primal points in mind.

Here's a guide to cleaning your fishing reels. Equally always, 1 may find some easier methods, merely hither's my method.

These basic steps for cleaning and lubricating a fishing reel will piece of work for all baitcast fishing reels. Some of the parts may take slight variations but the overall process will be the same.

Here's how to clean and lubricate an Abu Garcia Ambassadeur fishing reel.

Big thanks to Steven Gonzales for the help with this postal service!

Tools and Supplies Needed

Hither's what you'll need to get started cleaning your angling reels.

10mm open-concluded wrench
Flat tip screwdriver
Simple Green or Oxy Make clean
Clean towel or rag
Something to put parts in
A toothbrush or cleaning brush
Cal's Drag Grease
Ultrasonic Cleaner (Optional)
Replacement Parts (As Needed)

If you find parts need to exist replaced during the cleaning process you tin find parts readily bachelor on eBay or even through your local bait and tackle shop.

If you're not sure what you're looking for or need a reel schematic most of the Abu Garcia Schematics are available online through Abu Garcia.

Southwestern Parts and Service is also a great resource for schematics and parts.

You lot tin can use whatsoever reel lube and oil that you prefer. I use a variety of lubricants but the Abu Garcia brand products piece of work well considering they exercise their task well and can be found at most stores.

From my screwdriver kit, I but use the 1.4mm flat tip and the #ane Phillips screwdrivers. The actress flat tip screwdriver is available in the event that the 3 thumbscrews are besides tight on the Abu faceplate, simply most chiefly, for the pawl embrace.

To make clean the parts you can use Unproblematic Greenish or Oxy Clean. Be careful not to get any overspray on to your line, unless your cleaning agent is biodegradable. This reduces the chances of affecting the properties of your line.

If you're really going to exist cleaning a lot of reels you tin can use an ultrasonic cleaner to clean the parts. We've gone to this system because the book of line-fishing reels to make clean it actually helps expedite the process and the investment is minimal if you buy one like this. We use a mixture of water and a small amount of Simple Dark-green and it makes the cleaning process a breeze.

Before you begin, you don't have to remove your fishing line, just put a slice of electrical record on the line. This comes in handy when putting the reel back together considering it keeps your loose line from getting caught betwixt the spool and the frame. If it's fourth dimension to change out your fishing line and so go ahead and remove information technology. Here'due south an awesome DIY angling line stripper you tin build for pennies.

Don't forget to piece of work in a well-controlled area. In that location are a few tiny parts, and they can easily be flung off….never to be seen once more.

PRO TIP: If you lot're not experienced cleaning fishing reels use an empty egg carton to put the parts in when yous're tearing the reel apart. Put the parts in the order removed in separate slots of the egg carton and in the order removed. It will assistance with finding parts and keeping up with the order they go in when putting the reel back together.

We'll break the reel down into iv major parts:

Left faceplate
Frame
Spool
Right faceplate

All parts are referenced as if you are holding the reel in the casting position, with the level wind pointed away from you.

How To Clean Abu Garcia Ambassadeur Line-fishing Reels

Although nosotros'll begin past removing the correct faceplate offset, we'll get over this part of the reel final. This section has the most moving parts and consumes the bulk of the per centum of your time when cleaning the reel.

Start past removing the 3 thumbscrews on the right faceplate. Use a flat-tip screwdriver, if the screws are too tight. The correct faceplate assembly volition come off the frame and the spool volition come off the spool axle.

Next, remove the 3 screws on the left faceplate with a #1 Philips screwdriver.

Clean out the faceplate of whatever clay and debris. Check the teeth on the cogwheel to ensure that the gear isn't stripped. Apply the grease/lube along with both sets of teeth on the cogwheel. I put one drib of oil in the axle seat (hole in the faceplate) and one on the cogwheel spindle. You lot can set this faceplate aside considering that's all there is to that piece.

Now, we will work with the level wind. Turn the worm gear, so the line guide moves all the way over to ane side. Yous'll need to do this in order to clear the reel foot with a screwdriver. Remove the pawl cover with the screwdriver. Pull the pawl out from the line guide assembly, taking care non to lose it (small part).

