Wanting to upgrade bearings/handle

Reels are the hottest topic for TackleTour. Everyone wants to know what the latest and greatest is and how they compare to the old guard. What's the best for light stuff, or what's your suggestion for heavy cover. Do we really need different retrieve ratios? It's all in here.
Post Reply
User avatar
Drew03cmc
Elite Angler
Elite Angler
Posts: 273
Joined: Wed Jun 18, 2014 1:34 am
Location: Overland Park, KS

Wanting to upgrade bearings/handle

Post by Drew03cmc » Tue Sep 12, 2017 12:10 am

The reel is an Ambassadeur Morrum SX1600C Hi Sp and I'd like to upgrade my spool bearings to Abec 5 or 7 sealed bearings. I can cast 1/8oz as it is but i just want the smoother, faster upgraded bearings. What part numbers or bearing sizes am I looking for and a distributor. Also, the reel has a straight handle and drag star on it, is there a longer handle to use with the straight star or should I look for a swept star/handle?
Andy

User avatar
Drew03cmc
Elite Angler
Elite Angler
Posts: 273
Joined: Wed Jun 18, 2014 1:34 am
Location: Overland Park, KS

Re: Wanting to upgrade bearings/handle

Post by Drew03cmc » Wed Sep 13, 2017 5:32 am

I bought a set of Hedgehog ZR spool bearings and a bottle of Lightning Lube last night.
Andy

PikeRoadBassn
Elite Angler
Elite Angler
Posts: 485
Joined: Sun Sep 16, 2012 11:05 am

Re: Wanting to upgrade bearings/handle

Post by PikeRoadBassn » Wed Sep 13, 2017 6:33 am

The Hedgehog ZR is a great all around bearing, and the performance for the money is great. You did well on choosing them. One thing with the ZR, is maintaining them often is the key to keeping that performance. As for a longer handle, ZPI offers several different length handles in both swept and straight. Avail makes a very nice drag star for the Morrum SX reels. You can email me at tackletrapreelrepair@gmail.com and I would be happy to help you get them ordered from us here at The Tackle Trap.

Thanks, Bryan

fishingkat
Senior Angler
Senior Angler
Posts: 50
Joined: Mon Dec 12, 2016 6:37 pm

Re: Wanting to upgrade bearings/handle

Post by fishingkat » Fri Sep 15, 2017 7:53 pm

I once had up 7 of those SX high speeds. I still have 2 of them and I still like them very much.

I suggest to you that after changing your spool bearings to a higher grade one. if you want additional smoothness consider changing your handle if it is that stock Abu handle to something the will take bearing knobs, basically any daiwa type handle.

Another thing I've found that improves the smoothness is to change out the stock pinion bearing to one of higher grade such as a hybrid ceramic bearing. It helps quite a bit.

ScoobyDoo
Elite Angler
Elite Angler
Posts: 749
Joined: Thu Jun 16, 2011 8:38 am

Re: Wanting to upgrade bearings/handle

Post by ScoobyDoo » Fri Sep 15, 2017 8:22 pm

Try using a different type of lube.
Tungsten disulfide "impingment" results in some ridiculous freespool

Takes a bit of effort. But worth it.

Put Tungsten disulfide in a solution of clean liquid that evaporates readily.

Place a light overhead.
Put bearing on a mandrel...
Without setting youself on fire. Spin that sucker in the solution frequently taking it out to spin dry.
Repeat until you start seeing what look like sparks...but are really wafers of the tungsten disulfide.
Wear gloves as you don't want that stuff getting in your skin (half a micron should be safe..but smaller can get through)

makes any bearing fast as hell....takes all the braking attributes of oil out of the equation.

Post Reply