Closed Face Reel Advice

Butcherboy

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Having really enjoyed catching Roach & other smaller fish I intend to do a lot more of it in the future.
I've dug out my old closed face reels for use. 3 of them need a light service. What's the best way to go about this please?
Also how is the syncro drag used on the ABU? Although it looks rough it works.
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@Clive

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I only have the original 506 reels, but the Synchro looks similar. If you remove the plate opposite side to the handle you can access the gears. If you dismantle the drag on the handle side make a note or photograph how the parts fit together. If you get it wrong the drag won't work properly.
 

Ray Roberts

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Having really enjoyed catching Roach & other smaller fish I intend to do a lot more of it in the future.
I've dug out my old closed face reels for use. 3 of them need a light service. What's the best way to go about this please?
Also how is the syncro drag used on the ABU? Although it looks rough it works.
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There is a guy who is on Facebook called Terry Trueman, he has a group called Abu closed face reels, which I am a member of. He has never serviced my reels, but I have only heard good things about him and the quality of his work. He would be my first port of call.

If I was servicing my own reels, which I do, and occasionally modify. Then the best advice I can give is take loads of phone pictures as you dissemble the reel. Unlike Terry, who has serviced thousands of reels and could do them blindfolded. You may have to wait for a component and it could be a couple of weeks before you get any spare parts you need. A compartmented box is also useful to keep various parts together. Another consideration is spare parts. All of the reels are obsolete, so sourcing parts can be a problem. The guy I recommended would either know how to fettle the existing parts or have many of them in stock.

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This is what I meant with the photos. Obviously not a closed face but a Daiwa Tatula that I fitted ceramic bearings to and swapped the plastic bushes out for bearings too. I also fitted a drag clicker to that one.

Oh, if you do your own get the proper grease and don’t over do it. More problems are generally caused by too much grease than not enough.
 
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