Delaware Valley Tackle

A shimano should have come with a small tube of oil, use that on the bearings. Remove the spool tension cap and put one drop on the side of the bearing. Replace the cap and open the brake side case and oil the bearing there the same way. If you see dirt and debris building up on the level wind worm gear brush it off gently and put a drop or two of oil on it. Annual deep cleaning is a good starting point. Being new I suggest sending it in after the season and then maybe bi-annually after that if use is light.

Clear, shallow conditions may require a long cast to get bites. I consider 100' a long cast.

A couple feet of heavy chain attached to a length of rope can be use as a drag anchor when drifting small craft.

It depends on what it is. A new blank is likely lighter and just as strong due to the new materials and technology, but an older undamaged blank is fishable if it has the power and action you want. Catfishing wouldn't be among my choices for pistol grip rod.

The Ardent reels I've worked on I've found to be heavy and not very refined. The "Flipping" reel with no level wind or drag is gimmicky. I want a working drag on any reel that goes on one of my rods

If you have trouble with adjustment after turning all brakes off, look at the cap spacers and be sure they are all there and not severely dimpled.

Thank you. My thoughts exactly, but I'm being lazy.

The PQ is a good value budget reel. I give TT's opinion less consideration than that of most posters here. I wouldn't make any decisions about anything based solely on what you see there.

A medium / Mod fast would probably suit you better.

The point of increasing/diminishing returns on reels is between $100-$250 casting and $50-$250 spinning. On Production rods, $100-300. This is not to say you can't catch fish and enjoy doing so with equipment below these prices, just an opinion on value (performance, longevity etc.) Individual budgets are personal and obviously vary widely. Don't feel pressured to spend beyond your means. That just eats into the enjoyment you get from the sport.

Modern "Blank Thru" construction is more powerful and sensitive and new reels are already low profile. Something similar may still be available if you look around. Repeated tightening and loosening of the ferrule nut may invite a loosening fit and eventual breakage. If I were to use that today I'd put a short glass "Ugly Stick" style blank on it and throw square bills, inline spinners and top waters

Clean the whole rod with a mild detergent and rinse well. Follow up by wiping down with furniture polish. If the water penetrated the epoxy finish and hit the white wraps underneath, nothing you can do short of rewrapping. Stubborn stains on the outside can be hit with denatured alcohol but nothing harsher.

This depends on what if anything your time is worth. Most of the rebuilds I do are for sentimental reasons. It's more cost effective and you get better end results just building from scratch. An exception might be if you ran across a blank with certain action and power characteristics that you just can't seem to find, which is still questionable in this day and age. Grabbing some rods for cheap and replacing a few guides, tip tops etc sprucing up the handle if necessary makes more sense than complete rebuilds imo.

Not apples for apples but the Citica is a smooth and durable reel without a doubt. The PQ is a proven performer and almost always on sale. I can't see experimenting with the other models for a few bucks difference. The Nitro looks like a deal on paper but I don't have any hands-on with it.

That's one reason their rods cost what they do. Nothing is free.

They are built on the same platform, it comes down to whatever features are important to you.

I can't guarantee a diagnosis without seeing it. The cost of servicing is<$20 for members here if you want to send it in. You can pm email or call for anything I can help you with.

Paddling will get old QUICK if you have to go any distance or against the wind. A trolling motor is well worth the investment. The bigger the better. I have a 32# and it's going in favor of a 55#.

That gold piece is the bottom of the pinion gear. It rides in a yoke and has spring tension on it. It's not meant to be rigid. Without the other side plate in place it will slip. Does it act ok when it's all assembled? From what I get from the post what you're seeing is just what I'd expect. If the reel chatters when re-engaging the spool the pinion or spool pin may be damaged or the clutch is sticking inside.

I'd be happy to take care of you but shipping would make it cost prohibitive on a small job. I don't know any of them personally but are a few contacts. MudHole can likely recommend someone local too. Good luck. You can try this guy: http://www.rodguild.com/builderfinder.html or one of these: Britt Custom Rods Custom Rod Building, Rod Repair jbritt01@tampabay.rr.com 6435 92nd PL N. Unit 904 Pinellas Park , FL , 33782 Phone: 727-547-5544 website under construction Dick's Custom Rods Custom Rods, Rod Repair, Rods Rewrapped dickz6@comcast.net Englewood , FL , Phone: 941-460-0761 Masters Bait & Tackle Custom Rod Building, Rod & Reel Repair bill@mastersbaitandtackle.com 1810 S. Pinellas Ave. Ste L Tarpon Springs , FL , 34689 Phone: 727-945-7191 www.mastersbaitandtackle.com Reels Inc. of S.W. Florida Custom Rods, Rod & Reel Repair Center, Custom Applications a Specialty. Visa and MC accepted. 18990 S. Tamiami Tr. #4 Ft. Myers , FL , 33908 Phone: 941-334-3221 www.reelsinc.net

Don't over think the AR. As long as the pawl and ratchet are clean, lubed and adjusted correctly they work fine. Most folks take the brake shoes right off those old Ambassaduers. Confirm the bearing and drag washer sizes and I'll check my stock if you'd like. I've never seen those springs become weakened but if you find them cheap enough no harm in changing.

http://www.abugarcia.com/sites/default/files/schematics/6600C%2081-08-00.PDF part This shows the spring and its general location but orientation and installation will be trial and error.

Worth the wait, especially on sale. The PQ is such a proven performer and on sale so regularly I can't see messing with any other house brands.

Upgrade the drag to Carbontex. I may have a kit in stock if you want to email me the model details. AS for the spring I think that's for the Bait clicker. You'll have to fiddle with it. I can put it in but couldn't begin to explain it here. If you don't have one, get online and find a Schematic for any reel before opening it.

The part that concerns me is the relation to spool tension and in free spool the AR is completely out of the equation. Lock all the brakes down and see what happens and make sure the spool tension is loose before tightening the side plate. Beyond that I'd have to see it to diagnose with any accuracy.