# Abu 6000



## kingfisherman23 (Dec 14, 2003)

OK, so here goes my first attempt at a full rebuild thread. Hope it helps someone out there! The owner of this reel wanted no replacement parts or conversions, so we're working only with the parts that came in the mail. Here goes!

I received this Abu in the mail on Thursday. It looked exactly like this when I took it out of the Ziplock bag it came in:










If you're starting with a complete reel and want to follow this tutorial, reaching this point is simple. Remove every reachable screw, c-clip and spring in the reel and lay the parts out on a towel. You're now ready to go. 

This model is the Ambassadeur 6000 design from 1969. Based on the reel foot markings, this particular reel was apparently made in April of 1971. First, we'll start with the schematic:

http://www.mikesreelrepair.com/schematics/albums/ambassadeur/Ambassadeur_6000_%281969%29.pdf

The frame has a good bit of wear on the thumb rest and some light corrosion on all the joints. I can't do anything about the finish wearing away, but a quick dip in the ultrasonic will have all the corrosion cleaned up.










The brake plate has a moderate amount of old grease on it, in a addition to some corrosion/rust on the parts. 










We'll clean them off best we can using lighter fluid, hot water and the ultrasonic before reinstalling.

This reel is a fixed-spindle model that uses bushings in the end caps. Both bushings are identical (P/N 5153). These are convertible to bearings, but I'll cover that later.



















We'll start with the spool. Here is the left side with everything removed.










First, install the nylon clicker ratchet (P/N 8748).










Next on is the stainless steel "Left Pinion Gear" and c-clip (P/N's 5167 and 5168, respectively).










Set the spool aside for now. Pick up the left sideplate and apply a healthy coat of grease to prevent corrosion.










Install the spool tension indicator (P/N 5150). There is a good chance this has not been removed. But if it has, make sure the end of the wire points towards the spool, not away from it.










This reel utilizes bushing retainers (P/N 5142), which are simply partial circles of metal with holes drilled in them. They look like this:










These things can be a real pain. Abu made a tool to remove them, but I don't have one. I improvised, using a set of dividers I found in the garage. I simply inserted the points of the dividers into the holes in the retainers and tightened down the spacer screw. Once I had the retainer in position, I simply loosened the spacer and the retainer clicked into its slot.



















You can accomplish the same thing with a set of cir-clip pliers or a concentrated effort with a small flat-head screwdriver.

After you install the interior clip, place the bushing into the hole in the spool. Keep in mind that there is a groove in the holder that must line up with a stud on the bushing.










Install the outer bushing retainer in the same manner as the inner retainer. This is the second of three that you have to install, so don't put away the pliers just yet.










This is the lineup of parts inside the spool end caps. The setup is the same for both side plates on this reel. Two spacers (P/N 5145) and a felt oil retainer (P/N# 5146). I like to put two drops of Corrosion-X or Red Rocket Fuel on the felt washer before I reinstall it.










When reinstalling the left end cap (P/N 5151), make sure you line up the slot in the cap with the tension indicator. Inattention can cause the spring wire to break.










Next comes the clicker assembly, which is different than the more modern Abus. Put a light coat of grease on the click plate assembly (P/N 8742) and place in the sideplate, making sure that the screw holes line up properly.










Place the loop of the click springs (P/N 9838) over the studs on the nylon click arms. _These are the only two springs that are the same size, if you get confused._ Install the click button and plate (P/N 8744, 8904) in the appropriate hole. Place the click pawl (P/N 8745) over the button stud and attach the hooks on the click springs to the button.










Grease the cog wheel stud and install the cog wheel (P/N 5152). Secure the wheel with the cog wheel screw (P/N 266).










Install the levelwind mechanism (P/N's 5174, 5176, 5177, 5205 & 5206). Secure using the carriage screw lock arm (P/N 5178). Attach the left plate with the three pillar screws (P/N 199).










Set this assembly aside for the moment. Now we move on to the right plate and the winding mechanism.

The whole brake plate and mechanism is covered by P/N 5101, but this one is partly disassembled. I would highly recommend leaving all these parts together if possible, as the press arm spring and the free-spool yoke require a considerable amount of effort to get back in place.










Here are the three springs that go on the brake plate. Keeping them straight and putting them in the proper place can be confusing. I've labeled them in this picture with their part numbers and the designators S1, S2 and S3.










