Hi,I have a medical condition, laryngectomy, and can't chance fishing from a boat.All of my fishing is done from the bank.I have been collecting some Ambassadeur reels, and am considering attempting to modify a couple of them to increase casting distance. Are there any specific models that are easier or more preferable to modify ? I know this is mainly a bass forum, but I mostly catfish and this suggested that I try this site. At the moment, I mainly have 5000, 6000 series reels. I would be interested in any suggestions or info, including where to get parts.Thanks

The thing with the ambassadeur is the synchronous levelwind that has to move with the spool. There are kits to put bearings on the worm gear to help alleviate but I’ve had luck without buying parts. Polish all friction points and use a dry lube like they use on fire arms.

Hi Jay,

The upgrades available for Ambassadeur include light spools, improved bearings, full-ball-bearing and lighter alloy level wind, internal mag brake with or without the centrifugal. The full upgrades will make any of these reels capable of casting 3 g, and improve performance across the full weight range.

Setting up mag brake on light end makes Ambassadeur backlash-proof over wide weight range.

My best bench result, using ceramic micro-bearings for spool, worm-shaft and idler gear, will cast 3 g past 150' (on 6-1/2' 2-hand rod).

Jun Sonada has written the best essay on tuning and upgrading Ambassadeur, linked below:

https://japantackle.com/Tackle_topics/abu_tuneup.htm

You can make a later C3 close, but not quite the light end of the older 4500C above.

These reels will only accept full-size 1040 spool bearings, but I have surf CTs that will cast 2 oz to 400'

Here's my 6500CS Rocket in surf-lure niche.

Someone else you might want to talk to is @redmeansdistortion who has a business modifying these reels: https://www.ashlin-fishing.com/

Also for sourcing upgrade parts.

Great info. Thank all of you. As for the dry lube, I have some superlube graphite powder that I used to use on my compound bow cams. Would that be good to use ?

My best bushing reel still has BB-LW upgrades, but improved skeleton spool bushings.

I use a CP55 bushing oil to wet the bushings, then dilute the spool spindle with very-low-viscosity bearing oil.

It's a pre-'74 pocket-rocket.

Another great source for upgrade parts is Mike's Reel Repair in BC

https://www.mikesreelrepair.com/reel-upgrades-tuning/

They sell kits - Mike's makes a zirconia LW-pawl that doesn't work quite as well in Avail LW rider, but flies in Mike's alloy LW-rider. You can buy the whole thing as a kit.

Infinitely light, infinitely slick.

17 hours ago, Jay T said:

Great info. Thank all of you. As for the dry lube, I have some superlube graphite powder that I used to use on my compound bow cams. Would that be good to use ?

Graphite powder will chunk up if it comes into contact with moisture. What you want to use is a thin film lubricant that fills in the microscopic pores in the metal. TSI 321 is the best currently available for this. This is what you will want to use in your bearings and level wind. Excess can be removed with compressed air. It's important to remove the excess for maximum performance potential.

Since yours are catfish reels, I would start with a good cleaning before anything. My guess is that you are throwing heavier bait and fishing on the bottom, so in that regard there isn't going to be much incentive to upgrade parts. A deep cleaning, lube, and some brake tweaking on your part will open it up considerably.

Increase casting distance.

There are a couple of places and times where I fish 3 g to 150'.

But what is gained from the spool, mag brake, and LW mods is extreme cast reliability and extreme distance across the full casting weight range. Below, I'm fishing 1/4-oz plug to 200' (probably more impressive, the rod hooking fish at 180').