What Parts To Lube?

[bass1980]

I looked at many videos and researched threads but could not find one that tells the exact parts to lube when assembling the reel back together. Right now I got it almost all apart sitting in simple green solution. I know the worm gear I will lube with oil, the main gear and drags I will lube with shimano grease. Is there anything else I need to lube?

 

Also by looking at the picture what else should I disassemble and throw into the simple green solution? Thanks.

 

[aavery2]

If it were my reel I would certainly remove the drive shaft as there is most likely a bearing under it, and also the clutch assembly to remove the frame mounted bearing.   I don't think that the Simple Green would hurt either of the bearings, but you can do a much better job of cleaning and applying the correct lubrication once they are removed.

 

Your picture also looks like you have not removed the bearing in the palm side plate as well.

[Jon G]

If it were my reel I would certainly remove the drive shaft as there is most likely a bearing under it

I would definitely do this

[FloridaFishinFool]

As a general rule, if it rubs lubricate it. But do so sparingly.

 

That reel looks almost identical to my old shimano curado reels. If you remove the clutch cam retainer as seen in your photo above be very careful to not bend it! They bend very easily and once bent I just replace them. On my reels it is BNT1520 and you can find them on ebay for like $1.50 so I stock up on those parts and the yoke BNT1519 which wears out the fastest of all those plastic parts, and I also keep in stock the plastic clutch cam BNT1521. And I replace those stainless steel spool bearings with some ceramic hybrids.

 

I have used curado reels for about 12 years now. And when new some of those moving parts are installed dry with no lube. I remove them and lightly lube them to reduce friction and wear so the parts last longer and operate easier. So I take the reel all the way down to frame only and put it back together and lubricate each part in a different way and with different lubricants.

 

As for reel lubricants, everyone has a different opinion, but I use up to 6 or 7 different lubricants on a reel overhaul and even mix some of them. 3 oils of various viscosity, and 3 different types of grease. But that is just how I do it. Some people use only one lubricant. Hey, any is better than none! Good luck! Let us know how it goes!

 

Oh, your reel is already clean looking. I don't see why you would need to use green solution. A simple dry wipe would suffice with as clean as that reel looks inside. I have rebuilt hundreds of reels in 30 plus years of doing my own reels and even paid to do it for others too and polish and improve the reel as well. I have never used green solution. I just use regular old dawn dish soap and warm water and a toothbrush works just fine for me.

[bass1980]

So when removing the drive shafts do I clean it throughly and do I need to relube? Also that particular bearing should I flush it and oil it? The side plate and spool bearing I flush it in alcohol in an ultrasonic cleaner and reoil.

[bass1980]

Also the only lube I have is shimano drag grease, Shimano batam oil, and Alchemy oil.

[Jaheff]

Also the only lube I have is shimano drag grease, Shimano batam oil, and Alchemy oil.

I would use the bantam oil in frame bearings and Alchemy oil in spool bearings. You can use either oil in any bearing tho.

[FloridaFishinFool]

So when removing the drive shafts do I clean it throughly and do I need to relube? Also the bearings that particular bearing should I flush it and oil it? The side plate and spool bearing I flush it in alcohol in an ultrasonic cleaner and reoil.

That drive shaft already looks clean. Remove it and oil the bearing and put it back, but if it were me I would pull out those other parts too down to the frame only.

 

For that drive shaft bearing you can use any machine oil. The main thing is to keep it oiled and lubricated so it spins easily and won't rust. Since it has nothing to do with casting, any regular machine oil will do. You do not have soak in alcohol or other solvents for a bearing not associated with the free spin of a spool. 

