reel repair???

[whitearrow]

ok fellas i have a abu morrum m5600c that is practically new and the cast distance is pretty abysmal compared to my morrum sx3600 and sons shimano 200gtb. i've decided i want to put some boca abec7 orange seal bearings in it but their are several diff specs with differing yrs of manufacturer and i'm not sure of the exact yr in which the m5600 was made. so, i want to send it off to a specialist that will take care of her without scratching or marring and put me some ceramic bearings in. who do y'all recommend for such a mission? i'm pretty picky about my stuff returning just like it was sent as far as scratches being occurred or not so as this case may be.

thanks men,

Big Ed 

[J Francho]

Mike @Delaware Valley Tackle should be able to take care of you.

 

http://www.delawarevalleytackle.com/

[redmeansdistortion]

Morrum 5600C uses one 10x15x4 spool bearing, one 8x13x4 spool bearing, and one 3x10x4 bearing in the right side plate.  Since you'll have it serviced, consider having the black brake blocks changed out for Abu part no. 20209, the light weight blue brake blocks.  They'll make the spool start up faster and let you cast lighter lures easier.  Like J Francho said, DVT will take care of you.

[whitearrow]

thanks for all the info fellow bassin' brethren. i will contact mike and see what he says but i'll keep what you suggested in mind distortion. will i be asking too much for the ole morrum m5600c to cast with a calcutta 200 distance wise?

thanks again,

Big Ed

[redmeansdistortion]

28 minutes ago, whitearrow said:

will i be asking too much for the ole morrum m5600c to cast with a calcutta 200 distance wise?

Not at all, but keep in mind your reel was made in about '96 or '97 IIRC.  If it has never been serviced there may be all sorts of dirt and grime in there fouling things up regardless of how often it was used.  Something else to think about.  Once cleaned and properly lubed, your reel should be better than new regardless of which bearings you use.  Abu is very well known to use more lubricant than parts in their reels and it can really slow them down.

[J Francho]

^^^ Whole lotta truth in that post.  It's amazing what a complete break down, degrease, clean, rebuild, and fresh lubricants can do for a reel. 

[whitearrow]

the reel is as new as in only been fished a couple times and looks new outside and inside. i did put a drop of abu oil on both spool bearings hoping it would loosen em up and cast farther but alas it was a no go. i'm just wanting a good bit more distance out of it if possible. too if i add the light weight blue brake blocks will that affect casting larger baits?

thanks,

Big Ed

[redmeansdistortion]

3 hours ago, whitearrow said:

the reel is as new as in only been fished a couple times and looks new outside and inside. i did put a drop of abu oil on both spool bearings hoping it would loosen em up and cast farther but alas it was a no go. i'm just wanting a good bit more distance out of it if possible. too if i add the light weight blue brake blocks will that affect casting larger baits?

thanks,

Big Ed

You'll be fine with heavier baits and light brake blocks.  If you added more oil on top of the old oil, the bearings are probably over lubricated which will slow them down.  Flushing them out with something like acetone or Zippo fluid and adding one drop of oil should bring them back in order.  

[Deleted account]

Older Abu bearings are notorious for gumming up. I'd skip changing the bearings, and just have them flushed and properly lubed (along with having the whole reel cleaned as others suggested). Oh, and worrying about a reel getting scratched is as silly as, well...worrying about a reel getting scratched. Battle scars=street cred.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

I don’t think ambassadeurs benefit much from bearing upgrades. Due to the non-disengaging level wind you’ll see more gains from cleaning, polishing and proper lubrication. 

[redmeansdistortion]

1 hour ago, Delaware Valley Tackle said:

I don’t think ambassadeurs benefit much from bearing upgrades. Due to the non-disengaging level wind you’ll see more gains from cleaning, polishing and proper lubrication. 

Some round Abus do have disengaging level winds.  The Morrum as well as the Black Max/Pro Max/Silver Max/Tournament Pro round reels have a disengaging level wind.  Those reels in the 1600 size can really throw the light stuff, even 1/8oz baits.  There's a cog at the base of the drive shaft that turns the level wind versus the classic Ambassadeurs that rely on a spool pinion gear.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

25 minutes ago, redmeansdistortion said:

Some round Abus do have disengaging level winds.  The Morrum as well as the Black Max/Pro Max/Silver Max/Tournament Pro round reels have a disengaging level wind.  Those reels in the 1600 size can really throw the light stuff, even 1/8oz baits.  There's a cog at the base of the drive shaft that turns the level wind versus the classic Ambassadeurs that rely on a spool pinion gear.

I stand corrected. I don’t see a lot of those. 

[J Francho]

10 hours ago, Delaware Valley Tackle said:

I don’t see a lot of those.

I don't think I've ever seen a 1600.  I've built a few 1500 and 2500 size, though.  They are very capable at light stuff.

[redmeansdistortion]

1 hour ago, J Francho said:

I don't think I've ever seen a 1600.  I've built a few 1500 and 2500 size, though.  They are very capable at light stuff.

Black Max 1600

 

Pro Max 3600

 

 

These were some of the last Ambassadeurs made by Abu Garcia prior to the Pure Fishing buyout in the later 90s.  They came with a lifetime warranty and most parts can still be easily had 27 years down the line.  I believe they were the answer to the then new Shimano Calcutta back in '92.  They have a one piece aluminum frame, low reel seat, and disengaging level wind.  The reels came in sizes ranging from 1600 all the way to 6600.  The drag stack is almost the same as a 4000 to 6000 sized Ambassadeur, but instead of a drag washer at the base of the drive shaft, they have a cog to drive the level wind.  The reels that bear those names now are nothing like the originals.  These reels retailed new for $99 (Black Max) and $169 (Pro Max).  That was a nice chunk of change 25 years ago.

 

The best mods you can do to them are clean the spool bearings and install lighter brake blocks.  I can take my Black Max 1600, loosen the spool tension until there's a little side play, and bomb weightless worms a good distance.  They are very simple reels to work on as well since they share much of their design with the classic round Abus of the Ultra Cast design.

[J Francho]

Nice!  I did work on a few Pro Max 3600 reels.  They were well built.  Thanks for posting those, and the info.

[redmeansdistortion]

15 minutes ago, J Francho said:

Nice!  I did work on a few Pro Max 3600 reels.  They were well built.  Thanks for posting those, and the info.

No problem.  They're hidden gems as of now.  I've paid as little as $15 for them on eBay and $40 at the most.  They have quickly become my favorite reels.  That said, new old stock reels often sell for over $100.  The models that end in C (IE 1600C/3600C) come with 6.3:1 gears and retrieve 25 IPT whereas the non-C models are 5.3:1 and bring in 21 IPT.  Then were are the W (winch) models with 4.7:1 gears that bring in 19 IPT.

[BillBrett]

I have owned the entire series of vintage Abu Morrum reels from the model 1600 to the model 7700 reels. These are beautifully made, precision reels. I sold my M5500 reels because they cast poorly. The reason they cast poorly is because this model has a disengaged level wind system combined with a relatively wide spool. No matter the position of the level wind guide when you cast, there is too much line friction across the wide spool. There is nothing you can do to minimize this mechanical problem.  

 

 

[new2BC4bass]

Another resurrected thread.  A few years ago I purchased 3 of the Black Max 1600Cs for $100 as a package deal.  Money well spent.  You can throw a light lure into a strong headwind without backlashing as long as you aren't trying to reach the other side of the lake.  (May not backlash even then for someone with better thumb control.)

 

I also have a couple of the 1600 size Morrums.  Obviously better built, but I find the Black Max to be a less finicky reel.  YMMV