# Made by ABU sweden.



## parkerdog (Jul 15, 2011)

Thats all I find on my dads old reel probably from the early eighties. It says that on the handle side and high speed in the middle on opposite side with the crest.

I'm assuming it's an ambassadeur because it is round, red and looks like them but he has all the other writing wore off.

My question is, Is it worthwhile to have it rebuilt to use as a spare or a catfish reel or would it be a waste of money?

If rebuild, where is a good place to send it?


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## Sharpix (Jul 17, 2011)

Give it maintenance by yourself. If it need pieces, left it and sell it.

Those round reels are not very good compared to any modern shimano. The Abu reels of that time were big and chunky, not very good to cast lines.

They were done properly, durable. Dont throw away your money unless you really like it, or its like "its the one my father used"


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## parkerdog (Jul 17, 2011)

Thanks for the response.

I'm not sentimental so I guess I'll get a new reel for catfishing and stick that one back where I found it till someone has a garage sale or something.


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## Captain Ahab (Jul 17, 2011)

That is an awesome reel - the Made in Sweden Abdu is highly sought after by some because it is so much smoother then the new Made in China version.

get it tuned up (i would add new ceramic bearings) and you will outcast many modern reels


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## bcbouy (Jul 17, 2011)

i've been using the same ambassadeur for 9 years,its bulletproof.i had it rebuilt the day i bought it.it was about 50 bucks to customize.ahab speaks the truth. my reel casts like crazy.i got some wicked backlashes when i first casted with the new bearings.it is really smooth.


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## J.P. (Jul 19, 2011)

i have about a dozen old ambassaduers. these things may be on the heavy side, but if properly taken cared of, they can land everything from bass to inshore mosters. and they very easy to maintain. 
i believe these reels are the gateway to reel tuning. lots of parts floating around the internet and most are interchangeable, so you can play with your reel. 

they can cast a country mile in the right hands. that's the reason some professional distance casters use souped up ambassaduers in casting tournaments.


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## fender66 (Jul 19, 2011)

Let's see a picture.


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## parkerdog (Jul 19, 2011)

fender66 said:


> Let's see a picture.



not sure if you meant mine or not but here you go.

View attachment 3

View attachment 2

View attachment 1


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## fender66 (Jul 19, 2011)

That's a classy looking reel. Love those old worn reels with lots of miles on them. Like pieces of art! You know that there's been a ton of casts into each of them and great stories to go with it!


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## BaitCaster (Jul 19, 2011)

That's a beauty! Definitely worth fixing up.


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## parkerdog (Jul 19, 2011)

Whats a good site to take a look at kits or parts to rebuild?


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## GreenRiver (Jul 19, 2011)

Look up your model on this site to see the schematic. 
https://www.abugarcia.com/support/reel-schematics

If you know what is wrong with it you can write down the part # that you want to replace and call Abu Garcia to order parts. Parts are cheap and they will have them to your door in two days. I just rebuilt/upgraded a Pro Max 1600 and 3600S doing this. Just have your part numbers ready when you call.

If you don't know what is wrong with it, this website is great for forum discussions on reel repairs and troubleshooting:
https://www.mikesreelrepair.com/phpbb/index.php?sid=a2e6952321ce8474438c3399599407e0 

More often than not, all of the parts on these reels will be in working order but just need to be disassembled, cleaned, properly lubed and reassembled. Here is a good tutorial for that style reel:
https://www.realsreels.com/servicing/Ambassadeur 5600C clean up and service.pdf

When taking it apart, lay the parts out in the same order that you take them off and facing in the same direction that you took them off. Trust me, it will save you some confusion. If you get stuck putting it back together, just look at the schematic. These reels are super simple to work on and you get the satisfaction of doing it yourself. I hope that helps some.


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## GreenRiver (Jul 19, 2011)

Forgot to add that you can look on the bottom of the reel foot and make note of the numbers. You may be able to use that number in the search field on the Abu website for schematics to find out what model it is.


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## flatboat (Jul 19, 2011)

if ya wanna git rid of it i'll take off you're hands . those old reels were just horrible not worth fixin! .... but if you are throwin it away ...i might be able to salvage a few parts ..... being so old and all . that abu ..who ever heard of them .... :---)


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## parkerdog (Jul 19, 2011)

GreenRiver said:


> Forgot to add that you can look on the bottom of the reel foot and make note of the numbers. You may be able to use that number in the search field on the Abu website for schematics to find out what model it is.




best I can come up with is 81c600 on the foot. the six is very hard to read, I don't think it's a 5 but who knows. The search doesn't bring up anything, I'll try going through them one by one but it will take a while.


