Hot Rod My Ambassadeur 2024

Zackopi reply :

I’d love some advice to complete a total hotrodding of a mid 90s Ambassaseur 5500c3.

I’ve never used the old Round Abu’s before, but I picked one up for cheap and wanna make it the absolute smoothest, farthest casting round beast possible.

If you guys had 100 bucks to burn on this project what upgrades would you make? What upgrades have you made to these reels that have made The most difference? What upgrades haven’t been worth it? I’ve seen a few kits for sale online that don’t use Boca brand bearings, and I’m wondering if the quality is up to snuff on those. Any personal experience would be helpful! Just wondering what you would do.

And I’ve 100% made up my mind, so no use trying to talk me out of it. It’s a fun winter project, and I want to see how close I can get the performance to a modern reel. I want to be able to whip it out and tell a buddy, “bet I can outcast you with this thing!” And even if not the best bass reel, it will get used for catfish/Pike/Muskie. I’ve gotta try it once.

Oh yeah, the gearing is already 5.3/1 so I don’t want to change that. I intend to use it for cranks/swimbaits.

DogBone_384 reply :

I’d start with a thorough cleaning and bearing upgrade. If it’s not something you’ll do yourself, contact Mike @ Delaware Valley Tackle. He’s a site sponsor. Mike’s tuned up a lot of my reels. He does great work. Send him your reel, he’ll steer you in the right direction.

Big Rick reply :

Worm gear and pawl need replacing because they stay engaged during the cast and wear out double quick. This is the main Achilles heel on these old reels. They are inherently tough as nails and very dependable. A venerable winch. You got your work cut out for you because the braking system will be your biggest challenge. However, I have 8 or 10 of these in various sizes that my kids learn on and they can't be beat for dependability, as long as you keep plenty of pawls handy. Good luck with your project and keep us in the loop!

The Bassman reply :

I'd upgrade the handle also, maybe a Hawgtech straight 90 mm. with Winn Grips.

WRB reply :

Not a lot you can do except blue print the reel to original condition, have anodize refinished, clean everything, upgrade the drag washers, replace worn parts, polish the gears to run smoothly. This era reel is well made in Sweden, post 2000 reels are made China, so the reel has value for parts.

I would sell it and put the $100 into a Shimano Cardiff 300 that has everything you need, instant anti reverse, good drag, good bearings, oversize crank handle, free spool casting etc,etc.

Tom

PS, contact Don Iovino Products, Don rebuilds and tunes legacy Ambassadeur reels.

B-Dozer reply :

all good suggestions here, except the Shimano Cardiff 300 ???? I would also get a good line, maybe yo zuri hybrid and some Van Dam line conditioner.

Delaware Valley Tackle reply :

There are too many versions of Ambassaduer to make specific recommendations without seeing it. Since this is an enthusiast project, go with bearings. Carbontex drag is a no brainer as is Super Tuning. The levelwind is critical and where it can get tricky. Let me know if you need help.

Zackopi reply :

Yeah, I tried to put up a picture but the site kept saying the it took up too much space. Then I put a link to the picture on postimage.org but the site said this was against site security. If someone can explain how to post a pic I’ll be glad to do it.

B-Dozer reply :

The Abu Garcia Record line is a very smooth, long casting model.

Maxximus Redneckus reply :

Easy to hod rod last forever. Never had issues with pawls as long as keep them lightly oiled.oil bearings lightly also and you wont have any problems casting.did i mention i have about 180 abus and never had issues with casting even the ones 50+ yrs old..all shapes and sizes new or used all will work.

Bearings,update drag, polish spool shaft ends ,ceramic pawl,bearing in cog wheel, and bearing supported worm your ready for 130 150 yrds easy anyday.if it has IAR no need for that bearing but you can get bearing supported crankshaft bearing not IAR but makes cranking a little smoother

WRB reply :

130-150 feet.

Tom

Maxximus Redneckus reply :

On 9/16/2018 at 5:56 AM, WRB said:

130-150 feet.

Tom

True ...after a few months 130 150 yrds ..cause if you aint slinging 1 oz on 12 lb line 130 plus yards your not getting the most out of your abu

Zackopi reply :

On 9/16/2018 at 7:17 AM, Maxximus Redneckus said:

True ...after a few months 130 150 yrds ..cause if you aint slinging 1 oz on 12 lb line 130 plus yards your not getting the most out of your abu

That would be spectacular. I don’t think I’ve ever casted anything over 100 yards.

