Shimano Spinning Reel Maintenance

[Kywih]

So I have a Shimano Stradic 2500FH that is 17 years old. I found it in my house on a unused fishing pole. I didn’t realize what it was but I cleaned and wiped out all the excess grease and got rid of all the yellowing on the outside.

This is my first time ever fully cleaning a spinning reel. I cleaned the bearings and added a drop of oil. But for everything else I used grease.

 

Is it okay to use grease on the worm drive in a spinning reel? Cause I know it’ll collect dust on baitcasters but is it fine on spinning?

 

I also noticed the friction ring was missing. Is it worth getting a new one?

 

[J Francho]

7 minutes ago, Kywih said:

Is it okay to use grease on the worm drive in a spinning reel? Cause I know it’ll collect dust on baitcasters but is it fine on spinning?

The worm gear is enclosed in the reel gear housing so would not be exposed to dust.  A lighter grease works well here.  You want a very thin film on the worm and pawl.

 

10 minutes ago, Kywih said:

I also noticed the friction ring was missing. Is it worth getting a new one?

Are you sure?  Have you verified that with a parts diagram?  You can try to order it if it's missing.  It might be hard to get.  I generally just call Shimano USA for parts.

[Kywih]

36 minutes ago, J Francho said:

Are you sure?  Have you verified that with a parts diagram?  You can try to order it if it's missing.  It might be hard to get.  I generally just call Shimano USA for parts.

They don’t make any parts for it anymore but I could buy one from eBay for $10. I just don’t know if it’s worth spending the extra money cause it’s fine without but I know it can allow dust to build up or whatever 

Plus I think it’s just there to fill up a gap so I probably won’t. Also got any recommendations for cleaning off grease?

[J Francho]

If you can find it, Perfect Solution is the best degreaser I've used.  Getting hard to find though.  Grease Police is another good one I found at Home Depot.  Use them full strength, with gloves, and rinse thoroughly.  Short of those, plain, clear dish detergent with hot water, a tooth brush, and elbow grease will work too.  The other end is an ultrasonic cleaner and non foaming cleaning agent.  Probably overkill for what your doing.

[OnthePotomac]

CRC Electronic cleaner cuts grease like crazy.  I spray my bearings with it and it evaporates fast and leaves no residue.  Won't damage plastic.

[J Francho]

Forgot about that stuff!  I keep a can of it in my boat and truck.  It's aerosol and $10/can.

[Johnbt]

Just be aware that high pH cleaners like Grease Police can be quite dangerous, especially to your eyes. Wear eye protection. The reason they work so well is because they are caustic. Grease Police has a pH of 12.6.  It's on line one of page 5

 

https://images.homedepot-static.com/catalog/pdfImages/23/23187274-a8b0-47b0-a98c-90acee9b784e.pdf

 

On the scale of 0 to 14 with 7 being neutral and low numbers being acidic, it's way up there. 

Something like Simple Green has a Ph of 8.5 - 9.5.

 

Household ammonia is just 11 or 12.

Sodium hydroxide - Lye - is 12 or 13.

 

______________

 

edited to add:

 

I just looked at the MSDS for some spray junk I buy at the Dollar General for a buck.

 

LA's Awesome Cleaner. It was the only thing that removed the vertical black stains from our white aluminum gutters.

 

pH of 12 - 13

 

No wonder I was wearing heavy rubber gloves.

 

 

 

 

[Jig Man]

21 hours ago, Kywih said:

They don’t make any parts for it anymore but I could buy one from eBay for $10. I just don’t know if it’s worth spending the extra money cause it’s fine without but I know it can allow dust to build up or whatever 

Plus I think it’s just there to fill up a gap so I probably won’t. Also got any recommendations for cleaning off grease?

I have somewhere around two dozen Shimano spinning reels.  I maintain my own reels.   I take excess grease off with Qtips and paper towels.

[J Francho]

1 hour ago, Johnbt said:

On the scale of 0 to 14 with 7 being neutral and low numbers being acidic, it's way up there. 

Something like Simple Green has a Ph of 8.5 - 9.5.

Good advice to wear eye protection.  I forget about that since I wear glasses when cleaning reels.  

 

What should be added, that pH scale is logarithmic, meaning the a pH of 9 is 100x more basic then pH of 8, and so on.  Same for below neutral 7.0 pH.

[Nomad357]

Utube is your friend. Lots of vids on reel maintance and have saved my butt a couple of times when I have screwed up and let some tiny part fall out. Go easy on the grease I use the acid brushes from lowes or homedepot. Helps keep the grease even and very lite coats.  I oil and i put a very very lite coat of grease on the bearings.