How Do You Clean Your Reels ?

[Guest]

Been asking myself how do other people clean there reels after salt water fishing. I have had 2 of my shimano C14 stradics play up with the Bail Arm Bearing stuffing up, and in the other reel the bearings go inside the reel. Saying this they were only 3 months old and after every salt water fish i sprayed them down on a light spray with fresh water. :dry:

So now i have brought a New 2000 Daiwa Sol im thinking if i should hose it down on a light spray, or wipe them down with a wet rag after salt water fishing .

How do you clean your reels after salt water fishing ?

[Jords]

heard that you should tighten the drag fully, give a good was then ease the drag back off for storage..?

This said, I haven't been to great with reel maintenance ever, Usually would leave it until a reel got quite seized then would pull it as part as much as I felt comfortable that I could get it back together, WD40 the $41t out of it then put it back together, works surprisingly well

[madmullet]

when i have a shower after a fishing trip, so do my rods and reels.......

warm water on salt desolves very easily and its good to soap them down as well. been doing this for years as well.

when you are paying top $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ for fishing gear its well worth looking after it.

tacle guard is the best invention by far to be brought out for added protection. you can evan get it on your line and it wont perish or farm it in any way.

eg after a sharkin trip i get my penn inta 80w and rod rince it first, let it sit, get a cloth with unsented baby bath and soap up the reel and rod, then give it another good rince off. one it is dry i spray tackle guard all over it. their done

[Guest]

when i have a shower after a fishing trip, so do my rods and reels.......

warm water on salt desolves very easily and its good to soap them down as well. been doing this for years as well.

when you are paying top $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ for fishing gear its well worth looking after it.

tacle guard is the best invention by far to be brought out for added protection. you can evan get it on your line and it wont perish or farm it in any way.

eg after a sharkin trip i get my penn inta 80w and rod rince it first, let it sit, get a cloth with unsented baby bath and soap up the reel and rod, then give it another good rince off. one it is dry i spray tackle guard all over it. their done

Thanks Kurt i will give this a go

[Orca]

According to my reel factory engineers and also the guy who does our National warranty repairs on the Gold Coast, the WORST thing you can do with a reel is to spray it with water. This can force water inside the reel and stuff up all sorts of things.

The recommedations are to simply give the reel a good wipe down with a damp cloth and then give it a light spray with some sort of protectant. We recommend a product called Protecta. It doesnt harm the rods or line in anyway and does not leave any oily residue. Its a wonderful product ( and no we dont get any commission for saying that ! lol). We like their products so much we actually buy stuff in bulk here and send it overseas to our factories to use when assembling our reels. This costs us quite a lot of money but we think its well worth it.

On another note, somebody earlier mentioned about drags. Always do the drags up tight if you must insist on using water water to clean your reel but NEVER leave the drags on after use. Always back the drags right off to prevent premature wearing of the drag washers.

REmeber, reel warranties cover manufacturing defects only. If the reels are not looked after properly then there is a big chance your warranty claim will be knocked back.

[ipk18]

Been asking myself how do other people clean there reels after salt water fishing. I have had 2 of my shimano C14 stradics play up with the Bail Arm Bearing stuffing up, and in the other reel the bearings go inside the reel.

All ci4 do that the tackle shop I brought mine from replaced before I left the store if you still have the reels talk to your tackle shop as it's a known problem they should just do it for you.

[Bluevien]

Ditto on not using water. Been told by a trusted tackle shop to use a dedicated rag lightly sprayed with innox or similar to wipe down a reel after use and haven't had a problem. I have done the tighten drag and light spray of water thing and still have had them sieze up on me. Even liberally spraying a water repelent on it can be bad as it thins out the reel greese which makes sense.

[Do$tylz]

yeah as much as they say you should only clean your reels with a damp, soapy rag, I find I always run it with me in the shower.

I find it tought to believe that a warm, damp rag would get the salt build up out of the roller bits near the handle or the roller bearing.

I tighten my drags up, have warm water running, crank the handle and then quickly put it under the shower head. Not at high pressure, just the normal rain setting on the shower head. I keep the reel spinning and upright only for maybe 5 seconds. Then keep it cranking outside of the water to drain it of excess. I then wipe it down with a dry cloth after the shower, loosen the drag and then drop shimano lube on the moving bits and joins, then wipe again.

works well for me. A service every 6 months or so keeps them reels in great condition.

[Guest]

Thanks for the advise guys

[robin]

when i have a shower after a fishing trip, so do my rods and reels.......

warm water on salt desolves very easily and its good to soap them down as well. been doing this for years as well.

when you are paying top $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ for fishing gear its well worth looking after it.

tacle guard is the best invention by far to be brought out for added protection. you can evan get it on your line and it wont perish or farm it in any way.

eg after a sharkin trip i get my penn inta 80w and rod rince it first, let it sit, get a cloth with unsented baby bath and soap up the reel and rod, then give it another good rince off. one it is dry i spray tackle guard all over it. their done

Thanks Kurt i will give this a go

Just don't shower with the hook attached, you really dont want tackle mixing with really good tackle.

