Reel Maintenance

[SamTheHam]

Hi everyone,

 

does anyone have recommendations on how to learn to do reel maintenance and what I would need to purchase. I’m starting to purchase higher end reels and don’t have much experience with proper maintenance and schedule.

 

thanks in advance for any help! 

[a1712]

YouTube. Brian. 

[cadman]

If you are doing your own, the best way I found to do thorough maintenance is to have two identical reels. Only work on one reel at a time. Slowly take it apart, lay out the parts, take a lot of pics. Then clean it and put it back together. If you run into problems look at your pics. If you still have problems, open up your other duplicate reel and see how it is put together. 

If you have only one model, then take a lot of pics and try not to get distracted. Take it apart, clean it and put it back together.

[ThatZX14Fella]

I took the expensive route. I tore them apart, and if I couldn’t get them back together correctly, then id throw them in a drawer. I have photographic memory, but if I’m new at something i tend to not pay attention to how it goes together. I always think of that after I tear it down and realize that I didn’t pay attention to a thing I did. However, after doing that a few times, I learned where things went.

[MN Fisher]

I scan the parts diagram - or find one online for a used reel. Print it out enlarged on 11x14 paper...then lay the parts on the diagram as I take it apart.

[Bird]

I've done simple basic maintenance for many years and not had a failure.

A complete tear-down may not be necessary.

 

 

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

You tube is a good resource. Like any other media some is accurate while other is erroneous. It’s up to you to use your common sense to sort it out. 

[GreenPig]

Acquire parts diagram, watch videos if available, lay your parts out in the order you remove them, and photograph if you feel the need. I'd strongly suggest completing the teardown/cleaning/reassembly on the same day you start it, until you've completed a few reels.

Tools - small screw drivers, small Cresent wrench, pick set, small needle nose, and a toothbrush(for cleaning). I clean metal/bearings in a Ultrasonic cleaner(not a must have).

Grease and oils - I use Cal's and TSI 321.

 

Or go the route I took and work on jet engines for years and you'll have the tools and a reel will seem very simple. ?

[GRiver]

8 hours ago, MN Fisher said:

scan the parts diagram - or find one online for a used reel. Print it out enlarged on 11x14 paper.

This is what I do….. works great.

[Woody B]

5 hours ago, Delaware Valley Tackle said:

You tube is a good resource. Like any other media some is accurate while other is erroneous. It’s up to you to use your common sense to sort it out. 

 

Yep,  I'm an automotive technician.  There's stuff on youtube that's outright scary, and even dangerous.   

[MidwestBassAttack]

Get a large piece of dark, lint free material and give yourself plenty of working space. Prevent anything falling off your work space as much as possible. Make sure your work lighting is sufficient. Have parts diagram layer out and as you remove items, put them in a line in the order you take them off to assist in order of re-assembly. Take your time, be thorough, never force things apart or back together. Eliminate any distractions out of the equation (dogs, pets, kids).

 

One adult beverage is also a must with Mozart lulling in the background. 

[MickD]

It is my opinion that in-depth reel maintainence is highly over-rated for its positives and highly under-rated for its risks.  I don't take my reels down more than the simple stuff and they work just fine.  When I dunked one (in the water for a few days) I sent it to an expert like DVT to get it done right and without the risks of screwing it up.  

 

Some times there are parts that work properly only in one  orientation and the proper orientation isn't clear on the schematics.  Spinning reel bails and their springs are especially risky.  

[Deleted account]

42 minutes ago, MickD said:

It is my opinion that in-depth reel maintainence is highly over-rated for its positives and highly under-rated for its risks. 

Yup, a particular maintenance item is either required or not, doing it just because you are bored, or it's cold outside is silly. Of course if someone brings in a bike and wants it serviced, I'm only going to say "may not be needed" once, after that if customer want$ it done, it get$ done.

[Mobasser]

Shimano puts out a good tutorial on reel basic reel maintenance. How to oil, and what parts to oil or grease. 

[Darth-Baiter]

i can drop the motor and transmission out of an air-cool Porsche 911 in 1 hour.  solo.

 

pulling a reel apart seems totally unnecessary for my usage.  maybe if all my reels went into the water, but in general, i do the basic lube the owners manual shows, and i am good for years. 

[swhit140]

I do my own Daiwa reels, take pictures as you dismantle the reel.  I usually do a reel teardown/service usually every other season of fishing, it gives me something to do in the cold winter time.

