Best lube and instructional videos for Baitcasting and Spinning reels?

[tcbass]

My Revo Rocket is starting to make noises like it's dry. I've never taken it apart. I want to take apart my baitcasting and spinning reels apart for maintenance. I'm looking for the best lube (is that all you need or do you need grease too?) and instructional videos on how to take my reels apart and lube them.

 

 

[BobP]

There are plenty of instructional videos on YouTube and you might find one specific to your reel on the manufacturers website too.  You must have a parts assembly diagram.  One came with the reel.  If it's lost, you can get one online from the manufacturer or other websites.  If the reel is making noise when you cast its spool bearings probably just need some oil, which is a five minute job to do.  If the noise occurs when retrieving, it needs a more complete disassembly, cleaning, and lubrication including greasing the gears. That ideally should be done annually.  Reels are precision machines with a lot of small parts.  Service can be done by anyone with basic mechanical aptitude but if that really isn't your thing do yourself a favor and send it to a reel service.  The cost is reasonable and can save you lots of frustration and maybe a non-working reel with misassembled or lost parts.

[tcbass]

Any advice on what lube is best and do I need grease too or is it the same thing?

[iabass8]

You will need oil and grease.

REM gun oil is fantastic on bearings. Very low viscosity and you can usually find it at Wal Mart. Yellow Rocket Fuel is also a great oil.

Grease you don't need to go fancy. Penn reel grease, Super Lube (You can find this at most Ace hardwares and Lowes), Shimano, and Daiwa are all good greases. 

 

There's hundreds of tear down and cleaning videos on you tube. Just do some watching. 

[CTBassin860]

Ohhhh you said baitcasting and spinning reels. Whatever you do,DO NOT open that email. As for oil i have the Quantam Hot Sauce. It works for me.

[Chance_Taker4]

Ardent Brand cleaning products. This is the kit I use

 

https://ardentoutdoors.com/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&view=productdetails&virtuemart_product_id=439&virtuemart_category_id=13&Itemid=205

 

Also Ardent has videos showing how Denny Brauer cleans his casting and spinning reels.

[J Francho]

Both Quantum Hot Sauce and Ardent Reel Butter failed my bench test.  Both fouled and turned black in a COMPLETELY stripped, degreased, and rebuilt reel.  Not only would I not recommend those products, I would recommend you avoid them at all costs. 

 

Any gold lithium grease, Shimano Star Grease, Shimano PermaLub, Cal's Light Purple, Cal's standard drag grease, will all give long lasting results.  SuperLube and Penn grease work well, but they're really messy.  I do like Penn for saltwater gear.  For oil, Shimano Bantam Oil is my favorite general purpose.  Oust Metol is my favorite performance oil.  For cleaning and degreasing, I use Perfect Solution (NOT SIMPLE SOLUTION!!!), Dawn, pure acetone for a beauty supple store, told tooth brushes, and elbow grease.  For tools you'll need size 0 and 1 phillips, 1/6 and 1/8 slot. 10mm thin wall, deep socket, and a ball peen hammer to smash yourself in the head when your too frustrated to finish.

 

I suggest you start by getting an exploded diagram of your specific model reel.  Gather your supplies, and start watching videos.  If you can't COMPLETELY take apart every single part from the reel, don't bother, since any old grease left behind will foul the new grease.  I like to use a muffin pan to keep each of the sub-assemblies together. De-grease the bearings by swirling in a glass jar with Perfect Solution.  Rinse and let dry.  Repeat with acetone, but the soak should be longer.  Sometimes overnight. No rinse required here.  Let them dry, then add one drop from a needle oiler to the inside edge of the bearing race.  Bigger bearings can take two.  It doesn't really matter, even though many will tell you otherwise.  The excess runs out in short order.  Once your done there, reassemble the reel.  Gears get a tiny bit of grease pressed into the teeth.  Leave the drag pads and washers dry and clean.  The engagement kick plate, and other parts that move around the yoke posts get a bit of oil.  The yoke and pinion get grease.  The worm gear can get anything you want.  I prefer oil, or ATF.  They don't attract dirt as much as grease.  Knobs get oil, unless want buttery smooth, the pack them with grease. 

 

If that scares you, send it to Mike at DVT.

