Recently purchased an Ambassadeur SX 7000 CL Top of the line one piece Aluminum Frame with Aluminum Spool Aluminum Side Plates however it was reely sluggish and grinding ,(just not Smooth at all in Free Spool and when Cranking felt as though the Nylon Gears were off set and not meshing properly .
Needless to say I tore into it . First the left side plate to see if it was indeed the Nylon Gears that move the Level Wind . Removed the Main Gear and put it back together but still had the same crummy feel to the Finely Built Reel. The Reel looked Brand New inside and out but had this terrible feel to it when turning the Handle just not right at all and free spool was just not good at all .
So I tore it completely apart (wished I had been a bit more Cautious but Hey I am a Mechanic so what could go wrong ?

Well the first thing is when you remove the 2 outer plate screws on the handle side and separate the pieces the whole SpriggenVerks pop out and of course in all directions but I was able to catch them all and go on with the trouble shoot .
The Culprit was the underside of Sleeve Gear was Rubbing on the Disengagement Lever

Here is a pic. of the Lever it was rubbing on

and another

.
Partial Remedy is to put a Small Washer on the Sleeve Shaft to move the Gear away from rubbing the lever.
I also Dremmeled a bit of the top off the Lever to insure a gap there . Also the gear could have been rubbing on the Nylon Bushing in the center . I also removed a bit of that as well .
This was causing the binding of Free Spool and the noisy turning of the Handle .
The little stainless washer on the right of the piece is what I am using . There was also a Small Coppper one already there and I added mine on the top .
Factory just did not have enough there to start with .

Will post some hopefully better pics when I finish up and show the Bearing Mod I plan on doing.
Meanwhile here is a Schematic of the Guts of this thing .

Additional Washer Placement