You Tube videos can be helpful for beginners.

 

Tools you may need:

-Folding table & white bath towel

-precision screwdriver set, pick/clip tools

-10mm socket/nut driver 

-I have a small glass jar to clean dirty bearings/gears (I usually use lacquer thinner)

-2 or 3 old toothbrushes 

-I clean my main reel body & handles/knobs with dish soap, let parts dry or blow dry if you have compressed air.

-Reel Grease ( I use Super Lube Synthetic Grease) Small brush for applying grease

-Reel Oil (Synthetic Reel Oil)

 

[Bankc]

Get a WHITE bath towel and lay it out.  Make sure it's clean and doesn't produce a lot lint.  You want to work over that so if any small parts pop out, they won't roll away.  Get a parts bin.  Something with lots of small segments.  That way, as you tear down a reel, you can place each part aside in order, and they'll stay in order.  Then when you go to put it back together, you just reverse the way you came in.  Get a digital camera or smart phone.  Take tons of pictures from different angles.  Before you remove something, take a picture of it.  Download a schematic.  If you get lost, this is your roadmap out.  Be weary of springs.  They love to shoot out and disappear into the room.  

 

It also helps to watch a video or two of reel tear downs before you begin.  Just to show you the order and how to remove some parts that might not be obvious, so you don't break anything.  Even if you can't find a video on your specific reel.  If nothing else, that should show you where some of those pesky, disappearing springs live.  And lastly, there are two bent washers that go on the handle shaft above the drag stack.  When putting them back, they face each other to create tension, like this ( ).  They don't nestle inside each other, like this ((, as that will make your drag slip.  That's the most common mistake people make.  

 

The rest is just cleaning and relubricating.  Take your time, and give yourself lots of time to complete the job before you begin.  Try to do it all in one session.  You're asking for trouble if you sleep halfway through a job, as it becomes real easy to forget where this or that goes.  

[The Maestro]

Basic maintenance (cleaning and greasing gears, oiling bearings etc..) is all I've ever done. Completely tearing down the reel to it's component parts seems like a massive waste of time with little to no upside.

[Revival]

I just had a bunch of my Zillion SVs/HD etc serviced by someone that knows what he is doing.

 

I personally rather pay a pro than take the risk.

 

I want to be able to do it myself but I’m not confident enough.  Maybe one day I’ll risk it, and if I do, it’s going to be on one of my cheaper reels.

[papajoe222]

16 hours ago, MidwestBassAttack said:

 

16 hours ago, MidwestBassAttack said:

Put them in a line in the order you take them off to assist in order of re-assembly.

 

Take pics with your phone of each step of your takedown process. Lay the parts down as stated above. If a spring or clip were to fly off, you'll be able to see where and how it goes back.Now you can clean the parts that need cleaning and put them back on the layout. Once you have everything on the layout, look at the pic you took of it before and compare it to what you now have in front of you. Then just reverse the order as you put it back together.

[redmeansdistortion]

11 hours ago, Revival said:

I want to be able to do it myself but I’m not confident enough.  Maybe one day I’ll risk it, and if I do, it’s going to be on one of my cheaper reels.

The first time is the hardest time.  The more you do it the easier it gets.  The hardest parts on most low profile reels are re-seating the torsion springs for the clutch assembly.  Once you figure it out, it's a piece of cake.

[jitterbug127]

I've torn one reel apart. Needless to say it turned into a parts reel.  

[scaleface]

Go very slowly . Even then I have had a part fall out and not know where it came from  .

[Darth-Baiter]

okay..hate to be that guy.  but here goes.

 

WHY?  if a reel is functioning properly, the owner's manuals give us the lubrication/maintenence instructions.  if it is running janky, or making some noise..yea.  crack it open, or have a shop do it.  

 

i fly on the "anal" side of keeping things.  (<---this is NOT a euphamism for anything).  but i still dont see the need to pull a perfectly running reel apart.  that's like instead of changing the oil on my truck, i drop the motor, disassemble it,  so i can wipe the parts off and clean them.  (okay my example is an exaggeration).

 

i full on admire the guys that pull things apart and can do it proficiently.  i think i can as well, but oddly i havent needed to.  my reels zing and zang baits like they did the day i got them.  

[Tackleholic]

An egg carton makes an excellent series of small bins to put parts into.