Reel seizing up after being submerged in water

[Finessegenics]

Was wading a river the other day, and I lost my footing and fell in to the water. No big deal, my reel couldn’t have been submerged for more than 3 seconds. It felt fine the rest of the day. 
 

When I out yesterday though, the reel was a mess. It was seizing up but after a few handle turns would become normal again. I stopped using it because I didn’t want to damage it more and figured I’d have to tear it apart. So I was pretty disappointed that the reel was trashed after only dropping it in the water for a few seconds but I guess that’s what I get for being stupid and wading a river in flip flops. 
 

So is there anything specific I should do? I know I have to let the pieces dry off but do I tear apart my whole reel or just open up the side plate, let it air dry with all the pieces intact and then apply some grease? Thank you

[Guitarfish]

I would take it apart.  You got some fine dirt in there.  Take pics as you go, set things down in the order they come off.  You can do it.  You were wise to stop using it.

[Bankc]

It's either dirt or rust/corrosion.  You'll need to tear it down completely and clean it all out.  Flush it good with some kind of degreaser.  Especially the bearings.  The plastic parts you can wash in soap and water.  Then relube it when you put everything back together.

 

Letting a reel dry off won't fix the problem.  Water isn't going to slow it down.  Water is actually a lubricant.  It's just not a long lasting one.  Whatever caused it to seize up was something else.  And you need to remove that something else first, or you risk damaging the reel. 

[TOXIC]

What type and manufacturer of reel? Quality of the bearings may be the issue or the water may have washed all of the lube out of a bearing.  If the bearing is rusted then it is more complicated.  

[J Francho]

3 minutes ago, TOXIC said:

What type and manufacturer of reel?

My question as well.  Also, where was the reel stored after it got wet?  Is it still wet? That quick a dunk is usually less harmful than using it in the rain.

[Finessegenics]

14 minutes ago, TOXIC said:

What type and manufacturer of reel? Quality of the bearings may be the issue or the water may have washed all of the lube out of a bearing.  If the bearing is rusted then it is more complicated.  

 

11 minutes ago, J Francho said:

My question as well.  Also, where was the reel stored after it got wet?  Is it still wet? That quick a dunk is usually less harmful than using it in the rain.

Spinning reel, Pflueger Supreme XT. Always stored indoors after a trip. I didn’t dry it immediately because the reel felt fine for the rest of my session. I figured nothing was wrong.  It was only when I took it out for my next outing that I felt the seizing up. Seems like it must’ve been wet when I put it away and never dried. 
 

I just took apart my reel and none of the gears seemed to have any obvious dirty spots. No fine sand or any debris really. I cleaned them, I’m now going to apply a bit more grease and see what happens when I put it back together.
 

Pretty bummed about it because I liked the reel a lot and it performed well up till now. I’ve dropped plenty of reels in the water before and never had this happen.