ambidex mark six

[NiceRoach]

Only if you find a minute - need some advice with an Ambidex Mark 6 (eBay arrrggghh).

It turns but is sluggish and more difficult to turn than my other Ambidex
so I stripped it down and find that the tighter the side plate the more sluggish it gets, with
the plate off it runs freely.

It seems there is pressure hitting the main cog, where there is also a Brown coloured washer
type thing. I took this off altogether and it runs better, but still the more you tighten in the side plate
the tougher, it is to turn?

Any ideas, or should I send it away for a post mortem?

[Kingfisher]

Without seeing the reel for myself its hard to answer,

I've just read the post and sat here thinking about your problem and am left wondering if the reel handle itself is causing the problem? Is it that the part of the handle that fits inside is off centre putting pressure on the washer? if it's out of alignment or slightly bent at the base?

I'm no engineer so this is only speculation but that's the first place I'd look. Maybe a quick squeeze in a vice would solve the problem?

[NiceRoach]

Thanks for reading.

Cryptic I know, and it's not easy to explain away over the Internets.

It could be the handle that's doing something, it's the fold down kind
and the rotor turns fine when it's stripped down with the side plate off

Maybe it's warped, i'll look again

Regards

[Kingfisher]

Thanks for reading.

Cryptic I know, and it's not easy to explain away over the Internets.

It could be the handle that's doing something, it's the fold down kind
and the rotor turns fine when it's stripped down with the side plate off

Maybe it's warped, i'll look again

Regards

No worries, I hope you get it fixed soon.

[Nobby]

I've had this on an Ambidex 6 and it turned out that the pin that goes through the back-end of the spool shaft was too long!
This meant it rubbed on the bottom of the groove in the removeable side plate.

A few strokes with a file sorted the matter. A dab of paint in the groove NOT getting transferred onto the pin proved I had obtained clearance.




Ambidexes are the most ornery of reels to get just right.


I'm utterley convinced, but can't explain it rationally, that they tighten up if not used. Perhaps the Delrin gears swell with lack of use....?????

I can think of no other reason. Give them a two minute work out and they free-up again.

[NiceRoach]

Funny, you should say that.

When you start turning the handle on this one it's stiff then loosens after more and more turns.
put it down, pick it up, and it's the same process over again. The (brown plastic?) bush washer *don't know correct name*
thing I removed was making the gears protrude higher out of the body, and towards the side plate.

It's as if the insides, cogs etc sit too high and rub against the sideplate, because there's just not enough depth in the body.

Weird.

p.s. Nobby this was one I was going to have restored, but not until I can solve the siezing/rubbing mystery

[Nobby]

I've re-furbished a few Ambidexes, and I can't say I recall any having any washers inside...the crankshaft webs, for want of a less motor-oriented expression, bore directly against the reel body and side plate, from memory.
All had sufficient end-float for this not to be an issue, though I did have one side plate that was appallingly machined and needed polishing.


It's part of these images, which show every part in this early model:





http://s259.photobucket.com/albums/hh319/nobby478/

[The Sweetcorn Kid]

Mine is stiff......still need to take the side off and have a look inside but just haven't got around to it. I did try some time ago but was unsuccessful.

[NiceRoach]

Here is the beast (now removed) brown plastic thing on which a little cog fiited (or bakelite?)

[Nobby]

Ah, now that is indeed part of the later reel crank assembly.....you can see the small hole where the pin that holds the assembly together goes in. The pin goes through every component of the crank. The cog is the anti-reverse wheel, acted upon by the pawl when the lever is moved across.


There's nothing to stop you dressing down either side of that crankwheel to reduce clearance.


A fine-toothed file will do the job. You might find it easier to keep it true by 'stroking' the work along the file layed flat on a table, rather than the more usual way which can tend to 'rock' the file and mi-machine the work.


The material it's made from, by the way, is Delrin, I'm told; a sort of early composite of fibre and resin. I suspect the 'fibre' might be un-woven linen, but GOS might have other thoughts.



It seems it's now owned by Du Pont, perhapsd as a result of JW Youngs getting bought out by Shakespeare when part of Top Tackle:


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyoxymethylene


A German discovery, I wonder how it came to be used by JW Young? Another case of 'war-reparations', perhaps?