Slide the worm gear prune off of the worm gear and set up this piece aside. Pull out the worm gear and the entire associates will come up autonomously.

Again, take intendance, hither. The worm gear sleeve at the other end of the worm gear cover could come up loose (small office). If you accept a C4 reel, you will accept a bearing in place of the sleeve.

Clean off whatever dirt or old grease. Run a cotton swab through the worm gear cover and line guide to get out any dirt or droppings. Clean the pawl tip as well, since this is what runs through the grooves on the worm gear.

As far as the frame is concerned, I normally clean it for cosmetic purposes, but you really don't want any dirt in and around the ingress points like where the spool makes contact and where the worm gear cover sits. The pollex guard snaps on, and you tin can remove information technology to give information technology a more thorough cleaning.

Let's put this associates back together:

On the worm gear itself, put ane drib of oil on the tip and one driblet on the white collar just below the gear. Slide the worm gear into the worm gear cover. When sliding the assembly back into the frame, retrieve that the worm gear is tabbed, so it will flush into the frame when seated correctly. If the plastic sleeve fell out of the worm gear encompass, brand certain information technology'due south oriented correctly. If you have issues seating the assembly, normally, information technology's because the sleeve is backward.

Here's where having a third hand comes in handy. Slide the consummate worm gear assembly dorsum into the frame. While it may take a little patience and some finger fumbling, you want to retrieve three key points:

Ensure the tiptop tip of the line guide seats within the slot of the summit frame mail.

Ensure the begetting doesn't fall out and onto the floor…..never to be seen again (yup…learned that one the hard way).

Make sure the tabs of the worm gear cover fit snugly into the reel frame on the sleeve/begetting side.

When you reinstall the worm gear clip, brand sure it seats between the white collar and the gear. Flip the frame over and move your line guide dorsum over to one side. Popular in the pawl and motion your line guide slightly, until your pawl is almost affluent and is inside the grooves on the worm gear. Spiral your pawl cover back on and turn the worm gear to verify function.

Motion the line guide to the center and place a driblet of oil on either side of the line guide onto the grooves of the worm gear (hither is one place that you can use two drops). Movement your line guide across back and forth to spread the oil effectually. I besides place a drop of oil in the groove on the thumb baby-sit post, where the meridian portion of the line guide slides across.

Now, you are done with this section. Identify this aside, and grab your spool.

Pull off the plastic spool pinion gear. Place a drop of oil on the spool bearing and pop the spool pinion gear back on.

Note: Older Abu's may accept a brass bushing instead of the bearing. I recommend replacing the bushing with a spool begetting for a much smoother reel. If you wish to practise this:

Spool bearing – office number 13472

The part number is the aforementioned for the 4000 – 6000 series.

Now, flip the spool over and place a drib of oil on this bearing too. There is no need to remove the spool brake. That'south it for the spool. At present for the good stuff…..

The spool beam is held in by a little black clip inside the spool tension knob. Loosen the spool tension knob and pull the axle out.

Using a #i Philips screwdrivers, remove the handle cap.

Here, you lot will run into a small-scale C-prune. Be VERY conscientious with this clip. I've lost way likewise many, so I proceed spares handy. This C-clip not but keeps your handle nut from getting loose but it keeps your handle gear shaft tight and down to align your gears inside the faceplate (just some FYI). If yous lose this, it isn't the end of the world, but yous could discover some skipping problems with your reel. Not a fun time.

With your i.4mm flat tip screwdriver, carefully wedge the tip in between the C-clip and the handle post. In one case over again, be careful non to fling this clip off into the infinite reaches of space.

Remove the handle nut with the 10mm open-ended wrench and remove the handle. At that place will be a handle spacer plate right underneath the handle, so take care when removing the handle.

Now unscrew your star drag. Turn your assembly over and two metal tension plates will come up out off of the shaft.

Turn your assembly right side up again and remove the two inner faceplate screws. Lift the faceplate off of your restriction plate assembly.

Take hold of the handle shaft gear and remove that entire assembly off of the brake plate post.