 

While you have the drive shaft out I would pull those other parts out and put them back in with a little grease on them. I generally use a marine grade grease for the plastic parts. Just a light thin film anywhere the plastic touches the frame. And I would pull that clutch plate out and lightly lubricate it too. For metal on metal I use a marine grade grease mixed in with some dry lube, and leave the dry lube out for any part with plastic since the dry lube can be gritty and actually wear the part more- just thinking it is gritty makes me leave it off the plastic parts and only go with a marine grease. But you can get away with just a plain old marine grease. Once installed back in the reel, sometimes I will add a super small amount of light oil along the edge of the part and work it back and forth a few times wiping away any excess and move on to the next part. Just look and see where it touches and rubs something else and put a light coat of grease in between.

 

As for spool bearings, I don't use isopropyl alcohol- if I used alcohol at all I would choose denatured which does not leave a film behind when it dries. There are a number of solvents that can be used on bearings and I like to use bestine to dissolve out any grease and then just blow them out with compressed air and check spin on them and use an extremely thin lightweight oil on them, but any of the common reel bearing lubricants will work. You just don't want to use too much oil, or to thick of an oil that would slow the free spin of the bearing down any. After oiling I'd use compressed air on them again to blow out any excess oil and check for free spin again and install.

 

Oh, one place I don't lube are those yoke posts. I leave those dry. No need to lubricate those. But fit the yoke down onto the clutch cam and you can see small ramps for lack of a better word where when the clutch cam turns the yoke is lifted up taking the pinion gear with it. Lubricate those ramps to prevent wear, but just a light coat of grease only on the ramps where those two plastic parts touch each other. This will prevent wear more so than not lubricated there.

[aavery2]

So when removing the drive shafts do I clean it throughly and do I need to relube? Also the bearings that particular bearing should I flush it and oil it? The side plate and spool bearing I flush it in alcohol in an ultrasonic cleaner and reoil.

I would clean the bearings using the same process you used for the spool bearings.   The driveshaft, I would coat with a fingerprint thin layer of grease.

[FloridaFishinFool]

I would clean the bearings using the same process you used for the spool bearings. 

 

I am curious as to why? I can understand wanting the grease out of a spool bearing for free spin, but what would removing it from a drive shaft bearing do to improve anything? I never bother with treating a drive shaft bearing like a spool bearing. To me, just adding a drop of oil is more than enough to suffice and I just don't see the need for treating a drive shaft bearing same as I would a spool bearing, but that is just my opinion.

 

It certainly would not do any harm to treat every bearing in a reel like a spool bearing, but I just don't see what is to be gained from doing so.

[aavery2]

I am curious as to why? I can understand wanting the grease out of a spool bearing for free spin, but what would removing it from a drive shaft bearing do to improve anything? I never bother with treating a drive shaft bearing like a spool bearing. To me, just adding a drop of oil is more than enough to suffice and I just don't see the need for treating a drive shaft bearing same as I would a spool bearing, but that is just my opinion.

 

It certainly would not do any harm to treat every bearing in a reel like a spool bearing, but I just don't see what is to be gained from doing so.

How do you properly inspect the bearing if you don't bother to remove the grease?

[FloridaFishinFool]

Its a drive shaft bearing. I don't need to inspect it visually especially if it has shields there is nothing to see. All I care about is does it spin freely? Do I hear or feel any crunchiness to it when spinning? Meaning rust inside the bearing. If I feel crunchiness or hear it or feel it in any way I replace it. If it spins freely and is smooth I just add a drop of oil and re-install. No real inspection needed for a drive shaft bearing. It has absolutely no effect what so ever on casting, so it does not need special attention. It does not need grease removed in my opinion. Leave it as is, oil it, and move on.

 

Some of my spinning reels have ten ball bearings inside. All I do is take out the bearing and check it for smoothness when spun, and make sure it has a drop of oil and put it back in.

 

Only spool bearings on a baitcast reel require special attention for free spin casting. All other bearings do not require the same level of attention or work.

[aavery2]

So your bearings spin freely when they are packed with grease?   Also I don't like to mix oils and grease of different types, this can lead to some real problems.  

 

If your process works for you I would not change a thing.

