| this was provided last year by Chuck Nelson. there's some great info here on what makes a reel work and how to keep it cared for and running great.
Basic Facts To Help Keep Your Reel Going All Summer
I have the opportunity to speak with many people. In doing so, I have had a great number of questions asked of me regarding fishing reels and I was able to answer all of the questions and hopefully shed some light on a few issues.
People say that Abu Garcia reels are not made like they use to be. Well, that is a yes and no answer. If you take off the plastic thumb rest on the new reels, they look pretty much the same as they did back in the early 1980’s. The insides went through a few basic changes, but nothing as far as what they are made out of. The brass gears are still brass and the fiber cogwheel is the same as what is was back in the 1970’s. The thumb rest is what is the big difference on the reels.
People are burning up worm gears and pawls on the newer reels because of weeds, dirt and grime. This builds up in the groove on the frame and the top of the line guide cannot move over as far as it needs to. In turn, the bottom is forced to continue to move and you groove your worm gear, put a flange on the side tooth of the worm gear, and ruin the pawl. This occurs on the reels with the thumb rest on them. The tolerance is much, much tighter with the thumb rest on as opposed to having it off. There is absolutely no reason to keep the thumb rest off though. Do as I suggested and that is go buy yourself a new toothbrush and replace your old one. Keep the old toothbrush in a zip lock bag with a bottle of the Abu OIL and you will eliminate your troubles. All you have to do is brush out the cross bar on the frame that the line guide runs in and you will be much, much happier. REMEMBER, IF YOU REPLACE A WORM GEAR, REPLACE THE PAWL AT THE SAME TIME; THIS IS A MUST!!!!!!!
Screaming reels is another problem that people complained about. When these reels are manufactured in Sweden they are greased more than oiled. They do this because the reels sit and the oil will leak out of the places it should be. This is evident on a new reel when you take the handle side plate assembly off and see the oil on it and the frame. This came from the oil on the bearing in the spool. The worm gear, cogwheel and main gears all have light grease on them. It is best to use oil on the worm gear and cogwheel when you are lubing it up, as it is not as thick and will operate smoothly. The oil will also attract less dirt and grime as well too.
Reels that stop engaging is a problem for some people. With as many reels that go out on the market, there may be a reel or two that slip through the cracks, but they overall are rare. On the newer reels the culprit is usually the clutch arm. This is a very easy and inexpensive fix. Clutch arms will eventually wear out. What really takes a toll on them is when people engage their reel before the bait hits the water. I have, and will compare this to a truck. Go out to your truck and start it up. Now drop it in neutral and I will disengage the reel. You floor the gas pedal and I will cast a Reef Hawg out as hard as I can. On the count of three you drop it into drive while flooring it and I will engage the reel with the bait still going out full tilt. Something has to give in your transmission and in the reel. In the reel it is going to be the clutch arm.
If you have an older reel and are having the engaging problem, it may be a spring or it may just be sticky. The 7000’s of today are the same as the 7000’s of yesteryear. The double arm main plate is what use to be in the 6500C’s and 5500C’s of the 1970’s and early 1980’s. It is now a single clutch arm assembly.
People are complaining that they are burning up gears on the Abu Garcia’s. The problem here is 9 out of 10 times they are using high-speed gears for buck tail fishing. This is a big NO, NO!!! The tolerances on the gears are so tight that the high pull from the buck tail will eat these gears up. It will start out as a buzz; progress to a grind and then to the reel locking up. 6.3:1 gears are great for top water, jerk baits, glide baits and twitch baits. Stick to the lower gear ratios for throwing buck tails. Take your truck again and pull your heavy boat. It is easier on the truck to drop it into a lower gearing, as it will work much less than in the higher gear.
People can say what they want about the reels. I know what makes these reels tick and can show you everything there is to know about these things. The biggest thing in Abu’s and any reel is to take care of it. Clean and lube it just like it was your car. Would you go all summer of heavy driving without changing the oil or doing basic maintenance to your vehicle? I did not think so.
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