Simple Service How To?

[thomo]

hi

thanks for this great new forum...

i always wanted to use oil and lubes for my reels but never knew how to...can someone please show me where grease should go and where oil should be used??..im not very good at in-depth tech stuff but just a general idea so i can do some minor/basic maintenance to my reels and try to keep them smooth..oh and i also got a couple of tubes of hot sauce but yet to use them, and is singer oil ok for reels?

thanks in advance..

cheers

tom

Edited January 29, 2010 by thomo

[slinkymalinky]

G'day thomo,

Thanks for the feedback on the new forum. From your question, I've got an idea to do a basic guide post for spin reels. I'll put it together in the near future, ask Alan Tani for his feedback, then post it with pics.

In the meantime, have a read of Alan's post about lubes here!

In principle, lubricants in reels have 2 purposes... protection and lubrication.

Heavy grease is very good at protection... it sticks & seals really well (a bearing packed with grease won't allow any water intrusion at all)... but will slow down the free movement of parts and bearings. So it's good for everywhere not requiring high speed free running. That means for example, I don't use grease in spool bearings in baitcasters/overheads (the ones that work during free-spool).

Light lubricants like reel oil, your Hot Sauce, or Alan's favourites CorrosionX and Xtreme Reel+, are less effective at protection but will allow the smooth, unimpeded running of moving parts. I use this sort of lubricant on the previously mentioned bearings, reel handles and so on.

Bearings in spin reels are a bit of an each way bet depending on the reel I'm working on... there are trade offs either way. Casting doesn't rely on bearings in a spin reel so that should suggest greased bearings. For my bigger spin reels, that I don't use for luring, I'll pack every bearing with heavy grease. Maximum protection but it feels a little sluggish to wind... not a problem if you're not luring. For bigger reels that I use for lure fishing, I'll pack the bearings with a lighter grease like Shimano Permalube. Less protection but runs more freely. For my estuary spin reels I'll usually oil the bearings, or maybe pack the side plate bearings with Permalube and oil the rest... means a lot more attention to maintenance but makes casting all day a doddle.

There are some special cases... lubricating drags needs to be done with special grease... Cal's Drag Grease or Shimano Ace-2 drag grease being examples. And only where suitable... Some drags are designed to be run dry.

Clutch bearings are something I've been learning more about lately... they're the 'anti reverse' mechanism in a lot of reels but have a common flaw. The needles in the bearing can be run dry which allows them very good hold for the anti-reverse function but leaves them prone to corrosion. Lubricating them though, reduces their ability to hold and in extreme cases, the anti reverse will then fail. The best compromise is the barest smear coat of either a light grease (I'm using drag grease at the moment) or something like CorrosionX (you'll read about that stuff in Alan's post link).

In relation to your other question... I'm not sure about sewing machine oil. Some lubricants aren't very good in a marine environment... I've often opened up reels for people where the oil has emulsified with water. I'd wait until someone who has some experience with using it on reels, gives it the thumbs up.

In the meantime, reel oils are readily available from tackle stores... give Pete a call at Go Fish. And I'm now using Evinrude outboard grease that you'll be able to get from Craig at Huett Marine.

Keep your eyes open for a 'basic lubing' post in the future.

Cheers, Slinky

Edited January 30, 2010 by slinkymalinky

[alantani]

The most important thing you can do to maintain your reel is to service it when it is brand new. The mantra is greased carbon fiber drag washers, spool bearings that are open and lightly lubed, level wind assemblies that are lightly lubed, non-spool bearings that are packed with grease, grease on all the screws and a light coat of grease on all the non-exposed surfaces. Do a thorough job the first time and your reel should last for years. Done properly, the only things in your reel that should remain at risk are the spool bearings. If you pack the spool bearings with grease, they will never rust, but you won’t be able to cast either. If you lube them and leave them, they will eventually rust. The best maintenance schedule, then, is to thoroughly service your reel first. After every fishing trip, rinse your reel with fresh water and dry it with a towel or compressed air. Finally, lube the bearings and the level wind assembly with a light oil. Stick with this schedule and your reel should last for years.

[thomo]

thank you so much for the replies....i'll be eagerly waiting on the basic guide post.

cheers

tom

[DMG]

always rinse your rods and reels with fresh water after use,anything thats been in saltwater rinse or it will eat away your gear.