shimano slx xt maintenance

[niiickboy]

Hello, so i was wondering how to do maintenance on a bait casting reel specifically the xt reel. What do y’all do to clean your reels, like basic cleaning? Also it says on the manual to rinse under cold tap water and then relube parts with grease and oil, do y’all rinse it often or at all? I was thinking as far as basic maintenance every few months to just wipe it down and put oil in the worm gear, brake and the hole where the spool is etc, and maybe grease, but is regreasing necessary? which grease do y’all like to use? Lastly, is this hole a lube port? (sorry for all the questions, i just like to take care of all my equipment fishing and none fishing related)

[garroyo130]

The hole is to drain water.

 

For regular in season maintenance wipe the outside down with a soft cloth, clean level wind with q tip and add oil to level wind. Also take out spool and add oil to spool bearings and clean spool edges and the edges on the frame it rides on.

 

After season, take the reel completely apart. The video below is a good one to follow. 

 

I personally use Cals tan grease on drag and gears, yamalube on all sliding parts and on pinion bearing, and TSI 321 on the rest of the bearings and the levelwind.

 

 

 

[niiickboy]

@garroyo130 so the hole isn’t meant for putting oil in it at all and you don’t rinse with cold water? That video is helpful. 

[garroyo130]

I never rinse the entire reel unless its used in the salt. 

 

And not dont put oil in that hole. If you do it will thin out the grease on the gears and make a mess.

[niiickboy]

@garroyo130 So i cleaned my reel yesterday quickly since it had lots of vegetation stuck on it and i followed this https://fish.shimano.com/content/dam/shimanosnaffish/shimano/support/maintenance-tips/Maintenance%20Tips-%20Baitcasting%20Reels.pdf , for the pinion gear was i supposed to put oil inside the hole or on the actual bearing part or both? because i only put it inside the hole 

[OnthePotomac]

I have been doing my own reels for close to 20 years, but if you are unsure of anything inside your new reel I recommend you send it to Delaware Valley Tackle (DVT) , our site sponsor, and it will be done correctly.  It is so easy to screw up a reel.

[niiickboy]

so you don’t know the answer? and do you mean send like irl for maintenance or DM him about it? i wouldn’t mind sending in the reel for maintenance every year

[JustJames]

This is a good example that not a lot mentioned. If you talking about hole on pinion gear for spool shaft. These two should be clean of oil/grease or any debris. Due to tight tolerance any oil residue will effect spinning rate of spool shaft.

Another thing that should be cleaned as often if you fish in vegetation area is worm gear. A quick spray of cleaning and lubricant and a dap or two of heavy gear oil should work (I use grease).
These should be easy to do for anyone that own a baitcaster reel without taking it apart.

1. A dap of oil on actual spool bearing as often but not too excessive.

2. Clean the inside hole of pinion gear and spool shaft

3. Clean and oil worm gear.

[OnthePotomac]

I was talking about sending the reel to him.  He is excellent and takes care of a tone of reels for anglers on this forum.

[niiickboy]

  On 10/11/2020 at 5:54 PM, Bass_Fishing_Socal said:

This is a good example that not a lot mentioned. If you talking about hole on pinion gear for spool shaft. These two should be clean of oil/grease or any debris. Due to tight tolerance any oil residue will effect spinning rate of spool shaft.

Another thing that should be cleaned as often if you fish in vegetation area is worm gear. A quick spray of cleaning and lubricant and a dap or two of heavy gear oil should work (I use grease).
These should be easy to do for anyone that own a baitcaster reel without taking it apart.

1. A dap of oil on actual spool bearing as often but not too excessive.

2. Clean the inside hole of pinion gear and spool shaft

3. Clean and oil worm gear.

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@Bass_Fishing_Socal thanks for clearing that up, so i should only oil the pinion gear and clean the inside of the pinion hole, lol i did the opposite i actually dropped 2 drops of oil in the hole and none on the actual gear, guess i gotta Q tip the spool shaft and the pinion hole of oil 

[JustJames]

You don’t oil the gear both pinion and main gear, use grease.

[niiickboy]

wait so i don’t do what the shimano example shows? Also only fishing grease is safe 

@Bass_Fishing_Socal i probably said the wrong terminology, but i was referring to what you said before using the diagrams about putting oil on this and not inside the hole and cleaning the shaft and hole

[JustJames]

There is bearing that support pinion gear, normally I don’t oil that part unless I take it all apart. If you have needle type oil drop you might be able to do it.

[niiickboy]

@Bass_Fishing_Socal for the ‘shaft bearing’ i can’t find that on my reel

[JustJames]

Newer reel don’t have that hole anymore. That reel feature is more than 10 years old. Normally water doesn’t get in mainshaft support bearing that easily no need to maintenance for it unless you completely tear down.

[niiickboy]

hey @Bass_Fishing_Socal how do i clean this out 

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

  On 10/13/2020 at 1:14 AM, niiickboy said:

hey @Bass_Fishing_Socal how do i clean this out 

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A dry brush and air. I use old tooth brushes. 

[JustJames]

I just use Q-tip. 

[niiickboy]

oh didn’t even think of a toothbrush, thanks @Delaware Valley Tackle, i just took off some cotton of QTip and fitted it in