Do you service your reels?

[ABU is overpriced]

I do once a year since 2015-2016.

[bulldog1935]

Segue for an essay - I hope building reels counts.  

 

I made my mark restoring OP's valuable antiques.  (this one happens to be mine)

 

I have friends who religiously clean and rebuild their reels every year.  Granted, they fish inshore.  Could also count as fun winter tinkering.  

But the only thing I do that fervently is oil spool bearings (drop or 2) before and after every (salt) trip.  Also a chance to inspect critical parts for salt exposure.  

 

(rust in the magnets came from a non-salt-resistant spool bearing, and both got replaced)

Given the quality of modern lubes, and the quality of seals on reel drive cases - even with salt exposure - I'm inside my drives every 3 to 4 years.  (a different case would be dunking a reel).  

 

Recently overhauled a 25-y-o Daiwa, and it was pristine inside.  I could tell the original owner had never been inside, because he stripped the loctite'd PH1 screw head trying to get inside.  

 

Drive and LW, the old grease overflow had all turned to wax residue, so all parts were cleaned and ultrasonic'd where needed.  Stiff bearings replaced, etc.  

[newapti5]

30 minutes ago, bulldog1935 said:

Segue for an essay - I hope building reels counts.  

 

I made my mark restoring OP's valuable antiques.  (this one happens to be mine)

 

I have friends who religiously clean and rebuild their reels every year.  Granted, they fish inshore.  But the only thing I do that fervently is oil spool bearings (drop or 2) before and after every (salt) trip.  Also a chance to inspect critical parts for salt exposure.  

 

(rust in the magnets came from a non-salt-resistant spool bearing, and both got replaced)

Given the quality of modern lubes, and the quality of seals on reel drive cases - even with salt exposure - I'm inside my drives every 3 to 4 years.  (a different case would be dunking a reel).  

Recently overhauled a 25-y-o Daiwa, and it was pristine inside.  I could tell the original owner had never been inside, because he stripped the loctite'd PH1 screw head trying to get inside.  

 

Drive and LW, the old grease overflow had all turned to wax residue, so all parts were cleaned and ultrasonic'd where needed.  Stiff bearings replaced, etc.  

 

CV-Zs have some interesting designs inside, but I don't like the copious use of c-clips. A couple of them seem pointless. 

 

I had some trouble with my cv-z's AR bearing. It has a rough spot inside, and after rinsing it with Simple Green and re-oiling, I can still feel that spot in every turn. I couldn't change the bearing either: a. Plat doesn't carry that part anymore, b. I just couldn't dissemble it from the sideplate.

 

[Jigfishn10]

Usually right after the first of the year I tear mine down and give them a thorough cleaning

[bulldog1935]

@newapti5 - with critical measurement, might be able to source the right size A/R roller bearing.  

 

 

You can find the Daiwa p/n here

https://www.sl-planets.co.jp/shop/product/product.aspx?product=00613841

Search on ebay - also ask Hedgehog if they can source the part, which is where the link came from.  

[Maverick2017]

Twice a year for me. At season start about March, then again in August.

 

Full tear downs, flushes, re-lubes. Fresh gears, pinions, drag washers also 1x per year at season start.

 

Like a truck, the better you maintain, the better it performs and the longer it lives.

[new2BC4bass]

Nope.  Wish I was the type that liked to tinker.  Would save me a lot of money.  Luckily (or unluckily!) I don't get out often so none of my reels see a lot of use as I like to rotate my gear occasionally.  Even so some haven't been used in a long time.  Probably need a good cleaning from sitting around.

[bulldog1935]

@new2BC4bass our page sponsor, DVT, gets great reviews for his service.  

I sent Mike an FFR friend with a valuable Hardy Altex (By Appointment to HRH, etc.) - also happened to live nearby - and he was delighted with DVT reception and results. 

 

[MediumMouthBass]

I have about 2 dozen casting reels, another dozen spinning.

Ive used all but about 5 of them still in their box, most were dunked in water, fished in the rain, covered in dust/sand/dirt at one point or another, tossed on the ground, slammed into the back of the truck bed, thrown in the kayak, etc.... I have not cleaned any of them.

Guess what? They still feel like new (aside from the cheaper Black Max's).