 

I believe when people pay money for a professional reel cleaning, that they should have the reasonable expectation that everything will be cleaned and lubricated with clean oils and grease. 

 

How do you treat the AR bearing?

[FloridaFishinFool]

The bearing is fine just how it comes with the reel- grease and all. For a drive shaft bearing I leave the grease in there. No need to remove it. Add a little oil and be done with it.

 

I disagree with you about mixing lubricants. If you look at commercial lubricants you will find that often they are a mixture of lubricants too. Like motor oil with PTFE added. They say it works better. Or a grease mixed with a dry lubricant. Many off the shelf lubricants are already mixtures, so I would disagree about causing any problems. I have reels that were made back in the mid 1980's and still work fine today. So it must work and I have not run into any problems with lubricants.

 

If you have a fairly new reel, the drive shaft bearing would not need cleaning. I know you don't know me or my background, but I can tell you I have been working on reels for nearly 35 years. I have a pretty good idea of what works and what don't and what is necessary and when something isn't is all I can say. We just have a difference of opinion is all and I will leave it here.

 

As for an AR bearing, I use corrosion X on them. No grease. Works like a charm, never rusts, no problems, and I have never had to replace one though I have 15 new ones sitting on the shelf for my reels just in case.

[aavery2]

And equally you being new around here you don't know me or my experience.  I have been cleaning and repairing reels for quite some time myself.  My practices and opinions differ from yours, this does not make either of us right.    The man asked a question and I provided an answer to how I would proceed.   You did the same, and I am sure that at least a couple of others will offer there opinions once they see this thread.

 

I do fail to understand why you would not bother to clean a bearing when you have the reel completely disassembled.    There are much better lubricants available than the factory uses.

 

Your example of corrosion X may apply.

[cyclops2]

  Well I am a Macho He Man.  I can crank any reel handle forever with a Bull Shark going the other way.

 

I use a very heavy non-detergent  oil in & on everything. Gearbox, spindle, spindle sleeve in the spool.  Only thing I do not lubricate is some friction discs. I call the factory for their procedure. Which is...........Replace them. Then they usually will say what to clean with & relubricate with.

 

Any CLEAN parts with CLEAN oil is always better than dirt & water crunching around. 

 

I almost completely fill a gearcase with oil.  Never have found a dipstick  on any spinning reels

[FloridaFishinFool]

And equally you being new around here you don't know me or my experience.  I have been cleaning and repairing reels for quite some time myself.  My practices and opinions differ from yours, this does not make either of us right.    The man asked a question and I provided an answer to how I would proceed.   You did the same, and I am sure that at least a couple of others will offer there opinions once they see this thread.

 

I do fail to understand why you would not bother to clean a bearing when you have the reel completely disassembled.    There are much better lubricants available than the factory uses.

 

Your example of corrosion X may apply.

So true. Everyone has a different opinion on these things.

 

I live in Florida and we have a saltier environment, it is in the air around here and can rust items just sitting out. I use corrosion X because it is a very slick lubricant and because it stops rust dead in its tracks around here and that is very important.  I have never had any problems with any of my AR bearings. Corrosion X is awesome for them and I use it on bearings in my spinning reels too, especially those I take to saltwater. I don't want rust issues and I have not found anything better than corrosion X for that purpose.

 

Can you recommend something better? I would surely appreciate it.

 

Concerning the drive shaft bearing, in my opinion there is absolutely zero need to remove any grease from a drive shaft bearing. No need for it what so ever. No cleaning needed. Shimano, or the bearing manufacturer puts grease in those bearings to stay in there for a reason. Oil runs out and spins out. Leave the grease in that bearing and do nothing to it and it can last just fine for ten years or more. Remove the grease and now you have created a situation where you will have to provide routine maintenance of putting lubricant back into it on a regular basis.

