Greasing your reels

[Elkins45]

Long story, but a leaking oil seal on my brush mower led me to discover 00 grease. It’s a thin grease that is thixotropic, which means it behaves like a grease when under pressure but can still flow more like a heavy oil. When I’ve opened up my baitcasting reels I’ve noticed that most of the “reel grease” ends up being flung off the gears and just accumulating in the crevices of the covers. I’m thinking of packing one of my older and very worn Daiwa PMA series reels full to the gills with this stuff and see how they perform.

 

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/super-s-cotton-picker-spindle-grease-00?cm_vc=-10005
 

 

[Jig Man]

Let us know how that works for you.

[Angry John]

I would recommend against it.

[Armtx77]

1 hour ago, Elkins45 said:

Long story, but a leaking oil seal on my brush mower led me to discover 00 grease. It’s a thin grease that is thixotropic, which means it behaves like a grease when under pressure but can still flow more like a heavy oil. When I’ve opened up my baitcasting reels I’ve noticed that most of the “reel grease” ends up being flung off the gears and just accumulating in the crevices of the covers. I’m thinking of packing one of my older and very worn Daiwa PMA series reels full to the gills with this stuff and see how they perform.

 

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/super-s-cotton-picker-spindle-grease-00?cm_vc=-10005
 

 

Grease under heavy pressure is called oil. That is how oil is released from the wax in the grease, pressure, which in turn creates heat, causing the suspended oil in the wax to release and lubricate.

 

Too much oil or grease is counter productive and usually iniates premature wear in gears,bearings and seals.

 

Personally, I wouldn't put any type of thixotropic lubrication, near or on anything I own. The only thing I own that is thixotropic in my house, that I can think of right off the bat, is the Heinz Ketchup in my fridge.

 

 

[MN Fisher]

1 hour ago, Elkins45 said:

which means it behaves like a grease when under pressure but can still flow more like a heavy oil.

Spindle grease is designed for high-speed applications - like industrial thread take-up spindles. When the machine is operating, it acts like grease, but after shut-down it flows like oil. Under the low-speed applications in fishing reels, I'd worry about it flowing off the gears and giving you no lubrication at all.

 

I'd pass on this.

[J Francho]

It's a cotton picking reel!

 

Use well known grease and oils for your reels.  I like products available from Smooth Drags or the direct from the manufacturer.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

A reel is not a lubricant bath application. Grease will only fling off or build up if over applied. 00 grease might be ok on sliding parts (clutch etc)

[fishwizzard]

One of my first casting reels was some Lews SW model.  It came with what I assumed was a grease-port on the bottom of the gearbox.  So one day I filled it with white lithium grease.  It was very smooth to crank, but the casting performance was not so great for some reason.  I believe the port was really designed to drain water maybe? 

 

I still use white lithium to on reels, but a few orders of magnitude less.  

[garroyo130]

22 minutes ago, fishwizzard said:

One of my first casting reels was some Lews SW model.  It came with what I assumed was a grease-port on the bottom of the gearbox.  So one day I filled it with white lithium grease.  It was very smooth to crank, but the casting performance was not so great for some reason.  I believe the port was really designed to drain water maybe? 

 

I still use white lithium to on reels, but a few orders of magnitude less.  

The ports on the Lews are indeed for lube. Perhaps the grease just found its way onto the spool shaft from excess running off the pinion gear? 

[fishwizzard]

19 minutes ago, garroyo130 said:

The ports on the Lews are indeed for lube. Perhaps the grease just found its way onto the spool shaft from excess running off the pinion gear? 

I packed that bad mofo like a bearing, filled it until it oozed out. I assume that was not the intent. 

 

It still seems silly to try and add more without opening it up to clean the old residue out.  

[CrankFate]

I once (or twice) put a multi purpose grease in a reel thinking grease is grease. One long day out there in 90+ degree weather and the stuff was all over the reel, including on the edge of the spool and edge of the hole the pinion gear is in. Not good if you are casting less than one ounce.

[dodgeguy]

people actually do these things? some people should just pay to get things serviced.

[ChrisD46]

11 hours ago, Delaware Valley Tackle said:

A reel is not a lubricant bath application. Grease will only fling off or build up if over applied. 00 grease might be ok on sliding parts (clutch etc)

+ 1 ... Listen to what Delaware Tackle recommends or stick with well known reel company grease recommendations ! 

[Mobasser]

I think I would just use some grease that's made for fishing reels. There are several good brands out there, and usually just a small amount works the best.

[BrianMDTX]

Coming from an aviation maintenance background, I can say there are numerous greases and oils that are designed for certain functions that are not compatible with others. Trust me on that. Like the poor sap I knew years ago that decided if Exxon 2380 turbine oil was good for a turbofan engine, it was probably a great choice for the 5.0L V8 in his Mustang. I think he made it about 4 miles down the road before he spun bearings and threw rods. 
 

A fishing reel is no different. Sure, there may be alternate lubricants that exhibit the same qualities and specifications as a specific brand of grease sold for fishing reels at lesser cost, but you need to make sure it matches the specifications of proper reel grease. 
 

But, the fact is, reel grease is cheap compared to even an economy reel. Why scrimp on maintaining your gear? The time to discover your “shade tree mechanic” lube job on your $$$ reel was unsatisfactory is not when you’re on the water with a lunker on the line and your reel locks up. 

[frogflogger]

47 minutes ago, Mobasser said:

I think I would just use some grease that's made for fishing reels. There are several good brands out there, and usually just a small amount works the best.

 

47 minutes ago, Mobasser said:

I think I would just use some grease that's made for fishing reels. There are several good brands out there, and usually just a small amount works the best.

This - and small amounts

[J Francho]

11 hours ago, dodgeguy said:

people actually do these things? some people should just pay to get things serviced.

Some of us even work on our own cars

[OnthePotomac]

Just simply use Cal's drag grease, or Shimano ACT2 on your internal gears and it stays in place.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

20 hours ago, dodgeguy said:

people actually do these things? some people should just pay to get things serviced.

A man after my own heart!

[dodgeguy]

32 minutes ago, Delaware Valley Tackle said:

A man after my own heart!

I'm a Chrysler Master technician for over 30 years. I've worked on cars for 42 years. I could tell you some stories. Most people should not be touching mechanical things !!!.

[TnRiver46]

13 hours ago, J Francho said:

Some of us even work on our own cars

It’s easy with boats too, one bottle says engine oil and the other says gear lube. Right on the label!!! What will they think of next???

[J Francho]

It's all ball bearings these days.

[BrianMDTX]

“Awww, come on guys, it's so simple. Maybe you need a refresher course. ... It's all ball bearings nowadays. Now you prepare that Fetzer valve with some 3-in-1 oil and some gauze pads. And I'm gonna need 'bout ten quarts of anti-freeze, preferably Prestone. No, no make that Quaker State”.

 

That's a classic!