Tell you what... I’ve got an idea for posterity. So far I’ve cleaned and lubed the reel with no further modifications. It’s already spinning a lot better and quieter. This week I’ll take it to the football field and see how far I can cast with an ounce, half ounce, and a quarter ounce, and I’ll record the results here. Then as I tune and upgrade I’ll keep testing to see what improvements I’m able to make. Science ????

Tim Kelly reply :

It's entirely possible to over do those reels to a point where they're pretty much uncastable. Went down that road 20 years ago with ceramic bearings and bearings in idler gears etc. Super fast reel, but incredibly difficult to cast.

WRB reply :

On 9/16/2018 at 10:45 AM, Zackopi said:

That would be spectacular. I don’t think I’ve ever casted anything over 100 yards.

Tell you what... I’ve got an idea for posterity. So far I’ve cleaned and lubed the reel with no further modifications. It’s already spinning a lot better and quieter. This week I’ll take it to the football field and see how far I can cast with an ounce, half ounce, and a quarter ounce, and I’ll record the results here. Then as I tune and upgrade I’ll keep testing to see what improvements I’m able to make. Science ????

Anyone who claims they can cast a Abu 5500C 150 yards is .... .. .... Unless casting into the Grand Canyon. 50 yards or 150 feet is max with a bass rod.

Tom

B-Dozer reply :

Think the poster meant 130-150 ft.

OkobojiEagle reply :

On 9/16/2018 at 12:20 PM, Tim Kelly said:

It's entirely possible to over do those reels to a point where they're pretty much uncastable. Went down that road 20 years ago with ceramic bearings and bearings in idler gears etc. Super fast reel, but incredibly difficult to cast.

6 bearing 4601 spooled 2/3 full of 20 lb braid has been my favorite pitching reel...

tholmes reply :

I've hot-rodded several of my round Ambassadeurs over the years. Get ahold of Jerry Foran at http://hookless.com/

for parts at the best prices I've found, plus, Jerry is a great guy and has a vast store of knowledge about the reels.

The best improvements I've found:

Thorough cleaning of everything, polishing friction points and using high-quality oil and grease.

Carbontex drag washers. They won't do anything for your casting distance, but they're a major step up from the stock drag.

Dual ball bearing levelwind and cog wheel - available at the link above.

If your reel has the 2-pin brake system, consider installing the smaller (blue) brake blocks.

Tom

Big Rick reply :

On 9/16/2018 at 7:17 AM, Maxximus Redneckus said:

True ...after a few months 130 150 yrds ..cause if you aint slinging 1 oz on 12 lb line 130 plus yards your not getting the most out of your abu

Video or it didn't happen, lol!!!

Zackopi reply :

I’m pleasantly surprised, so far. With a freshly cleaned/lubed stock 5500 c3 spooled with 17lb mono mounted on a 7ft Kistler Magnesium cranking rod I was able to cast 54 yards with an ounce weight and 43 yards with 1/2 ounce.

It was getting too dark and too many mosquitos so I didn’t cast with 1/4 ounce tonight. Sometime this week I’ll post the results of the 1/4 ounce cast. I’m guessing that one won’t go so well for the Abu. The shocking thing was that I brought a new Citica to test as well, and over several casts I got about the same yardage casting on one ounce as I did the Abu.

However, I should point out the Citica was mounted on a stiff Medium Heavy rod which was 3 inches shorter. But still! I thought the Citica would blow that old reel away! However, when I went down to 1/2 oz. the Citica did blow the Abu away, getting over 50 yards with ease to the Abu’s 43. Tomorrow or Thursday I’ll cast both setups with 1/4 oz and report the results. BTW, that New smooth Citica sure did scream something fierce when casting an ounce weight. I don’t think I’m gonna Be casting one ounce Hail Marys on it any more after this!

Also, I’m surprised that the Ambassadeur was so easy to cast. I thought that with its primitive brakes (mine has the two shoe system) it would backlash like crazy. But it was shockingly easy. Obviously the ever-engaged levelwind is working effectively as a brake.

Zackopi reply :

On 9/16/2018 at 12:20 PM, Tim Kelly said:

It's entirely possible to over do those reels to a point where they're pretty much uncastable. Went down that road 20 years ago with ceramic bearings and bearings in idler gears etc. Super fast reel, but incredibly difficult to cast.

Yeah, After casting the thing stock I can see that the sluggish level wind works as an effective brake. Do you remember if your reel 20 years ago had the six shoe brakes or the two shoe brakes? If you only had the two shoe brakes maybe an upgrade to the six shoe would be the ticket??? Mine only has the two shoe centrifugal brake system.

Has anybody here had experience with both braking systems used in the Ambassadeurs over the years?

