Abu Cardinal 66- 77 plastic to brass conversion
- BeechmereLake
- Brown Trout
- Posts: 1393
- Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 8:43 pm
- 10
Abu Cardinal 66- 77 plastic to brass conversion
Gentlemen, at last the posty has paid me a visit carrying goods for my clients Cardinal reels.
For sometime now this plastic part has been a big thorn in my side and for a couple of reasons, 1. They are made of plastic and we all know what that means when we talk about Abu Cardinals and 2. They are a nightmare to find as a spare part.
I thought I had found enough to see me out with my Factory Cardinal parts chest having several in its numbered cubicle, then I had a few reels that required service work after the same part failed in the reel with a common reason being whilst playing a big fish the reel gave up or I was winding in some line and it just broke, these are both true events that clients have had happen and on a few occasions I have put their reels right but with my parts being over 50 years old there was no guarantee that the new part wouldn't let go again in quick fashion.
For me this was not acceptable especially since I now have so many 66 and 77 reels come from the Ghillies and Salmon anglers in Ireland and a few to many with this issue, so after chatting with Les Shaw it was decided we should try and get the part made from stronger stuff, brass was where were, long story short Les has had these parts made and sent me a few prototypes to try in my prototype reel, its the only 66 I have here so its the only reel I could try them on, glad to say I have fitted all 5 and they all work just fine, the reel works as smooth a silk, the spool oscillates perfectly and line lay is fine with no coning on the spool.
I half loaded the original spool with some CF600 Fluorocarbon line which at £67.00 a spool is not cheap but and old line from a Cardinal 55 well used is now sitting on the spool, while not the best for line lay its sitting fine even though it needs chucking out in the lake with a spin Dr on the end to remove some line twist, anyway here are some photos which should help you see what we have come up with, I think for those who use the reels rather than put them in storage its a fantastic part to keep you fishing and reels on the bank.
This as you can see is the problem with the reel where the white plastic axle holder has broken in two pieces
The part thats the issue
These are original plastic parts and the new Brass conversion part which comes as a set of three for £10.99
Available from Les's new website or in a service by myself at the same cost.
You will also find them on eBay from Les at some point.
Finished in a dull brass look they are perfect to keep reels on the bank, Cardinal 66 66X 77 and 77X models had them fitted but they did change on the 66X around 1977-78
fitted perfectly in the reel
No issues loading line so the CAD drawing was great from the off
For sometime now this plastic part has been a big thorn in my side and for a couple of reasons, 1. They are made of plastic and we all know what that means when we talk about Abu Cardinals and 2. They are a nightmare to find as a spare part.
I thought I had found enough to see me out with my Factory Cardinal parts chest having several in its numbered cubicle, then I had a few reels that required service work after the same part failed in the reel with a common reason being whilst playing a big fish the reel gave up or I was winding in some line and it just broke, these are both true events that clients have had happen and on a few occasions I have put their reels right but with my parts being over 50 years old there was no guarantee that the new part wouldn't let go again in quick fashion.
For me this was not acceptable especially since I now have so many 66 and 77 reels come from the Ghillies and Salmon anglers in Ireland and a few to many with this issue, so after chatting with Les Shaw it was decided we should try and get the part made from stronger stuff, brass was where were, long story short Les has had these parts made and sent me a few prototypes to try in my prototype reel, its the only 66 I have here so its the only reel I could try them on, glad to say I have fitted all 5 and they all work just fine, the reel works as smooth a silk, the spool oscillates perfectly and line lay is fine with no coning on the spool.
I half loaded the original spool with some CF600 Fluorocarbon line which at £67.00 a spool is not cheap but and old line from a Cardinal 55 well used is now sitting on the spool, while not the best for line lay its sitting fine even though it needs chucking out in the lake with a spin Dr on the end to remove some line twist, anyway here are some photos which should help you see what we have come up with, I think for those who use the reels rather than put them in storage its a fantastic part to keep you fishing and reels on the bank.
