ABEC7 Bearings

[TrippyJai]

I am waiting on some bearings to arrive that I've ordered. They are ABEC7 bearings and I want to install them on my Curado E7 and Citica 200E. I have a few questions if anyone can answer.

1) I am currently using 2 brakes on and 4 off, will that change after installing the new bearings? Would I need to turn on more brakes?

2) Is it worth it to put these bearings in my Citica?

3) Can anyone tell me their experiences with this upgrade?

[Redlinerobert]

I have replaced bearings in practically all of my reels.  You will definitely notice a difference.

It is hard to say as to whether you will need to change the brake set up on your particular reel.  That will also depend on you and your casting abilities.   

Is it worth it?  Again, that is completely up to you.  You are putting higher grade bearings on that reel and it will be noticeably better....As long a you are changing out the bearings, may as well upgrade to a carbontex drag too.

[cigarleaf]

I have replaced bearings in practically all of my reels. You will definitely notice a difference.

It is hard to say as to whether you will need to change the brake set up on your particular reel. That will also depend on you and your casting abilities.

Is it worth it? Again, that is completely up to you. You are putting higher grade bearings on that reel and it will be noticeably better....As long a you are changing out the bearings, may as well upgrade to a carbontex drag too.

What brand bearings do you like to use?

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

FYI - Contact us for Boca Bearings @ 10% off retail.

If you are going with Orange Seal bearings and you do regular maintenance, consider running them open for max advantage.

I typically recommend bearing upgrades when replacing worn out OEM parts. However, if you are an enthusiast and like to tinker, go for it.

Mike

[J Francho]

1.  I run three on three off on my Calcutta, but I'm tossing BIG baits.

2.  Only if the OE bearings are shot.  I simple cleaning of the OE bearings, and drop of quality oil usually brings about huge improvements over the stock setup.

3.  The Calcutta has Abec 5 ceramic hybrids, and there is a noticeable difference in that reel.  I have three TD-X reels, all with Office ZPI bearings, and while they're fast, they were plenty fast before.  I had a couple of Procaster/Capricorns that were pretty beat, and new bearings (Orange Seals) brought them back to life.  I've done several upgrades for others' reels as well.  Usually if I find a bad bearing, we go ahead and replace the spool bearings with Orange Seals or Smooth Drags bearings.  They're almost always less expensive than OEM parts, and sometimes better.  Some top end reels have pretty nice bearings that are hard to beat.

[.ghoti.]

I bought 6 sets of ABEC7 stainless steel bearings this year. Replaced stock bearings which were still in almost new condition. Four reels were relatively new Fuegos and two were very well maintained Millionaire CV-X103As.

I wish I had just done one reel first, and not all 6. I noticed very little difference between the new 7's and the old, but still good, stock bearings. I'm well aware that I'll be taking some flack on this, but save your money for something with more bang for the buck.

If you find bad spool bearings, by all means get some 7s. In may cases they won't cost much more than stock replacements. Makes sense then.

You want an upgrade that will make a bigger difference than ABEC 7s? Try polishing the brake race, or brake drum, if you prefer.

Remove the centrifugal brake drum completely from the sideplate.

Using a Dremel, a felt wheel and super-fine polishing compound, polish the inner surface of the drum. The part the brake "weights" run on. DO NOT USE SANDPAPER. Polish until it shines like a mirror. Take your time, and keep a damp paper towel handy to use as a heat sink. The drum will get hot while polishing.

Scrub it clean. I use a stiff old toothbrush for most reel cleaning tasks. Scrub it again. You do not want any of that polishing compound to remain inside your reel. Nothing good will come of that.

Put a drop of oil on a q-tip and wipe down the newly polished surface. You want the barest film of oil.

When finished, you may very well be able to reduce the number of brake weights you're using. If you're currently using 3, try just two. Non-intuitive, you say? Think of it like this. Do the brakes on your bike work better on a smooth road than they do on a cobblestone road?

While you have the Dremel out, here's another worthwhile task. Polish all of the metal washers in the drag stack. Same procedure. Take your time, keep a damp towel handy, and clean them well. This is a better improvement in drag performance than Carbontex washers. I know that for a fact, having done the comparison with identical reels.

[RWSCHMITZ]

Clean out stock bearings first, soak them in ACETONE overnight, apply 1-2 drops of Hot Sauce Oil, try this first and polish the spool shaft and inside of the pinion gear and brake ring. ABEC 7 will give you a few feet on baits under 1/2 oz over that not much from stock bearings. Also some ceramic bearings are very loud when they need oil.

[skunked_again]

I bought 6 sets of ABEC7 stainless steel bearings this year. Replaced stock bearings which were still in almost new condition. Four reels were relatively new Fuegos and two were very well maintained Millionaire CV-X103As.

I wish I had just done one reel first, and not all 6. I noticed very little difference between the new 7's and the old, but still good, stock bearings. I'm well aware that I'll be taking some flack on this, but save your money for something with more bang for the buck.If you find bad spool bearings, by all means get some 7s. In may cases they won't cost much more than stock replacements. Makes sense then.