Zackopi reply :

Overall, I’m pleasantly surprised that I could take this reel out as is and use it for some bass fishing applications. When I first got it last week with decades old dried grease, and I turned the handle, I thought for sure this would only be a catfish reel.

CrankFate reply :

On 9/16/2018 at 1:21 AM, Delaware Valley Tackle said:

There are too many versions of Ambassaduer to make specific recommendations without seeing it. Since this is an enthusiast project, go with bearings. Carbontex drag is a no brainer as is Super Tuning. The levelwind is critical and where it can get tricky. Let me know if you need help.

Round Abus feel much, much better with greased Carbontex. I have these drags in every Abu round reel that I have.

Maxximus Redneckus reply :

I have both 6 pin and 2 pin i seen no reason to have a six pin ..the 2 pin works fine for regular casting.the 6 pin has only been around with stock abus for about 12 yrs.and i still havent figured out why abu did away with the thumb screws for the crank sideplate.now you have to change them out or carry a dime to do adjustments ...even though its almost a set and forget reel.

OkobojiEagle reply :

On 9/19/2018 at 7:44 PM, Maxximus Redneckus said:

or carry a dime to do adjustments ...

Doesn't everyone carry a small Swiss Army pocket knife?...

Zackopi reply :

Update: I ordered a stainless steel Abec 7 upgrade kit from DadsOleTackle as well as a four slot pinion gear and 6 pin centrifugal brake upgrade. I wanted to go with the hybrid ceramic bearings, but thought I’d give the stainless a shot for a bit cheaper. The bearing kit includes spool bearings, cogwheel bearing, and double bearing supported worm gear.

I ordered the brakes because I know I wont be able to cast this thing without backlash trouble otherwise. I already had a birdsnest of doom yesterday when casting a jerkbait, so I’m sure with the upgrade I’ll want good brakes. Plus with the six pin brake system you can turn individual brakes on and off, unlike the primitive two pin which is on the the reel now. I didn’t grow up in the era of the educated thumb, so brakes it must be!

Zackopi reply :

Here are distance results from my first upgrade:

So far I've installed abec seven spool bearings, abec seven single bearing supported levelwind cog, dual bearing supported levelwind, and I upgraded from two pin to six pin centrifugal brakes. Here's the before and after results:

5500 C3 (stock)

1/4 oz. - 30 yards

1/2 oz. - 43 yards

1 oz. - 54 yards

5500 C6 (upgraded)

1/4 oz. - 31 yards

1/2 oz. - 56 yards

1 oz. - 64 yards

So with the bigger weights I added about 10 yards to casting distance.

Casting 1/4 ounce showed no discernible difference. I was getting about 25-28 yards on average both stock and upgraded. Also, 1/4 oz. is difficult to cast full bore without backlashing, and even more so with the fancy bearings installed! When casting 1/4 oz. after the upgrade I have to engage all six brake pins to keep from backlashing, and even then I need to use more thumb than I do with a modern low pro reel.

The heavier weights cast quite comfortably with 2 brakes engaged, however, and after the upgrades I don't think I could get much further with my new casters.

Now I'm wishing I had tested 3/8 oz. before and after the upgrades....

My only regret is that I installed the single bearing supported cog rather than the dual bearing. The single bearing cog spins no differently than the original cog. I'm gonna order the dual bearing from Mike's reel repair, so in about 11 years once I receive the part I'll be able to tell you if it made a difference.

Zackopi reply :

Oh yeah. I was using a 7 foot Kistler Magnesium cranking rod with 17lb mono.

Zackopi reply :

I wonder if a spool upgrade and a dual bearing supported cog would let me cast 1/4 oz better. Probably lighter line than 17 lb would make some difference as well. Has anybody here upgraded spools on Ambassadeur? I haven’t seen one for sale online anywhere.

Basswhippa reply :

I have a 5500CS Mag Elite that is stock. I have taken a 1 ouce barrel sinker and 10 pound line and thrown it over 100 yards with a 7 ‘ Ricky Clunn Diawa cranking rod. It is an enthusiast reel that people raved about 15 to 20 years ago on The Bass Fishing Home Page. Gowge pushed it.

Zackopi reply :

On 9/27/2018 at 8:20 AM, Basswhippa said:

I have a 5500CS Mag Elite that is stock. I have taken a 1 ouce barrel sinker and 10 pound line and thrown it over 100 yards with a 7 ‘ Ricky Clunn Diawa cranking rod. It is an enthusiast reel that people raved about 15 to 20 years ago on The Bass Fishing Home Page. Gowge pushed it.