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## J.P. (Jul 20, 2011)

to me, looks like a 4600 red ambassaduer. bringing this back to good working condition is easy as long as there are no major parts that need replacement. you can do it with simple tools and household materials, and be done in one sitting without having to spend any money. 

if i'm not mistaken, this model came out before instant anti-reverse were invented. you can check if by turning the handle backwards and see if there's any backplay on the handle before the anti-reverse engages. 

also, i think this one has a line out alarm built in on the drag stack. check by loosening the drag and lock down the spool with your thumb, then wind the handle. if i'm right, you will hear the clicks. this is a nice feaure for bait and wait presentations (sound perfect for catfishing?). but it also means harder to find parts. it's sturdy though, so no worries.

if i am wrong about the two things above, then you have yourself a more "recent" model, which pratically makes it the same with a c3. the thing with abu is they made so many models that look the same on the outside. some external parts are also interchangeable. 

for your reel, i'd say upgrade to a titanium levelwind guide (in case you will spool it with braid). buy a set of ceramic bearings. give the guts a thorough cleaning, lube everything that needs lubing, grease the drag just right and you are good to go. 

ambassadeur sideplates can also be baught on ebay if you want a pretty reel. 

the thing with abu is they made so many models that look the same on the outside. some external parts are also interchangeable.


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## parkerdog (Jul 20, 2011)

You must be right. It has a little bit of backplay before it stops and if I turn the drag down it clicks when you wind the handle. (not very loud though) Not real sure what the advantage of that is though. How do you reel in a fish when you have it loose like that? Do you have to crank the drag back tight at the same time you reel to get a fish in?


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## Captain Ahab (Jul 20, 2011)

parkerdog said:


> You must be right. It has a little bit of backplay before it stops and if I turn the drag down it clicks when you wind the handle. (not very loud though) Not real sure what the advantage of that is though. How do you reel in a fish when you have it loose like that? Do you have to crank the drag back tight at the same time you reel to get a fish in?



It acts just like a baitrunner system - you would tighten the drag as the fish runs with your bait then slam home that hook

Followed by reeling in of course


- it is for live or cut bait where the fish is actively taking off with it and the rod is in the rod holder


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## J.P. (Jul 21, 2011)

loosening the drag was just to test if there's any clicker. 
i fish mine like a regular baitcast reel. 

i thought it was designed so that reel is silent as a fish is
reeled in, and the alarm clicks when the fish takes line. 
no real advantage, except maybe to add excitement? but it takes a real mosnter of a fish to make that clicker scream. could be the reason why the design did not catch on. 

captain ahab's explanation sounds much more logical. i'll try it one of these days.


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## flatboat (Jul 21, 2011)

big thing about those reels use light oil, hardly any grease . i've got millllllions of miles on mine . take it apart and put it in a bowl of dawn and water clean it with an old tooth brush ,dry it and lube it . oh you can take pics of step by step dissasembly with a digital camera so you can put it back together . they realy are easy to work on . good luck ....


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## parkerdog (Jul 21, 2011)

I'm still trying to find the correct schematic for it. Like an idiot I took it apart to look at it and when I wasn't paying attention the drag washers (guess thats what they are) fell out. The schematics don't tell me part name so I'm not sure where the copper one goes plus the number of washers isn't the same. I have three and a copper one. Do they go over or under the thick plastic disc?


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## flatboat (Jul 25, 2011)

try this page i think its about the same era .... 
https://www.abugarcia.com/sites/default/files/schematics/0601235000A760505.PDF


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## parkerdog (Jul 25, 2011)

I sent in a request on the abu site and they responded with a 4600AL schematic after I emailed them pics of the reel like asked.

Thanks though


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## J.P. (Sep 6, 2011)

parker,
any news with the schematics? 

i could take mine apart and photograph how you are supposed to stack the discs. but i will only exert the effort if there's no other way. i'm lazy. haha

can you take a photo of the parts in question? you say they fell apart, but in my experience, the drag stack on this model (and most abu reels) do not come off easily. the grease makes them all stick together. there's also supposed to be no plastic in the drag components, so you must be referring to a different part of the reel. i'm not saying your wrong man, but i'm trying to visualize the way you describe it and i'm stumped. pardom my thick skull....


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## parkerdog (Sep 6, 2011)

J.P. said:


> parker,
> any news with the schematics?
> 
> i could take mine apart and photograph how you are supposed to stack the discs. but i will only exert the effort if there's no other way. i'm lazy. haha
> ...




You wouldn't have to get too excited about it because I've kind of set it on the backburner because I've had out of state company off and on for a couple of weeks and been busy with other things.
A picture would be nice though because they sent me a schematic for 4600al which shows an exploded view with part numbers but no description of the different washers ie. copper versus thicker plastic washer etc. they all look alike on the schematic.

edit: I say plastic, it might be something other than that but it's not steel or copper. I'm finding them underneath the handle crank when you take it apart.

Thanks
Sam


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## J.P. (Sep 8, 2011)

i see.... the "plastic disc" would probably be a felt or leather drag washer. i have a soft spot for these classic ambassadeurs, almost fanatical.......so humor me if i'm too keen about it.


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