You want an upgrade that will make a bigger difference than ABEC 7s? Try polishing the brake race, or brake drum, if you prefer.

Remove the centrifugal brake drum completely from the sideplate.

Using a Dremel, a felt wheel and super-fine polishing compound, polish the inner surface of the drum. The part the brake "weights" run on. DO NOT USE SANDPAPER. Polish until it shines like a mirror. Take your time, and keep a damp paper towel handy to use as a heat sink. The drum will get hot while polishing.

Scrub it clean. I use a stiff old toothbrush for most reel cleaning tasks. Scrub it again. You do not want any of that polishing compound to remain inside your reel. Nothing good will come of that.

Put a drop of oil on a q-tip and wipe down the newly polished surface. You want the barest film of oil.

When finished, you may very well be able to reduce the number of brake weights you're using. If you're currently using 3, try just two. Non-intuitive, you say? Think of it like this. Do the brakes on your bike work better on a smooth road than they do on a cobblestone road?

While you have the Dremel out, here's another worthwhile task. Polish all of the metal washers in the drag stack. Same procedure. Take your time, keep a damp towel handy, and clean them well. This is a better improvement in drag performance than Carbontex washers. I know that for a fact, having done the comparison with identical reels.

i agree 1000%. quality reels already have quality bearings. cleaning them and a proper lube will be more than dropping in "magic" bearings. JMO

[bilgerat]

I bought 6 sets of ABEC7 stainless steel bearings this year. Replaced stock bearings which were still in almost new condition. Four reels were relatively new Fuegos and two were very well maintained Millionaire CV-X103As.

I wish I had just done one reel first, and not all 6. I noticed very little difference between the new 7's and the old, but still good, stock bearings. I'm well aware that I'll be taking some flack on this, but save your money for something with more bang for the buck.If you find bad spool bearings, by all means get some 7s. In may cases they won't cost much more than stock replacements. Makes sense then.

You want an upgrade that will make a bigger difference than ABEC 7s? Try polishing the brake race, or brake drum, if you prefer.

Remove the centrifugal brake drum completely from the sideplate.

Using a Dremel, a felt wheel and super-fine polishing compound, polish the inner surface of the drum. The part the brake "weights" run on. DO NOT USE SANDPAPER. Polish until it shines like a mirror. Take your time, and keep a damp paper towel handy to use as a heat sink. The drum will get hot while polishing.

Scrub it clean. I use a stiff old toothbrush for most reel cleaning tasks. Scrub it again. You do not want any of that polishing compound to remain inside your reel. Nothing good will come of that.

Put a drop of oil on a q-tip and wipe down the newly polished surface. You want the barest film of oil.

When finished, you may very well be able to reduce the number of brake weights you're using. If you're currently using 3, try just two. Non-intuitive, you say? Think of it like this. Do the brakes on your bike work better on a smooth road than they do on a cobblestone road?

While you have the Dremel out, here's another worthwhile task. Polish all of the metal washers in the drag stack. Same procedure. Take your time, keep a damp towel handy, and clean them well. This is a better improvement in drag performance than Carbontex washers. I know that for a fact, having done the comparison with identical reels.

i agree 1000%. quality reels already have quality bearings. cleaning them and a proper lube will be more than dropping in "magic" bearings. JMO

Yep. Hey Jai, consider this if you would. BEFORE upgrading those bearings, perhaps you could cast several times in a large open area and take an average measurement of, say, 5 or 6 casts. Then do the same AFTER, (with the same weight of course) and report back. Even better, if you have the time, would be to get your measurements with the stock bearings before and after a thorough clean and lube, then see what the bearing upgrade brings.

[RussBert]

The spool bearings in my E7 came from the factory with a thick, almost grease-like lube in them. I flushed them out (using a bearing flushing tool) and lubed them with ONE drop of Daiwa's Red Oil. The performance was significantly increased. It took less effort to cast further.

Never being satisfied, I bought me a set of Boca's orange seal (ceramic hybrid ABEC 7 bearings) for the E7. Note that I always flush new bearings to be sure any and all contaminates are removed. I then oiled them with Daiwa's Red Oil...

Truth be told (and I caught some flak for posting this at TackleTour) I DID NOT see, feel or get any significant performance increase over the stock bearings.

That said, I have seen improvements in other reels when replacing the (cleaned and re-lubed) factory bearings with either abec 5 or 7 hybrids, or abec 7 stainless bearings. Most notably an '09 Revo STX

Recently I've been using the abec 7 SS bearings that BigGreenFish.com offers. I find them to be less noisy and cheaper than orange seal bearings (ceramic hybrids) when either are lubed with Daiwa Red Oil. I haven't tried any other bearing lubes yet...