[kakaryan]

You need to oil your bearings occasionally.

Plus spraying water or not IMO it depends on which part of the reel....

For the body you better just wipe it cos it wouldnt be very dirty and you dont want water goes into internals.

For roller as Do$tylz suggested, and worm shaft and the line guide in the case of baitcaster, I find it is impossible to get rid of all the salt or dirt by just wiping them. I always run a slow warm tap water for those part to ensure they are cleaned thoroughly. Then let it dry and re-oil / re-grease.

[RedHerring]

I wash em/flush em under the tap.

Oil up the joints, that's about it.

Mind you it is noted that no one ever points this out on these type of forums, but if

you are going to pull open and service a fine 1000 - 2500 reel then use ligh oil and very light grease suited to light gear.

Not all shops have it on shelf.

[Guest]

This post has given me some great ideas.. Thanks to all

[fishing_teen]

after a hard days fishing there is nothing better than a warm shower and that where my reel get washed

[51MPL]

i rinse under warm tap-water, wipe with rag then let air-dry.

then apply grease/lube as needed

[Manni79]

According to my reel factory engineers and also the guy who does our National warranty repairs on the Gold Coast, the WORST thing you can do with a reel is to spray it with water. This can force water inside the reel and stuff up all sorts of things.

The recommedations are to simply give the reel a good wipe down with a damp cloth and then give it a light spray with some sort of protectant. We recommend a product called Protecta. It doesnt harm the rods or line in anyway and does not leave any oily residue. Its a wonderful product ( and no we dont get any commission for saying that ! lol). We like their products so much we actually buy stuff in bulk here and send it overseas to our factories to use when assembling our reels. This costs us quite a lot of money but we think its well worth it.

On another note, somebody earlier mentioned about drags. Always do the drags up tight if you must insist on using water water to clean your reel but NEVER leave the drags on after use. Always back the drags right off to prevent premature wearing of the drag washers.

REmeber, reel warranties cover manufacturing defects only. If the reels are not looked after properly then there is a big chance your warranty claim will be knocked back.

Interesting Orca, I guess it depends on your reel.

My Daiwa Cerate Hi Gear, has details in the instructions even with pictures stating to rinse the reel under water, i.e. in the shower or using a spray bottle etc..

I also do this this with the my Shimano Stradic's & the CI4 and have not had a single problem.

I wouldn't do certain things to my reels if i felt i was doing damage, especially when i'm paying serious coin for some of them

[Manni79]

yeah as much as they say you should only clean your reels with a damp, soapy rag, I find I always run it with me in the shower.

I find it tought to believe that a warm, damp rag would get the salt build up out of the roller bits near the handle or the roller bearing.

I tighten my drags up, have warm water running, crank the handle and then quickly put it under the shower head. Not at high pressure, just the normal rain setting on the shower head. I keep the reel spinning and upright only for maybe 5 seconds. Then keep it cranking outside of the water to drain it of excess. I then wipe it down with a dry cloth after the shower, loosen the drag and then drop shimano lube on the moving bits and joins, then wipe again.

works well for me. A service every 6 months or so keeps them reels in great condition.

I do the same Henry, I gotta say Bec finds it a bit wierd when i'm showering with my reels hahahaha

[Guest]

yeah as much as they say you should only clean your reels with a damp, soapy rag, I find I always run it with me in the shower.

I find it tought to believe that a warm, damp rag would get the salt build up out of the roller bits near the handle or the roller bearing.

I tighten my drags up, have warm water running, crank the handle and then quickly put it under the shower head. Not at high pressure, just the normal rain setting on the shower head. I keep the reel spinning and upright only for maybe 5 seconds. Then keep it cranking outside of the water to drain it of excess. I then wipe it down with a dry cloth after the shower, loosen the drag and then drop shimano lube on the moving bits and joins, then wipe again.

works well for me. A service every 6 months or so keeps them reels in great condition.

I do the same Henry, I gotta say Bec finds it a bit wierd when i'm showering with my reels hahahaha

Do you oil it after Manni ? how long to you rinse it in the shower for, and do you rinse everything on the reel ? Also i gather you tighten up the drag

[Do$tylz]

I wash em/flush em under the tap.

Oil up the joints, that's about it.

Mind you it is noted that no one ever points this out on these type of forums, but if

you are going to pull open and service a fine 1000 - 2500 reel then use ligh oil and very light grease suited to light gear.

Not all shops have it on shelf.

Care to elaborate man?