Remove the excess grease from the brake plate assembly. There is a little copper washer that sits on the restriction plate post.

Remove any excess grease and wipe it clean. Place a small drop of oil at the base of operations of the mail service and place the washer back on superlative of the oil.

Adjacent, remove the drive gear from the handle drive shaft, including all the metal and felt elevate washers, plus the anti-contrary bearing sleeve.

Clean off all the grease from the handle bulldoze shaft.

Turn the drive gear upside downwardly and you should see a blackness felt washer. Carefully, clean any and all excess grease and oil. Grease and oil will seep into this assembly and the washers and will cause slippage with your drag. Identify that black felt washer dorsum onto your handle drive shaft.

Wipe off whatsoever and all oil and grease from the remaining felt and metal washers.

Place your drive gear back onto the handle drive shaft.

Now, identify all the washers back onto the drive gear in the order that you run across in this picture from left to right.

A felt washer goes on the drive gear kickoff, then the round washer.

Next, add some other felt washer, then the circular tabbed metal washer.

Finally, add the final felt washer, so the round washer with the raised collar.

On the brake plate assembly, add i more drop of oil on top of the copper washer that sits on the post, and slide the drive gear assembly dorsum onto the post.

Apply a calorie-free amount of grease between the brake plate pinion gear and the bulldoze gear.

Make clean the anti-reverse bearing sleeve and place it back on the drive gear associates.

Clean out the faceplate. Place one driblet of oil in the axle seat and two drops inside the anti-reverse bearing.

Go back and second-check the washers on your bulldoze gear. Make sure the washer with the tabbed ends is sitting correctly in its grooves.

Slide your faceplate dorsum onto the brake plate assembly, minding the alignment of the button button release, so that you become a proper seat. Screw down the faceplate with the ii inner screws.

Now you lot volition exist reinstalling the 2 metal tension plates. Orientation is important. The easiest way to recollect, is that the tension plates should mimic the open and airtight parenthesis shapes as they fit onto the handle bulldoze shaft like and so: ( ) The plate curving upwards should become on first, and so the plate curving downward.

At this point, I tighten my spool tension knob nigh all the mode downwards, because it's easier to become to.

Screw your star drag back on.

Turn your assembly over and place a drop of oil in the hole of your metal spool pinion gear.

Slide the beam (brass neckband side in) back into the spool pinion gear until you hear it click. Information technology should do a slight lock in to the black clip inside the spool tension knob. In one case information technology'southward in, you lot can back off on the spool tension knob. On the within of the metal collar that surrounds the gear/axle, place two drops of oil. You can put the drops anywhere, only I ordinarily put them at opposite ends of each other for even distribution. This volition help to lube the brake blocks on the spool for smoother casting.

Set the associates aside for at present. Grab the frame and screw on the left faceplate.

Back to the correct faceplate associates, slide your spool onto the spool axle, ensuring that the brake blocks are not protruding out of the collar and that the brake block assembly is aligned with the gear for a perfect seat.

With both assemblies oriented this way, I similar to pop the frame assembly on from the top. This style, I know my spool is notwithstanding seated correctly. Take care and don't force the pieces together. Ensure your alignment is correct. Once the assemblies have snapped into place, tighten down the 3 thumbscrews.

Reinstall the handle spacer plate, with the 2 outer ends flat confronting the star elevate.

Employ a drop of oil at the base of each paddle on the handle and plough the paddle a few times to spread it out.

Place the handle back on the shaft and tighten the nut with the wrench. Before re-attaching the C-clip, check the alignment of the handle nut cap.

In one case again, very carefully, pop the C-clip dorsum onto the post.

Screw downwardly the handle nut encompass and yous are washed!

Want More?

This article is function of an ongoing tutorial on rods and reels for catfish, check out the Ultimate Guide To Catfish Reels and the Ultimate Guide To Catfish Rods for even more than in-depth information on choosing and using rods and reels for catfish.

If you're looking for an crawly catfish rod to pair with your Abu Garcia Ambassadeur reels for catching catfish be sure to check out my Republic of chad Ferguson Signature Series Catfish Rods from Whisker Seeker Tackle.