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Abu levelwind problem?

2K views 12 replies 7 participants last post by  Arkansascatman777 
#1 ·
I have an abu 6500 reel that has been acting up on me. Sometimes when you reel it in the levelwind sticks to the left side of the reel and thus reels all of the line in on one side of the spool. I have broken it all down and cant find any problem with the levelwind itself. It's justlike the little piece that fits in the groove to go back and forth isn't catching/falling into the track to take it back to the other side of the spool. I dont see a way of fixing this. Do yall have any ideas????

Thanks
 
#2 ·
You need a new paw and my advice is if you replace a paw replace the paw gear also

If you look up under the levelwind gear you'll see a round cap. Take the cap off and the paw is in there.
you'll have to take the reel apart to replace the paw gear.
 
#3 ·
You need a new paw and my advice is if you replace a paw replace the paw gear also

If you look up under the levelwind gear you'll see a round cap. Take the cap off and the paw is in there.
you'll have to take the reel apart to replace the paw gear.
Mar's right. All you need is a line pawl. However, I have just put a very thin round shaped piece of copper or brass shim just under the cap to push up on the pawl, and that works also.

A new pawl is only about 3bucks though. I have changed several of them and not changed the worm gear without problems, but ya never know. It's not a bad idea to change the gear also.
 
#4 ·
Definetly a pawl. You can get the pawl and a worm gear at Academy's for about 10 dollars. This is the part of the abu which fails the most.... think of how many times that pawl goes back and forth...don't you think it would wear. I bought an extra and keep it in my tackle box just for emergencies. Keep that pawl and worm gear lubricated.
 
#5 ·
If you catch it fast enough before you do damage to the worm gear then you can usually get away with just replacing the pawl. If you have already used it in this condition then go ahead and replace both. I keep spare worm gears and pawls in the tackle box for when this happens. It is a quick repair and will save you a lot of agravasion on the water.
 
#6 ·
If you get stuck in a pinch, you can put a small piece of cardboard under the screw that holds the paw in and it will shim it into action for a short time. Sounds to me like you're gonna have to replace both the pawl and the worm gear, just like the other fellas have stated.

Keep that worm gear cleaned out regularly though. Shoot it full of WD-40 and clean it with a toothbrush. That'll usually keep this from happening in the future.
 
#10 ·
I looked at academy's and couldnt find anywhere on their site where they sold reel parts?
Try looking at Hookless.com or Heartland tackle. I get some of my parts from both of these places, and they are reliable. You also might try Mikes reel repair. I get some things from him too, but he's located in Canada, and shipping times are closer to 10 days to 2 weeks.

I have been getting parts from a guy on ebay and he's very reliable. I think his user name is gilbertspaylakeky or something like that. If you find parts put up for bid by him, you can count on him being reliable, and shipping is very fast.

Glad the shim fixed it. I've done that before, but don't know how long it will last. I'd still get a couple pawls and gears to keep on hand. I don't know if I'd go with the ceramic pawls. There is speculation that it will wear out the worm gear faster but they are supposed to be smoother. I got one to try, but can't tell any difference in the reel. I bet it will last longer though since it's so much harder.
 
#11 ·
#13 ·
Here is your local abu service center, which also sells spare parts...

Coastline Service Center
706A North Williams Street
Goldsboro, NC 27530

(919) 736-3859

Here is a link to their web site. You will have to search the site to see if they do online ordering. LOL...

http://www.merchantcircle.com/business/Coastline.Service.Center.Incorporated.919-736-3859

Thanks Lawrence, I'll try to contact them tomorrow to see if they are cheaper than the price I'm giving local.
 
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