Here is the proper placement of all three springs on the plate. A good rule of thumb: The larger loop goes over the brass. If the wire bends out of shape, simply bend it back with some pliers.










I didn't get a picture of it, but make sure you install the pinion gear (P/N 5137) into the pinion yoke. The wider side goes down.

Grease all accessible parts of the brake plate and set it aside.


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## kingfisherman23 (Dec 14, 2003)

This is our steel main gear and click spring. There was some rusting between the teeth, but WD-40 and a good cleaning eliminated most of that.










Here's a layout of the main gear stack on this reel. It goes drive shaft (P/N 5188), base drag washer (3902), drive gear (5126), drag washer (3903), click wheel (5130), spring washer (curved, 5131), drag spacer (silver, 3904), nylon drive shaft bushing (5133) and drag shim (copper, 3915).










This is what it looks like assembled:










Affix the AR dog (P/N 5134) to the ratchet wheel by sliding the teeth of the wheel between the wings of the AR dog.










Apply a thin coat of grease to the main gear, then install the main gear assembly on the brake plate. Make sure the AR dog seats on its stud and that it does not come off the ratchet wheel during the final steps.










Grease the inside of the left plate to combat corrosion.










The right sideplate has only one bushing retainer, on the spool side. Install it just like the other ones.










Install the bushing, making sure the stud lines up with the groove.










Screw on the right tension knob. Remember, it has the same setup as the left knob. The felt washer gets two drops of oil. This reel is getting Red Rocket Fuel.

Place one brake block (P/N 1844B, for this reel) on each brake pin of the spool.










Place the right plate over the brake plate and attach using the bridge screws (P/N 246). Fix the star drag knob (P/N 9830) to the main shaft.










Place the spool into the cage. The shaft of this spool measures .125 inches. Keep that in mind for later.










Install the right plate and tighten down the side plate screws. All that's left now is the friction washer (P/N 5116), the handle (P/N 5210) and the retaining screw (P/N 5182).










Enjoy your reel!











Notes and observations:

-This is absolutely one of the most beautiful reels I've worked on. The classic design, red/black color scheme and bulletproof construction come together perfectly.

-There is a carbon fiber drag washer upgrade available from SmoothDrag for this reel, but the owner wanted all original parts so I did not add in the washers.

-The bushings in this Abu can be replaced with bearings for increased smoothness and casting distance. The bearings would measure 3.175mm x 10mm x 4mm. They are available in stainless version from Boca and in matched pairs from TG Developments. Again, the instructions here were "All original parts."

-This reel has a steel main gear and pinion. I like the strength and durability, but I found a good bit of rust in the teeth of the main gear. This can be cleaned out with an ultrasonic cleaner and a WD-40 bath, but make sure you grease both gears well with Penn Blue, Abu PTFE or Yamaha Marine.

-I also like the level wind mechanism on this Abu. The worm gear and the idler gear both have metal teeth, eliminating the slivering problem on some newer Abus. Unfortunately, the level wind pinion on the spool is made of metal while the large cog is plastic, so there is the potential for slivering there.

-All together, a great design and a solid reel. Capable of decent distance (better than decent with a bearing upgrade) and a solid drag. Plus, I love the sound of the clicker spring going off when the drag slips. 

Until next time!

Evan


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## seajay (Dec 18, 2005)

Nice work :beer:


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## jlentz (Sep 11, 2005)

Very nice write up and excellent pics. Thanks for taking the time to photograph and write up the steps. Looks like you covered all necessary points, I am sure it will help out quite a few people.

John


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## Charlie2 (May 2, 2007)

*Excellent Post*

An excellent post! Should be made into an article or sticky somewhere.

Could you PM me on how you do those closeups, camera setup. et al, and how to post them. I'd appreciate it. C2


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## Charlie2 (May 2, 2007)

*Abu 6000c*

My handle has two knobs; one at each end.

Is the single knob/counterweight some kind of after market, or what?? C2


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## sealion (Aug 12, 2009)

How different would a 5000 from the same era be? I don't think mine has a clicker, but everything else looks similar.


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## Mater Man (May 10, 2009)

*How To.....*

Great Job Evan,. Thank You.

Inman


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## Seachaser (Sep 27, 2004)

Man that was great.


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## kingfisherman23 (Dec 14, 2003)

Charlie,

The camera I use is a Kodak EasyShare Z650. I simply set it up on a tripod next to my work area and aimed the lens at the tray. Most of the shots required I turn on the close-up mode (I think "Macro" is the technical term for it). As far as posting them goes, there's a post in the Bible that covers the process far better than I could.

