Cardinal 77

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BF60
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Cardinal 77

Post by BF60 »

Hi,I was wondering if anyone could help me. I have an ABU cardinal 77 reel which when you switch to silent no anti reverse it makes a clicking sound when you wind slowly it goes so far then something seems to catch and it clicks
Any help would be greatly appreciated

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Northern_Nomad
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Re: Cardinal 77

Post by Northern_Nomad »

I have recently acquired 3 x 77’s but have not had too much experience of taking them apart to component level yet.

It does sound as though the anti reverse is slipping, possibly the pawl is loose and falsely engaging, possibly somewhat skewed.

Beechmere Lake is the acknowledged expert on here, but I’m unsure if he’s still active. You could try a PM via here if he’s still lurking in the background.

Nobby’s also a reel whiz although Mitchell’s are his balliwick. I’m sure he will be along in due course.

If nothing is forthcoming after a while, drop me a PM I may have an email address that could be useful, but I would need to check with the individual that it would be OK to pass on his contact details.

Rgds

Neil
"We knelt side by side looking at it. I knew it was big, and suddenly it dawned on me it was more than that. It was tremendous!" - Richard Walker

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Mitch300
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Re: Cardinal 77

Post by Mitch300 »

I looked inside mine, which functions correctly. I would first check that there is no dirt between the lower side of the pawl and the inside of
the casing that might stop the pawl fully disengaging (at the very bottom of the casing). Then check that the screw that holds the pawl and spring in place is tight. Then that the spring (like part of a bent paperclip) is tight enough to hold the on/off button in the disengaged position. You should be able to wind the reel with the cover off to see what is happening. The beauty of these durable reels lies in their simplicity and the high quality build/materials. Apart from cosmetic damage, they will almost last forever!

G. B.

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BF60
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Re: Cardinal 77

Post by BF60 »

Thanks very much for the replies I will have a look inside and see what is going on

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BF60
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Re: Cardinal 77

Post by BF60 »

Hi,I had a look inside the reel and the pawl is hitting one tooth on the pinion gear it passes all the rest properly is there anything I can do about this? Would the reel be ok to use this way? Any help very much appreciated

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Mitch300
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Re: Cardinal 77

Post by Mitch300 »

Get a little light grease in there on the pawl! If the pawl is catching on one tooth, it seems like it is not quite disengaged. It may be that the pawl isn't pushed far enough down when the anti-reverse button is set to off. Does the button feel loose? It should be rock solid in the off position and a little loose in the on position. If you place your finger on the anti-reverse button and push hard towards the back of the reel, while turning the handle, does it no longer catch? If so, the pawl spring may have weakened. I don't think any harm will come from using it, as it is just behaving as if the anti-reverse is always on.

G. B.

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BF60
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Re: Cardinal 77

Post by BF60 »

Hi,thanks very much for your reply. I took out the anti reverse pawl and the reel was still clicking it seems to be the actual gears that are sticky on one point. I don't know what to do now any help very much appreciated

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Mitch300
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Re: Cardinal 77

Post by Mitch300 »

Is the clicking coming from the rotor cup (front) end of the reel? There is a replaceable bearing that lies between the mainshaft and the rotor cup that can become noisy if worn. A worn bearing could also allow your main-shaft to `dip' at one point in the reel's rotation and cause contact between one tooth and the pawl. If that is what it is, you can find replacement rotor bearings for the Cardinal 77 or Zebco 7 on Ebay and probably other places for a few dollars/pounds.

Good luck! These reels are well worth repairing for the cost of a bearing.

G. B.

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BF60
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Re: Cardinal 77

Post by BF60 »

Hi,thanks very much for the reply. I don't have the skills to fix it if I took it apart it would never work again lol and apart from no mechanical skill I have white finger which severely minimises the feeling and dexterity of my fingers at least I have one to look at I used to drool over them as a kid in the Tight lines catalogue plus everything else lol

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Mitch300
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Re: Cardinal 77

Post by Mitch300 »

Aha! A fellow Tight Lines drooler. I never believed those calendars at the back that told you whether the fishing would be average, good or very good on any given day (what about dreadful?). The trickiest part of popping out the rotor bearing is actually disconnecting and reconnecting the bale-arm springs. We also have several forum members who service ABU reels and have access to standard spares. I bet one of them would be delighted to repair the reel. It wouldn't make sense to send it to me, as I am in the US, but there must be a nearby UK member. Anyone?

G. B.

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