[Rook]

In my opinion the best grease to use is an Aluminum complex grease that contains a synthetic oil such as Yamalube Marine Grease. I've tested it against other greases and found that it works the best for me.

 

I also found an article written by a retired mechanical reliability engineer that spent 37 years of his career in the lubrication of machinery in the power and chemical industry that's a member of the Old Reel Collectors Association that reinforced my opinion on aluminum complex grease. 

 

Here's a summary of what he wrote:

 

"Greases are composed of OIL and SOAP. The oil does the lubricating and the soap holds the oil in position. Greases should be selected based upon the environment that they will be working in. So, what are the desired characteristics of a fishing reel grease?

a. Good lubricating properties. Since the oil does the lubricating, we would want a soap that would hold the highest percentage of OIL possible, per ml of grease.

b. Low separation rates of the oil from the soap. Old style Lithium soap greases would “bleed out” and the soap would harden up if allowed to sit without use.

c. Good corrosion inhibiting properties. Being in a possible wet environment, I think this is obvious, especially in salt water.

d. Water resistance. The ability of the grease to stay in place in the presence water.

e. Thermal stability. What? The reel doesn’t get hot. But those of you who fish all winter, like me, appreciate a nice free running reel in cold weather.There is one TYPE of grease that meets or exceeds all of these requirements…. Aluminum Complex grease. Al Complex grease carries the highest percentage of OIL per unit volume of ANY grease. It WILL NOT bleed out and that is why it is used in the food industry. It has excellent corrosion properties with respect to Aluminum, Bronze, and steel. It also has excellent thermal stability.

So what grease should you use? No problem. “Yamaha Multi-Purpose Grease” available at most Yamaha motorcycle or boat dealers. This grease is blue in color and is one of the finest greases on the market. It’s very inexpensive too. It is an Al Complex grease that contains a PAO synthetic oil, similar to Mobil 1."
 

I personally think the Yamalube Marine Grease is better than the multi-purpose grease but that's just my opinion as they are basically the same.

 

Here's an example of how NOT to grease your reel. I recently purchased this old Mitchell 406 and it looks beautiful on the outside but the inside is another story. Grease is every where except on the pinion gear. Packing a reel full of grease does nothing but make a big mess. You don't need but about a half a tablespoon of grease for a reel.

 

I refurbish lots of reels and it's amazing how many are not maintained and left for corrosion to ruin.

Here's a Mitchell 302 I recently acquired. It's a mess too.

 

This Mitchell 301 was pretty much ruined from corrision from dried out grease. The aluminum side plate is eaten up along with the transfer gear.

 

 

I was able to salvage the old 301 with some new parts including a new old stock side plate, new bail and different handle. I glass bead blasted the rotating head and body and repainted them. Turned out pretty good.

 

 

 

 

[tcbass]

8 minutes ago, Rook said:

In my opinion the best grease to use is an Aluminum complex grease that contains a synthetic oil such as Yamalube Marine Grease. I've tested it against other greases and found that it works the best for me.

 

I also found an article written by a retired mechanical reliability engineer that spent 37 years of his career in the lubrication of machinery in the power and chemical industry that's a member of the Old Reel Collectors Association that reinforced my opinion on aluminum complex grease. 

 

Here's a summary of what he wrote:

 

"Greases are composed of OIL and SOAP. The oil does the lubricating and the soap holds the oil in position. Greases should be selected based upon the environment that they will be working in. So, what are the desired characteristics of a fishing reel grease?

a. Good lubricating properties. Since the oil does the lubricating, we would want a soap that would hold the highest percentage of OIL possible, per ml of grease.

b. Low separation rates of the oil from the soap. Old style Lithium soap greases would “bleed out” and the soap would harden up if allowed to sit without use.

c. Good corrosion inhibiting properties. Being in a possible wet environment, I think this is obvious, especially in salt water.

d. Water resistance. The ability of the grease to stay in place in the presence water.

e. Thermal stability. What? The reel doesn’t get hot. But those of you who fish all winter, like me, appreciate a nice free running reel in cold weather.There is one TYPE of grease that meets or exceeds all of these requirements…. Aluminum Complex grease. Al Complex grease carries the highest percentage of OIL per unit volume of ANY grease. It WILL NOT bleed out and that is why it is used in the food industry. It has excellent corrosion properties with respect to Aluminum, Bronze, and steel. It also has excellent thermal stability.

