This project began looking for a vehicle for an AMO 4500/4600 shallow braid spool - the spool weighs 8 g.
Found an e-bay listing from a level-headed estate hunter, and bought this condition-9, low-demand Royal Express 1 for $80.
![Image](https://i.imgur.com/LaUDpyc.jpg?1)
My final result is a reel that will cast 3 g (consistently to 70') to 15+ g without making an adjustment.
All the set-up is up front, you cast this reel without spool tension, depend on mag brake add-on to solve mid-cast wind backlash at the light end, and the stock centrifugal to solve start-up backlash with heavy weights.
![Image](https://i.imgur.com/v57TIGp.jpg)
Here's the finished reel. The visible swapped-in parts are the AMO shallow braid spool, and Valleyhill LW rider with ceramic guide.
![Image](https://i.imgur.com/RB2oc9R.jpg?1)
While I was rebuilding the drive for new carbontex, also swapped in a ball-bearing main shaft.
Inside, here's the light spool again, BB spur gear, Avail mag brake (adjusting this is the reason to want the thumbscrews);
the new LW worm gear is Valleyhill dual BB; the new idler gear (drives the LW off the spool during cast) is Kagawa BB.
![Image](https://i.imgur.com/EJTk9uN.jpg)
You gotta love Abu Ultracast spool design.
Swapping spool bearings is nothing - everything snaps into place.
The Roro BFS bearings were only there for a few casts, playing with light lures - seeing just how light I can get with it.
I swapped in my final set of MTCW heavy-duty unshielded spool bearings for the 1/2-oz niche.
![Image](https://i.imgur.com/nt5ZV0l.jpg)
I loaded the reel first with cheap light mono, set the mag at my light-weight end; then finally set the centrifugal at the heavy end. When satisfied, swapped line to the good braid that I don't want to backlash.
I matched the reel with my Very Good+ condition Falcon Glass rod.
This reel is a more comfortable fit than the old-style Lew's BB-1N I had here before.
![Image](https://i.imgur.com/BjJd4e2.jpg)
The mag adjustment to get proper stand-off from the spool rim was 1/4 turn CW on each magnet set screw, moving them closer to the spool. I used 4 (of 6) centrifugal pins on the spool brake washer for the heavy end, and it didn't show a gravity-fall difference with the 3 g.
![Image](https://i.imgur.com/gbYR6ZF.jpg)
With perfect casting trials, 3 g to 15 g and nothing close to backlash, loaded the spool with my braid, PE#1.2 Yamatoyo Hard Shell, 23-lb test, and the spool holds 80+ m.
Allbright knot to 15-lb hard fluoro leader
![Image](https://i.imgur.com/Xx7giXb.jpg)
All done here, throwing 3 g to 70', and 15 g well past 120' with no reel adjustments, low-effort casts, and nothing close to backlash.
![Image](https://i.imgur.com/vlKAArx.jpg)