This as you can see is the problem with the reel where the white plastic axle holder has broken in two pieces
The part thats the issue
These are original plastic parts and the new Brass conversion part which comes as a set of three for £10.99
Available from Les's new website or in a service by myself at the same cost.
You will also find them on eBay from Les at some point.
Finished in a dull brass look they are perfect to keep reels on the bank, Cardinal 66 66X 77 and 77X models had them fitted but they did change on the 66X around 1977-78
fitted perfectly in the reel
No issues loading line so the CAD drawing was great from the off
" It is a sinister place yet powerfully fascinating"
"BB"
"BB"
- Banksy
- Brown Trout
- Posts: 1437
- Joined: Tue Mar 22, 2016 3:53 pm
- 8
- Location: East Yorkshire
Re: Abu Cardinal 66- 77 plastic to brass conversion
I don't have a 66, but if I did ...
I take my hat off to you Sir!
It's people like you who keep the world going round.
I take my hat off to you Sir!
It's people like you who keep the world going round.
- BeechmereLake
- Brown Trout
- Posts: 1393
- Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 8:43 pm
- 10
Re: Abu Cardinal 66- 77 plastic to brass conversion
Many thanks for the kind words Banksy, the Ghillies will be supping pints of the black stuff tonight knowing their reels will now be taken well into the next decade
" It is a sinister place yet powerfully fascinating"
"BB"
"BB"
- Polecat501
- Dace
- Posts: 158
- Joined: Fri Jul 08, 2022 10:55 pm
- 1
- Location: Wisconsin, USA
Re: Abu Cardinal 66- 77 plastic to brass conversion
Excellent retro parts design & build!
- BeechmereLake
- Brown Trout
- Posts: 1393
- Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 8:43 pm
- 10
Re: Abu Cardinal 66- 77 plastic to brass conversion
Indeed, this should keep a few more on the bank now and save anglers buying more reels they dont really need, that plastic part is so hard to find this was the best and only way to go.
" It is a sinister place yet powerfully fascinating"
"BB"
"BB"
- Olly
- Wild Carp
- Posts: 9148
- Joined: Sat Dec 15, 2012 12:58 pm
- 11
- Location: Hants/Surrey/Berks borders.
Re: Abu Cardinal 66- 77 plastic to brass conversion
Excellent - I will have my nylon ones replaced over time.
- When you have a non-busy time - next year or the year after?
I have a few spools from Les, ABU close face including the 507 plus 66 & 77. Well made without any problems.
- When you have a non-busy time - next year or the year after?
I have a few spools from Les, ABU close face including the 507 plus 66 & 77. Well made without any problems.
- BeechmereLake
- Brown Trout
- Posts: 1393
- Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 8:43 pm
- 10
Re: Abu Cardinal 66- 77 plastic to brass conversion
The good thing Olly is you can keep the original plastic ones for if you decide to sell on the reels
" It is a sinister place yet powerfully fascinating"
"BB"
"BB"
- JAA
- Crucian Carp
- Posts: 763
- Joined: Thu Mar 03, 2022 4:24 pm
- 2
- Location: Dorset
- Contact:
Re: Abu Cardinal 66- 77 plastic to brass conversion
I just took the covers off my 66X and 77X and was almost disappointed I don't need some of those. Very nice job.
¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸,.·´¯ ><(((º>
Cole aka JAA
https://crucians.org/
https://www.anotherangler.net/
Cole aka JAA
https://crucians.org/
https://www.anotherangler.net/
- Polecat501
- Dace
- Posts: 158
- Joined: Fri Jul 08, 2022 10:55 pm
- 1
- Location: Wisconsin, USA
Re: Abu Cardinal 66- 77 plastic to brass conversion
Yes, it’s always a valuable extra when you keep original parts with the collectible they came from. If nothing else, it shows you care about your reel.BeechmereLake wrote: ↑Sat Sep 16, 2023 7:19 pmThe good thing Olly is you can keep the original plastic ones for if you decide to sell on the reels
I’m currently selling one of my prized SIG Sauer German Meistershop P226 X-Six Scandic pistols, and all offers so far have been far higher than I expected. No doubt due to the fact that I not only have an absolutely mint condition firearm, with all original paperwork, tools, manufacturers lubricants, and the original test target, but also the Meistershop match upgrade spring set, AND the original springs.
