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Bringing a reel back to new

3K views 18 replies 15 participants last post by  ReedA1691 
#1 ·
Any one have any luck bring a baitcaster back to like new or do they just get wore out ? I've cleaned and cleaned fresh oil/ grease ,works good for two trips then back to short casting. Not real short but not like new. chronarch and curados
 
#3 ·
One issue I found is that most sealed and shielded bearings come from the factory with grease in them. If you want the best casting performance, you have to soak those bearings in solvent to remove the grease, then re-lube them with light oil, like 3in1 or my favorite, sewing machine oil.

Aside from being too viscous for a high speed, low torque application (like a spool bearing), the grease attracts grunge and salt over time.
 
#5 · (Edited)
You should be able to get them working about like new. Pay close attention to the spool bearings (normally three of them) and get them cleaned and oiled properly, or replace them. Two of the three spool bearings will be identical and the other one will have a larger inner hole. Make sure you get that one cleaned and serviced like the other two. Use a very small amount of reel oil on the spool bearings, like a drop. You can get replacement bearings from Boca Bearings online. Get a schematic for your reel if you dont already have one. Might also add a small amount of oil to the small round brakes and get those set properly (as to number of brakes that are engaged).
 
#7 ·
Since you already know how to break the reel down and reassemble it, you are already half way there. The cost of a pair of spool roller bearings is the lower cost option if cost is your concern.

I say buy the new reel that you want...plus, keep the current one, rebuild it, and keep it in the rotation with your others.

The Alan Tani website is my preferred source for reel maintenance research, tools, techniques, and lessons learned.

Many ways to clean a roller bearing. For speed and efficiency, B12 Chemtool carb cleaner works well. Put the bearing on the end of a dowel/pencil/or hold the inner cylinder with hemostats, to allow for free spin and blow the bearing clean. B12 blasts will take away the old oil and grease with the spray pressure and it evaporates quickly and leaves the bearings and race surfaces pristine clean. You can then detect if it rolls smoothly or not before you apply your favorite oil. If they’re still gritty and not rolling smooth after this cleaning, throw them out and replace with new bearings.


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#9 ·
Try to polish the bearings. Basically, get a dremel and rig up something to get them to spin VERY fast and then repeat the cleaning in acetone.

It helps remove small junk that may be stuck in there.

Also what impulse said is correct, a lot of the older shimanos come with grease in the spool bearings.
 
#11 ·
I like this idea.

Tiny specs of grit can remain in a bearing after only a soaking. The high speed spin is a physical way of obliterating any remaining grit.

Another bearing subject to geek out on. ABEC5 vs ABEC7.

I’m in the camp that ABEC5 is right for baitcasters. This is because we operate them in conditions where the bearings do get dirty over time. ABEC7 specs are tighter than ABEC5. Plus, they often cost more.

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#14 · (Edited)
Here’s an explanation of what too much oil does.

Only use only 1 drop of oil on the roller bearing. If you add too many drops, oil will gather inside the bearing races. To much oil and the ball bearing is pushing a tiny wave of oil inside the race like a water ski pushing water. That extra bit of resistance will slow the bearing down.

Oils for roller bearings. Lot of good ones on the market. Hot Sauce was my original favorite. I switched to TSI 321 for its high tech performance and penetration capabilities. You won’t find TSI 321 on the shelf or in a store.

Not many carry a bottle of oil in their tackle bag. Oil never stays in those bottles and gets on everything. I bought one of these to address that issue... https://m.northerntool.com/shop/too...U-61w_OuG6Auhfmco6XmNn2M8GKmrD8xoCEiAQAvD_BwE

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#15 ·
Gun Oil

I have a 3 year old Shimano Chronarc CI4+ 150HG that started short casting after about 6 months of use. I have acquired a lot of very nice reels over the years and service all of them. I cleaned this one up and thought I screwed up when I did not get any improvement in casting. Basically, the Abu Garcia and Penn reel oil was too thick so a soaked it with a lot of gun oil, drained it. Casts like new. I maintain performance by removing the spool once a month in the summer and add a 3 or 4 drops of gun oil to both ball bearing areas and the level wind, takes about 90 seconds.

I still use Penn reel oil on my spinning reels and offshore reels ( I have a big bottle). I did not use Shimano reel oil because I used up or let leak out all those annoying small vials of oil that come with the reels. Shimano oil might work and some of the other oils mentioned might work but gun oil is cheap and works great.
 
#18 ·
It has been mentioned, but I would also suspect overlubing. If it is great for a trip or two then fades, the lube is getting into places it shouldn't be. Those places would be: inside the pinion gear, one the spool shaft, behind the spool bearing, inside the frame rims next to the spool. Clean any lube from these areas (doesnot require a reel break down) with a qtip and a wedge of paper towel inside the pinion gear. I have seen this 3 minute procedure instantly bring many a reel back to life.
 
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