 

My whole point is you don't have to do anything to that bearing and it will do just fine for many years to come. So I personally don't want the grease removed from that particular bearing in my reels, but that is just my opinion. And like you said, neither of us is right or wrong, just a different way to do the same thing.

 

Just in my personal collection I have some 40 reels to maintain yearly for myself and my sons and I simply can not take the time to treat every bearing in every reel the same way I would the spool bearings on a baitcast reel and it is my opinion there is no need to. Only spool bearings get special treatment like that. Nice to meet you! I love discussing this stuff!

[aavery2]

I don't use it on AR bearings but a lubricant you may want to look into is TSI 301 and 321, works very well in reels that are exposed to harsher conditions as well as most others.

I am glad we can agree to disagree, look forward to your participation in other threads.

[bass1980]

Finished.......51e and Curado I.

 

51e handles free spin very nice and super smooth but it was already smooth before. I left out the anti reverse paw since that thing is annoying. The Curado I seems to be noticeably smoother but handle doesn't free spin much. Feels a bit stiff but I'll keep on spinning the handle. Maybe just needs to break in the grease. I will have to go back and read all the comments and do more research. I think there may be a few spots I didn't lube.

[FloridaFishinFool]

Finished.......51e and Curado I.

 

51e handles free spin very nice and super smooth but it was already smooth before. I left out the anti reverse paw since that thing is annoying. The Curado I seems to be noticeably smoother but handle doesn't free spin much. Feels a bit stiff but I'll keep on spinning the handle. Maybe just needs to break in the grease. I will have to go back and read all the comments and do more research. I think there may be a few spots I didn't lube.

 

I was told by a shimano reel tech that they put the AR pawl back in because so many people were putting like 65 pound line on them and trying to yank stumps off the bottom of a lake with them damaging the AR bearing, so they added the AR pawl back in to help protect the AR bearing. If you don't abuse your reel, it should be just fine. All of my older curado reels do not have the AR pawl in them and I have no problems with them so you should be fine without it.

 

When you say you tried to free spin the handle did you back off the drag all the way off so you can feel just the handle and worm gear only?

 

Sometimes if the worm gear is not lubed it can make the handle feel stiff too. I doubt if the stiffness you are feeling is due to that small bearing under the handle. I would suggest any resistance you might feel on the handle would be due to other factors like the line guide worm gear, and reel through drag mech.

 

When you have the reel apart simply slip the handle onto the drive shaft and spin only the drive shaft without it being connected to anything else in the reel to judge it on its own. You should be fine.

 

It is nice when you finish a reel and can feel the difference your work efforts have on the reel.

[bass1980]

Whoops forgot to oil the raceways on the Curado. Now it free spins better but still not as freely as the 51e. However new out of box the Curado never free spin as nice as the 51e. On the water it doesn't matter much as the Curado is pretty smooth so I'm don't pay too much attention to free spool and handle free spin. As for the worm gear I added a lot of bantam oil so it should be lubed well. The Curado I didn't have an anti reverse paw on it and I've researched plenty and taking the AR paw should be fine.

[tcbass]

Tag

[mjseverson24]

You guys go way more in detail with cleaning and lubricating of your reels than I do. spool bearings if not ceramic get cleaned and light oil and handle bearings if non ceramic get light oil, all internal bearings get grease as they are low speed bearings. I apply a pretty generous amount of grease to the level wind system, and the main gear. If it is cent breaking I clean and lightly oil the friction ring. having  30+ casting reels and 10+ spinning reels to maintain each year this is all the maintenance they get mainly because of time constraints. I have never had any issues from this routine and being in MN corrosion is not much of an issue unless the reel goes for a long swim, then it gets totally broken down and cleaned... 

 

MItch

[bass1980]

Mitch it's a long...long...loooong winter here so I have time lol. Plus I'm a gear head too so why not. I once swapped a motor all by myself so how hard can reel maintenance be

[Sam]

Grease inside the reel on moving parts.

 

eor oil on the outside where it can work without attracting dirt and grit.