I did do a 1 minute q tip clean on the spool spindle for just a select few reels this year just to see if there was any dirt and dropped some oil, but didnt go any further into taking them apart/cleaning them.

Its odd, im the type of person that will religiously take apart and clean stuff in my other hobbies, and i have some grease and oils made for reels, but ive never felt they needed it. And they have never given me a reason too. If they dont last another 20 years because i didnt clean them, i guess ill just spend the $100 and get a new one. To me thats worth it more than spending $50 if not more including shipping to clean an old one professionally, but thats just me.

My 2 worst reels are a Black Max and a Sienna, both are from around 2019-2020, fished heavily, treated poorly. Sienna looks like it was bit by a shark or was pulled by a truck down a highway, feels rough (same with Black Max), these reels were both $30 each. Never cleaned and still going.

If a $100-200 reel cant last like these can without being cleaned then they arent worth the money. What kind of reels are you guys buying that break down like a Ford/Chevy made after 2020?

 

But if i did want them cleaned, i would do it myself.

Theres ton of help on forums and youtube, might be difficult the first few times like anything in life, but practice makes perfect right?

And again, sending reels out to be cleaned for the average fisherman isnt quite worth it, you are paying half if not full cost of your reel to get it cleaned. No matter where you go. For guys with more money however its usually worth having it done.

[senile1]

I break down, clean, and service all of my reels once a year.  The last time I had someone else clean them I sent them to The Reel Mechanic in Park City, KS.  David, The Reel Mechanic (username .RM.), was a member here and my reels were smooth as butter when he took care of them.  Unfortunately, he passed away in 2014.  

[new2BC4bass]

2 hours ago, bulldog1935 said:

@new2BC4bass our page sponsor, DVT, gets great reviews for his service.  

I even sent him an FFR friend with a valuable Hardy Altex (By Appointment to HRH, etc.) - also happened to live nearby - and he was delighted with DVT reception and results. 

 

Mike has cleaned several of my reels and installed new bearings and did a polish job on one of my Curado 51Es.

[GRiver]

I do mine once a year, clean, lube, replace, or repair what’s needed. I even re-spool with fresh mono, and clean the rods.

[redmeansdistortion]

16 hours ago, MediumMouthBass said:

And again, sending reels out to be cleaned for the average fisherman isnt quite worth it, you are paying half if not full cost of your reel to get it cleaned. No matter where you go. For guys with more money however its usually worth having it done.

This entirely depends on the person seeking service.  Some people love a certain model so much, they want to keep it maintained since it's out of production and they can't get another.  Others are buying higher end stuff and to them it is worth the cost to keep it maintained.  Then there are the heirloom people, who are much like the first group I listed.  They have something that was passed down to them that they would like to use and/or preserve.  Occasionally, you get a guy that wants a bargain bin model serviced, and they get told every time to go buy another.  If it won't be worth it to them, it isn't worth our time either.

[Bird]

I have 5 reels that are used heavily that I clean and relube each year, a dozen or so that gets it every other year.

[DogBone_384]

I do most of my own maintenance.  Every couple years I send my most used baitcasters to @Delaware Valley Tackle for a full tear down.

[Jigfishn10]

17 hours ago, senile1 said:

I break down, clean, and service all of my reels once a year.  The last time I had someone else clean them I sent them to The Reel Mechanic in Park City, KS.  David, The Reel Mechanic (username .RM.), was a member here and my reels were smooth as butter when he took care of them.  Unfortunately, he passed away in 2014.  

Wow, I remember him...great guy  

[bulldog1935]

On 12/17/2024 at 10:44 AM, newapti5 said:

... I don't like the copious use of c-clips. A couple of them seem pointless. 

...

To me, this is E-clip   and this is C-clip 

The trick with all springy things, work in a shoe box.  Still, they're small enough to disappear when you remove them even without flying away.  Every few Hedgehog orders, I throw in a few of the common sizes, 2-mm to 3-mm (cheap).  When I need one, I have a parts bin.  

 

E-clips are not intimidating if you have a system.  A 1.5-mm slotted micro screwdriver exactly fits the exposed slot.  Rotating the micro-driver eases them out.  Small needle-nose pliers ease them back in.  

 

[Smalliefan2]

I tear mine down every year, clean, lube, and replace parts if needed. Respool with fresh line. Clean the rod also, reel seat, guides, handle. I fish year round, this is kinda a rainy day project.

