Abu 333 Bail arm issues

[Argyll Trout Fisher]

I checked and have read an earlier post on this forum on the same topic but none of the pictures are still available and I couldn’t see the components etc. Basically I was gifted one by my children for Christmas (it was on my Santa list ) . The reel was in decent order but the bail arm was a bit lacklustre and soft without any reassuring snap or click to it. Anyway I stripped out the bail mechanism and am now having bother putting it back together. I suspect it ideally needs a new spring but not sure what the full correct bail mechanism should look like as I cannot find a schematic for this reel? The spring is a little misshapen through my ‘efforts’ but should be redeemable , I hope. It keeps popping out of the housing at the top and is starting to annoy me ! . Any information/ schematic etc tips or experience with this would be very much appreciated before the kids find out I’ve broke my present by footering with it TIA

[Coral Maestro]

Here you go...Happy Xmas!

[Argyll Trout Fisher]

Brilliant, many thanks Coral Maestro. Merry Christmas!

[BeechmereLake]

I checked and have read an earlier post on this forum on the same topic but none of the pictures are still available and I couldn’t see the components etc. Basically I was gifted one by my children for Christmas (it was on my Santa list ) . The reel was in decent order but the bail arm was a bit lacklustre and soft without any reassuring snap or click to it. Anyway I stripped out the bail mechanism and am now having bother putting it back together. I suspect it ideally needs a new spring but not sure what the full correct bail mechanism should look like as I cannot find a schematic for this reel? The spring is a little misshapen through my ‘efforts’ but should be redeemable , I hope. It keeps popping out of the housing at the top and is starting to annoy me ! . Any information/ schematic etc tips or experience with this would be very much appreciated before the kids find out I’ve broke my present by footering with it TIA

Make sure the bail arm is in its component parts and dont lose the little nut that locks it all together, bail spring in place first then the bail cam and screw, add the bail after not all at once, this is how the spring normally gets bent out of shape. On a more simpler note usually if you loosen off the screw holding the bail cam in place so you can see the spring a good flush out with WD40 goes a long way.

[Argyll Trout Fisher]

Beechmerelake,
Many thanks for the reply. I have not been able to loosen the other end of the bail wire so could not attempt entirely as you suggest. I have ordered a new spring from Les Shaw who has also included the schematic for the 333! What a decent chap! On further inspection the mechanism under the spool that locks and releases the bail cam seemed weak also and a bit rubbish generally!! On taking the rotor off I found that the top of the housing is quite badly chipped also!? I wonder if this is making a weak connection with the bail release mechanism? I’ll send a picture. The reel was bought as fully functional but it seems knowingly or otherwise there is a few problems!

[Argyll Trout Fisher]

[BeechmereLake]

The trip part on the housing could be an issue of the bail tripping, with these older reels the contact of metal on metal didn't go away till the late 60's when trips became plastic on metal the plastic parts became serviceable parts. Hope its not the housing or the reel wont be much use though Im pretty sure someone like Ray Moss could sort it. I have to say though if the bail trips of any kind of fashion then it should fly over quite easy, new spring and some grease should help that but you will need to be careful if the bail is as one when being fitted

[Liphook]

JB Weld could be used to build back the chipped metal? It's very useful stuff - it will file down and take spray paint.

[Argyll Trout Fisher]

Thanks for further replies. Beechmerelake, I have managed to separate the cam from the bail wire but cannot release the other side . Screw is worn and stuck unfortunately. When I receive the new bail spring I will follow your instructions as closely as possible. That said the more I explore the reel the more problems I seem to find! There is the damage to the housing at the rotor ( I will look into the suggestion by Liphook about cold weld to rebuilt the housing damage. I have used this previously and it’s a great product I think) . It’s not clear what affect this maybe having on the bail function but clearly there is or was friction here that is or has caused damage and that is worrying. The spring on the rotor release mechanism under the spool is clearly not right either, having consulted the schematic and identified a replacement albeit in Sweden and or sale with the whole rotor mechanism! The spring currently in situ is either the wrong one or a modified or made up one. Whatever it is it is not providing adequate tension for the mechanism. It appears way too big and has several loose coils unlike the correct one ! I will attempt to post pics. Overall I think I’ve been sold a reel that had been modified or patched up to function in the short term after a fashion. It was rather immediately apparent that the bail function was poor and unlikely to be reliable to use . That both springs are inadequate and the housing at the rotor is damaged indicates what looks like a historical problem which given the age of the reel perhaps understandable. My kids paid £40 for the reel and while I think getting a new spring is acceptable, but further replacement parts if I can find them would make it difficult to write off as an EBay gamble that didn’t pay off and I’m not sure whether to throw more cash at replacing more parts or to quit. I have seen a ‘ not working / for spares ‘ reel that while a further cost and gamble might provide a route to one functional 333 and a spares reel and spool. I have had some similar experiences with Mitchell’s that due to their wider availability I have always found solutions but this is a bit less common a model I think and I am a little out of my comfort/ ability zone. Any further advice or thoughts from those with more experience woul be very welcome!

[Argyll Trout Fisher]

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