Well then either I must stink at casting, or lighter line must make a huge difference, or that must be one slick reel you’re using, or some combination of those! ???????? I do know that with 17 lb mono the spool is getting way down there with 65 yard cast. But I’m also nobody’s ace with baitcasters. Were you using the fancy competition style of cast?

Basswhippa reply :

No, but some do. Light line. Heavy aerodynamic sinker. Highly adjustable reel. It would not ever go past 60 yards in a typical bass fishing situation. Google the reel. It is a beautiful green color. Mine has a line guard. Some don’t.

Zackopi reply :

Update: I’ve had several opportunities to fish the upgraded Abu C6 reel, and I’m happy with the results. Ive used it for both medium and deep diving cranks, and it casts very well and comparable to my new reels, and with the upgraded 6 pin brakes I don’t have trouble with backlashing -at least with lures above 1/4 oz. I can cast 1/4 oz., but I can’t bomb it without trouble.

The only thing I don’t really like is the small sized spool release button which is off to the side and somewhat awkward. And for the money I put into this reel I could have bought a new Citica (or Curado -one time I got a new Curado I for 99 bucks online).

So the value in this reel is as much novelty as anything else. I’d probably only do an Ambassadeur upgrade again if it were specifically for a Muskie setup, where heavy duty is the name of the game. That said I’m going to keep upgrading this reel just for giggles until it’s purely ridiculous. Maybe I’ll paint or anodize it next. Long South Dakota winters will drive a man to such excesses.

GeekFisher reply :

On 10/24/2018 at 1:59 AM, Zackopi said:

Update: I’ve had several opportunities to fish the upgraded Abu C6 reel, and I’m happy with the results. Ive used it for both medium and deep diving cranks, and it casts very well and comparable to my new reels, and with the upgraded 6 pin brakes I don’t have trouble with backlashing -at least with lures above 1/4 oz. I can cast 1/4 oz., but I can’t bomb it without trouble.

The only thing I don’t really like is the small sized spool release button which is off to the side and somewhat awkward. And for the money I put into this reel I could have bought a new Citica (or Curado -one time I got a new Curado I for 99 bucks online).

So the value in this reel is as much novelty anything anything else. I’d probably only do an Ambassadeur upgrade again if it were specifically for a Muskie setup, where heavy duty is the name of the game. That said I’m going to keep upgrading this reel just for giggles until it’s purely ridiculous. Maybe I’ll paint or anodize it next. Long South Dakota winters will drive a man to such excesses.

If you don't mind i'll borrow the "long winter will Drive a Man to such excesses" line, love it !

redmeansdistortion reply :

On 9/16/2018 at 7:17 AM, Maxximus Redneckus said:

True ...after a few months 130 150 yrds ..cause if you aint slinging 1 oz on 12 lb line 130 plus yards your not getting the most out of your abu

I have an old Black Max 4500 that I redid, not the whole 9 yards either, just two new OEM spool bearings, single bearing level wind, some lighter brake blocks (Abu part no. 20909), polished brake drum, Carbontex drag, and some choice lubricants. I tied on a 5/8oz practice plug, loosened the spool tension until there was a wee bit of side play and let her rip. My furthest cast was 53yd and it was able to cast consistently between 40 and 45 yards. This was measured in the football field at the middle school behind my house. The rod was a 7' M Cabela's Tourney Trail.

Maxximus Redneckus reply :

On 7/6/2019 at 4:29 AM, redmeansdistortion said:

I have an old Black Max 4500 that I redid, not the whole 9 yards either, just two new OEM spool bearings, single bearing level wind, some lighter brake blocks (Abu part no. 20909), polished brake drum, Carbontex drag, and some choice lubricants. I tied on a 5/8oz practice plug, loosened the spool tension until there was a wee bit of side play and let her rip. My furthest cast was 53yd and it was able to cast consistently between 40 and 45 yards. This was measured in the football field at the middle school behind my house. The rod was a 7' M Cabela's Tourney Trail.

Thats about right for a 4000 size not bad ...great for precision casting specific targets

redmeansdistortion reply :

On 7/6/2019 at 4:39 AM, Maxximus Redneckus said:

Thats about right for a 4000 size not bad ...great for precision casting specific targets

The 4000 size is my favorite, such a good all-rounder for most species in my area. I'm gonna use it to fish kings and Atlantics off the piers here in a couple more months.

Maxximus Redneckus reply :

On 7/6/2019 at 4:44 AM, redmeansdistortion said:

The 4000 size is my favorite, such a good all-rounder for most species in my area. I'm gonna use it to fish kings and Atlantics off the piers here in a couple more months.

Yessir i sold all of my 6000 sizes except 2 i have about 40 to 50 4000 sizes now i can do all i need with them around here anyhow

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