[FishTank]

Every year about this time I start to work on my reels and some for friends that fish in my local tournament group but this year I will work on mine and only 5 or 6 others. A lot a guys I use to see have gotten out of tournament fishing or have bought new equipment.  I always enjoyed the challenge though.

 

Also, I stopped taking spinning reels apart. They have become a little more complex and each reel is different in how it is designed.  I still do the basics on mine but intend to send a few to DVT in the future. 

 

This years challenge is to get a few screws out of two reels that were stripped from the factory.  Luckily I got the parts I needed for free despite them both being JDM reels.

[bulldog1935]

@FishTank - I found a useful tool for beaucoup torque that you can't get with micro-drivers.  

This KDW wrench - which I randomly threw into a Hedgehog order because they finally had stock - it's a 10-mm handle nut socket with an adapter that takes hex bits. 

 

The micro-bit set was $6 from Amazon - note it includes 5 different tip-shapes of PH1.  

On this stripped-head PH1 screw, 

I took a PH0 bit and jeweler's hammer, and formed a new slot.  Fit the best PH1 tip, and it glided out.  Of course, replaced the screw w/ new M2.5.

Regards

[FishTank]

@bulldog1935 That T-handle is a great idea. 

 

This is what I usually use. 

 

 

I've had good luck with it but the screws in question are rounded out. I'm going to try to use a really thin piece of silicon to put over the bit and see if I can force them out. Next step would be to cut a slot with a Drumel tool. The screws I need to get out are a fuzz bigger than an eye glass screw. I'll post some pics when I get to working on them.

[redmeansdistortion]

1 hour ago, bulldog1935 said:

To me, this is E-clip   and this is C-clip 

The trick with all springy things, work in a shoe box.  Still, they're small enough to disappear when you remove them without flying away.  Every few Hedgehog orders, I throw in a few of the common sizes, 2-mm to 3-mm (cheap).  When I need one, I have a parts bin.  

 

E-clips are not intimidating if you have a system.  A 1.5-mm slotted micro screwdriver exactly fits the exposed slot.  Rotating the micro-driver eases them out.  Small needle-nose pliers ease them back in.  

 

That's exactly how I do it too.

 

Another tool I find valuable, round nose pliers.  They're excellent for reinstalling torsion springs and reforming damaged spool edges.

[bulldog1935]

Just now, redmeansdistortion said:

Another tool I find valuable, round nose pliers.  They're excellent for reinstalling torsion springs and reforming damaged spool edges.

They also double-up for a spanner in the sizes we're normally working with.  

Best example I had was spanner collar in fly reel A/R - flip the roller bearing to change wind direction.  

@FishTank - at some point with boogered screw heads, you'll have to retreat to an extractor, but the longer you can put it off, the better.  

[newapti5]

2 hours ago, bulldog1935 said:

To me, this is E-clip   and this is C-clip 

The trick with all springy things, work in a shoe box.  Still, they're small enough to disappear when you remove them without flying away.  Every few Hedgehog orders, I throw in a few of the common sizes, 2-mm to 3-mm (cheap).  When I need one, I have a parts bin.  

 

E-clips are not intimidating if you have a system.  A 1.5-mm slotted micro screwdriver exactly fits the exposed slot.  Rotating the micro-driver eases them out.  Small needle-nose pliers ease them back in.  

 

 

I use a similar size tweezers for the removal, and a needle-nose plier for the installation. Still, I find them to be a pain in the butt, especially in tight spots. Case in point, the little screw pin on the CV-Z with a tiny e-clip attached, I think its sole purpose is to keep the screw pin attached to the sideplate so you don't lose it. But come on, if a user could dissemble the reel by oneself, it's unlikely to lose a screw pin that big. 

 

 

[bulldog1935]

Daiwa has really improved their choice of fasteners and tools in that 25 years.  

That slotted rim-cover screw (and the 2nd one through the frame width) are a perfect example.  @newapti5  Takes a Long 2.5-mm micro-slot driver to reach the screw you circled. 

Of course, you could live without the e-clip there, you'd just have to keep up with the screws.  

Their newer reels use high-torque socket heads for the drive cover, here, where I attached my G-Nius hook keeper.