On an engineering note, I can see why the Svangsta Engineers originally had that part made out of a high quality nylon plastic. As it’s basically carrying out a gear train carrier and gear alignment function, it shouldn’t come under a lot of strain, but at the end of each stroke it’s possible a certain amount of flexibility will be needed, particularly as the gear train wears under heavy (or indeed excessive?) use. And I think that’s part of the problem. These reels were never designed for the purposes we now sometimes put them to. Take heavy feeder fishing for example. That’s cruel and unusual torture for a reel designed for casting spoons up to about 1 oz. Often we are casting method feeder weights more than 2 or 3X that, and cranking them back with fat & heavy Carp attached, is it any wonder that, as gear trains wear, these supplemental and supporting parts start to fail? There’s also the case that these parts may become more brittle over the years, as we extend the life of these reels far longer than original planned.
The other event is also true. My original 500’s (501, 503/520, 505, 506, 506M, & 507’s) were engineered for light to medium duty spinning (Perch to Salmon), so even 5 decades of light float fishing has left them almost as good as the day they left the factory. They also have one high quality nylon plastic component in their gear train. Do you have any thoughts on how long those last, their rate of failure in all the 500’s you’ve serviced, and how many you have left in New-Old Stock? This might be the next replacement component, reverse engineered in new material.
- BeechmereLake
- Brown Trout
- Posts: 1393
- Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 8:43 pm
- 10
Re: Abu Cardinal 66- 77 plastic to brass conversion
Polecat501 would you be talking about the white oscillation block which the spool holder is fitted too? If so in all my years I have never known one fail, even with those two brass legs and small circlips holding it all in place the pin on the main gear is also a very snug fit in the slot on the back of the part, not a lot to go wrong there but it is plastic and we all know Abu's and plastics.Polecat501 wrote: ↑Sun Sep 17, 2023 3:57 pmYes, it’s always a valuable extra when you keep original parts with the collectible they came from. If nothing else, it shows you care about your reel.BeechmereLake wrote: ↑Sat Sep 16, 2023 7:19 pmThe good thing Olly is you can keep the original plastic ones for if you decide to sell on the reels
I’m currently selling one of my prized SIG Sauer German Meistershop P226 X-Six Scandic pistols, and all offers so far have been far higher than I expected. No doubt due to the fact that I not only have an absolutely mint condition firearm, with all original paperwork, tools, manufacturers lubricants, and the original test target, but also the Meistershop match upgrade spring set, AND the original springs.
On an engineering note, I can see why the Svangsta Engineers originally had that part made out of a high quality nylon plastic. As it’s basically carrying out a gear train carrier and gear alignment function, it shouldn’t come under a lot of strain, but at the end of each stroke it’s possible a certain amount of flexibility will be needed, particularly as the gear train wears under heavy (or indeed excessive?) use. And I think that’s part of the problem. These reels were never designed for the purposes we now sometimes put them to. Take heavy feeder fishing for example. That’s cruel and unusual torture for a reel designed for casting spoons up to about 1 oz. Often we are casting method feeder weights more than 2 or 3X that, and cranking them back with fat & heavy Carp attached, is it any wonder that, as gear trains wear, these supplemental and supporting parts start to fail? There’s also the case that these parts may become more brittle over the years, as we extend the life of these reels far longer than original planned.
The other event is also true. My original 500’s (501, 503/520, 505, 506, 506M, & 507’s) were engineered for light to medium duty spinning (Perch to Salmon), so even 5 decades of light float fishing has left them almost as good as the day they left the factory. They also have one high quality nylon plastic component in their gear train. Do you have any thoughts on how long those last, their rate of failure in all the 500’s you’ve serviced, and how many you have left in New-Old Stock? This might be the next replacement component, reverse engineered in new material.
" It is a sinister place yet powerfully fascinating"
"BB"
"BB"