So what grease should you use? No problem. “Yamaha Multi-Purpose Grease” available at most Yamaha motorcycle or boat dealers. This grease is blue in color and is one of the finest greases on the market. It’s very inexpensive too. It is an Al Complex grease that contains a PAO synthetic oil, similar to Mobil 1."
 

I personally think the Yamalube Marine Grease is better than the multi-purpose grease but that's just my opinion as they are basically the same.

 

 

 

Thanks! So Yamalube Marine Grease, but what oil?

[Rook]

2 hours ago, tcbass said:

 

 

Thanks! So Yamalube Marine Grease, but what oil?

 

I use Mobile 1 0W-20 synthetic motor oil in a 21 gauge syringe to lube my reels with. A quart of it will last someone a life time lubing reels. Any of the synthetic oils will work just fine.

 

In my opinion that secrete ingredient crap that the snake oil salesmen charge an arm and a leg for a couple of ounces of is a bunch of BS! Same thing with their secrete ingredient grease. I hope somebody does me a favor and puts me out of my misery if I ever pay $10 bucks for a half ounce of miracle grease. 

 

 

 

The only thing I use to clean reel parts with is WD-40 and an assortment of brushes. That way I can keep the doors to my workshop closed and not worry about fumes. Most of the old grease has to be physically removed anyway and it would take for ever to try and soak it in something to remove it. I can have a reel cleaned, greased and reassembled in the time it takes to soak parts in carburetor cleaner. Plus WD-40 doesn't hurt the paint finish.

I put the parts in a big metal pan and use WD-40 that I buy by the gallon and put it in a spray bottle and give them a good scrubbing. They come as clean as can be without worry of burning the house down or breathing in some of the bad stuff they put in cleaners.

 

[J Francho]

Great explanation of what exactly "grease" is.  I'll take a pass on the WD-40 and the motor oil.  Way too heavy for any bearing application on any modern reels.  On an old reel with brass bushings, sure they may need some nursing.  But WD-40?  Never goes anywhere near my reels.

[Rook]

2 hours ago, J Francho said:

 But WD-40?  Never goes anywhere near my reels.

 

The WD-40 is for cleaning not lubing. I think you'll find that 0W-20 synthetic oil is about as light as anything you use.

 

 

[Choporoz]

.....

[J Francho]

Wd-40 is not a de-greaser, that can be rinsed.  It is not a solvent, though is contains some.  Use something like Perfect Solution for parts, and pure acetone from a beauty products supplier. 

 

As far as your motor, sorry you're way off:

 

Lube.............................Viscosity@78F (cP)

Mobil-1 0W-30 (syn)..................400

Superlube w/PTFE..................... 245

Zebco Needle Oiler.................... 206

Quicksilver Storage Seal............ 203

Abu Silicoat Reel Oil..................176

Browning Midas Gun Oil (syn)... 140

Quicksilver PS and Trim Oil........136

BSB Speed Bearing...................114

Red RF (hc)...............................93

PMI Paintball Gun Lube...............90

Power Steering Fluid................. .90

Diawa Std Needle Oiler............ ...84

Reel-X.......................................74

ATF Dextron III...........................62

Shimano Std. (hc).......................60

Yellow RF (hc)............................59

3-In-1 Oil...................................40

-

Reel Butter..................................28

Quantum Hot Sauce......................25

X+1R..........................................21

Diawa TDZ lube (syn)...................18

Diawa/Liberto Pixy Lube (syn)........18

Whale Spit (hc)............................14

Abu Black Max .............................14

WD 40........................................6

Tournament RF (hc)......................4

Friction Zero Lub (hc/syn )............4

Rem Oil (hc)................................3

Reference: DI water.....................1

-------------------------------------------

Lube....Viscosity (cP) @ .....38F...........@78F.........@ 98F (cP)

Yellow RF ........................285..............59....... .......35

3-In-1 Oil.........................161....... ......40...............20

Quantum Hot Sauce...........100..............25............... 16

[Glenn]

Ok guys, let's lift off the throttle on this one.  This is a fishing site. The question is about reel lube/oils.  The info at this point is either off-topic are too far buried in the weeds for anyone to care.

 

Moving on....