The handle is stock on this reel. Your reel has the double paddle handle, which I believe was introduced later. The short counterbalanced handle is available as an upgrade.

Sealion,

The differences would depend on the specific model you have. There can be differences in the drag stack, left plate design and freespool mechanism depending on the model.

Evan


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## Reelturner (Dec 24, 2003)

Great post Evan....good pics.

Reelturner


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## alantani (Dec 12, 2007)

very nice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## 757 Fire (Jan 22, 2010)

very nice, however why is there extra parts in the background of the final pic? doesn't seem like a good thing


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## kingfisherman23 (Dec 14, 2003)

757 Fire said:


> very nice, however why is there extra parts in the background of the final pic? doesn't seem like a good thing


Haha, nice catch! This reel was sent to me in pieces, and it looks like in packing the parts up, the owner supplied me with an extra handle nut for an Abu, as well as a rubber O-ring and several screws from a different reel entirely.

Evan


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## Fishman (Apr 23, 2000)

Good post. Question how close in comparison is this reel to the 6500 C3?


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## kingfisherman23 (Dec 14, 2003)

As far as size of the spool goes, I believe they are about the same. But there are pretty substantial differences in the design. 

Just in a basic sense the 6500 differs in; the spool is not fixed to the spindle and has bearings inside it, the pinion is not fixed to the spool, the clicker and idler gears are combined into one nylon piece, the idler gear is all nylon, the drag stack is different, the clicker is designed differently and the design of the freespool mechanism is based on a somewhat different mechanical system.

Alan Tani has a great 5500C3 rebuild on his site that covers the C3 series well. And AK's Blue Yonder thread in the Bible does an excellent job of covering the older style flat-side reels.

Evan


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## jlentz (Sep 11, 2005)

Fishman said:


> Good post. Question how close in comparison is this reel to the 6500 C3?


Some of the major differences are: 

1. The spool/spindle design. The spool and spindle of the older Abu's are one piece which means the spindle turns whenever the spool does. This is one of the reasons for a decrease in distance that you might get with a 6000 when compared to 6500C3. The C3 and all(actually most, there is one exception) ultracast reels allow the spool to rotate on the spindle. This decreases spool weight and more importantly decreases resistance that occurs as the spindle rotates in the pinion gear. The older one piece design is actually much more rigid than the newer style.

2. The drag system in these older Abus uses only 2 drag discs. I believe there are three different sizes available but all of them lack the surface area of the 6500C3 reels.

3. The 5000 and 6000 reels, as can be seen in the original post, have spool bushings not bearings. The older 5x00C/6X00C reels will have spool bearings located in the endcaps, think of these reels as smaller 7500's. The C3 reels all have 2 bearings located in the spool.

4. The freespool mechanisms uses actual springs not leaf springs like in the newer C3 reels. It also has a two trip levers that must activate to take the reel out of freespool. It takes almost 1/2 of a turn of the handle to accomplish this and it is a very solid action. This system is much better IMHO than the newer reels that can accidentally get thrown out of freespool during a hard cast especially with a power handle. Also the newer reels clutch arm is much more prone to wear out, one of the weak points of the newer reels.

5.The antireverse on the older reels uses a standard ratchet and dog system which does allow some back play in the handle. The newer models use the antireverse roller bearing that prevents all handle back play.

6. All of the older reels use bushings in the driveshaft where the newer C3 reels have the antireverse bearing. The bushing on the older style reels can easily be swapped out with a bearing and the correct spacers.

There are many more differences but I think this covers the major ones. If you are interested in these older Abu's check out Jerry Forans website hookless.com He has some amazing reels and can answer any questions you have about any Abu.

John


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## Fishman (Apr 23, 2000)

Thanks there is a big difference between the reels.


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## kingfisherman23 (Dec 14, 2003)

It has been brought to my attention that I provided incorrect information in this thread. :redface::redface:

If you are looking to swap out the bushings with bearings in this reel, 3.175x10x4s will not work. The spool shaft is 3.175mm, and needs a 3.2mm inner diameter to fit. This size is available from TG Developments, the makers of the Rocket Bearings.

The other option, if you want bearings added, is to mill down the ends of the spindle.

Thanks to Jebson38 for that catch.

Evan


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