[Dan-K]

Maybe I wasted my money, I just ordered three sets of ABEC 7 orange seals for two Citicas and a Curado. I just finished tuning a Citica 201E and added a drive shaft bearing and Curado spool, what an improvement that made!!! I used the factory spool bearings on that reel, but I flushed them with carb cleaner followed by soapy water, followed by rubbing alcohol. I then added one drop of Quantum hot sauce. BTW I found factory Curado spools online for $41.00 at sea isle tackle. When the bearings arrive I plan to tune the other two Citicas and one Curado as well as add the ABEC 7 O/S bearings. I will post my findings.

[TrippyJai]

My reels haven't been serviced yet this year because my season isn't over. I made this post having a bit of regret spending $30 bucks on 2 sets of ABEC 7 bearings. I felt like I should of waited until I serviced my reels. I'm usually not one to care for these type of upgrades, but I did it on impulse. I shore fish quite a lot so I was hoping this upgrade would give me more casting distance.

[Dan-K]

Just from the tuning I did on my Citica made a great improvement, my stock Curados feel sluggish now.

[RussBert]

I flushed them with carb cleaner followed by soapy water, followed by rubbing alcohol. 

Skip the soapy water, no good can come from that.

[Dan-K]

I flushed them with carb cleaner followed by soapy water, followed by rubbing alcohol.

Skip the soapy water, no good can come from that.

Copy that, thanks. This was my first try at tuning, 1 down 5 to go!!!

[RussBert]

Check out this bearing cleaner. I allows the aerosol to blow THROUGH the bearing,

http://www.rpmrcproducts.com/products/t ... xtools.htm

I use CRC Electronic Cleaner to flush bearings. It evaporates very quickly and doesn't harm plastics or paint so I can use it in the reels as well

[.ghoti.]

I flushed them with carb cleaner followed by soapy water, followed by rubbing alcohol.

Skip the soapy water, no good can come from that.

Copy that, thanks. This was my first try at tuning, 1 down 5 to go!!!

You can skip the alcohol too. It does nothing that the acetone hasn't already done better. And, it's one more fire hazard that you don't need.

[skunked_again]

I flushed them with carb cleaner followed by soapy water, followed by rubbing alcohol.

Skip the soapy water, no good can come from that.

ive always flushed my bearings with a cleanser of some type after the degrease. i think youll be ok IF the last thing you do is rinse the bearings in very hot water.

thats just me though

[RussBert]

I flushed them with carb cleaner followed by soapy water, followed by rubbing alcohol.

Skip the soapy water, no good can come from that.

ive always flushed my bearings with a cleanser of some type after the degrease. i think youll be ok IF the last thing you do is rinse the bearings in very hot water.

thats just me though

Why? The purpose of de-greasing is to remove all oils, greases and contaminates (contaminates like WATER that has seeped into your bearings). Water adds contaminates to your cleaned bearings! and can only lead to corrosion. Nothing to gain, and a bearing to lose.

[BASSclary]

So i have some Ardent Reel Clean De-greaser. Is this what I should use for cleaning and flushing bearings? :-?

[J Francho]

I have that bearing blaster, its just OK.  A soak in acetone in a US cleaner is the best I've found. 

Now another product, The Greaser is great, especially for drivetrain and knob bearings, where speed is less important than smoothness.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

I'd keep the water away from bearings. Whichever solvent you choose to use, there is no need to mix & match. Spin the bearings and make sure all solvent is evaporated prior to lubing.

[TrippyJai]

I'd keep the water away from bearings. Whichever solvent you choose to use, there is no need to mix & match. Spin the bearings and make sure all solvent is evaporated prior to lubing.

How do you suggest I spin the bearings?

Is it okay to leave the bearings out to dry for a day after soaking it in Acetone?

[RussBert]

I'd keep the water away from bearings. Whichever solvent you choose to use, there is no need to mix & match. Spin the bearings and make sure all solvent is evaporated prior to lubing.

How do you suggest I spin the bearings?

Is it okay to leave the bearings out to dry for a day after soaking it in Acetone?

Put the bearing on a pencil (or pen, or chopstick, or whatever fits) and spin it with your finger   

The problem with just soaking a bearing is any contaminates can't really get out of the bearing. Orange seals are easy to remove so one can get the bearing flushed out easily. Most metal seals are removable, but it's just a bit trickier to do so.

That bearing cleaner I linked to is a cheap and easy to use tool that allows you to properly FLUSH a bearing, not just swirl it around in solvent

[bilgerat]

I'd keep the water away from bearings. Whichever solvent you choose to use, there is no need to mix & match. Spin the bearings and make sure all solvent is evaporated prior to lubing.

How do you suggest I spin the bearings?

Is it okay to leave the bearings out to dry for a day after soaking it in Acetone?

As was said, you can put them on the tapered end of a pencil and spin them by hand. If you have an air compressor with a blow nozzle attachment, you can dry them by hitting them with short blasts of air AS LONG AS YOU DO NOT ALLOW THEM TO SPIN. Spinning a bearing by blasting it with compressed air is a huge no no.

Leaving them to dry overnight will do no harm.