Are you talking like HotSauce (ie aftermarket branded grease/lubes) them only? I figured the shimano lube they provide with the new reels would suffice??

Or are you talking about when you take them apart and do the internals?

[Surfingant]

I just do whatever it takes to keep them clean be it a light rinse under the tap/hose or a wipe down with a rag. Either way I usually service the drags and oil them fairly regularly so I don't really think it matters too much as long as they are dried properly afterwards.

[Guest]

I wash em/flush em under the tap.

Oil up the joints, that's about it.

Mind you it is noted that no one ever points this out on these type of forums, but if

you are going to pull open and service a fine 1000 - 2500 reel then use ligh oil and very light grease suited to light gear.

Not all shops have it on shelf.

Care to elaborate man?

Are you talking like HotSauce (ie aftermarket branded grease/lubes) them only? I figured the shimano lube they provide with the new reels would suffice??

Or are you talking about when you take them apart and do the internals?

No not pulling them apart just external cleaning and grease/lube them up....I will leave the pulling apart for the shop. But thankyou Do$tylz for all your input, and the other AFO members

[Doobsy]

Small session - wipe down with damp cloth, oil the roller bearing.

Big day out - tighten up the drag, quick 2 second rinse in the shower, then wipe down, oil roller bearing and pinion.

Every couple of months, pull apart, grease and oil with Daiwa oil and tournament grease.

See if you can get your hands on Fishing World Feb '11 issue. Great 3-page spread on servicing your reel.

[wesfish]

hey mate, i have a lil tip for the line roller that i only started doing 2 weeks ago. i dont just use oil or light lube now, i pull the roller out and dismantle in order it comes apart, clean all washers and nooks and crannies with cotton buds, the bearing its self i spray with inox or wd40 to free it up and help clean out a bit. then sit bearing in small container and soak in light oil, then i use a inox mx6 premium machinery grease( most tackle shops should have it ( charltons, tackle warehouse) then fairly heavy layers between washers, bearings and the sections that hold the line roller. squeeze together and wipe excess grease away with cotton bud and clean roller of any grease where the line goes. this way offers a bit more water resistance to the main inner sections of the roller, which helps maintain smooth operation with out that funny dry sound

here is a few diagram sort of pics lol

this bush below is worn on left, easy fix to just turn it around when you put it back together to the still good side lol

just clean excess off and wipe any residue off

hope it helps you some way

[fishingnut]

Well done wes

[Doobsy]

^ +1

Good work Wes, nice, helpful pics.

[wesfish]

to be honest i would like to upgrade this roller to 2 bearings instead of one and a plastic bush set up! but the grease helps this bush over oil.

[RedHerring]

I wash em/flush em under the tap.

Oil up the joints, that's about it.

Mind you it is noted that no one ever points this out on these type of forums, but if

you are going to pull open and service a fine 1000 - 2500 reel then use ligh oil and very light grease suited to light gear.

Not all shops have it on shelf.

Care to elaborate man?

Are you talking like HotSauce (ie aftermarket branded grease/lubes) them only? I figured the shimano lube they provide with the new reels would suffice??

Or are you talking about when you take them apart and do the internals?

yeah when you do the gears after you pull it apart, If not hot sauce it is a brand very much like that, it has a light grease for lighter reels (1000 and 2500) as oposed to your beach reels and deep sea overheads.

Pretty sure the oil comes in a lighter brand too, I used protecta but there are much lighter oils available.

Yes the Lube they give you with the reel is good, but isn't gear grease, but it is nice n light oil.

http://www.smoothdrag.com/

The Australian distributer sells the lighter viscosity grease for drag and gears.

http://www.jackerskine.com/cals_universal.html

I have Alvey reel grease and found it a little heavey for drag and gears 2500 and under.

[Manni79]

yeah as much as they say you should only clean your reels with a damp, soapy rag, I find I always run it with me in the shower.

I find it tought to believe that a warm, damp rag would get the salt build up out of the roller bits near the handle or the roller bearing.

I tighten my drags up, have warm water running, crank the handle and then quickly put it under the shower head. Not at high pressure, just the normal rain setting on the shower head. I keep the reel spinning and upright only for maybe 5 seconds. Then keep it cranking outside of the water to drain it of excess. I then wipe it down with a dry cloth after the shower, loosen the drag and then drop shimano lube on the moving bits and joins, then wipe again.

works well for me. A service every 6 months or so keeps them reels in great condition.

I do the same Henry, I gotta say Bec finds it a bit wierd when i'm showering with my reels hahahaha

Do you oil it after Manni ? how long to you rinse it in the shower for, and do you rinse everything on the reel ? Also i gather you tighten up the drag

Hey mate a drop of oil on the roller ball, handle and with some of my reels they have a maintenance port, so a drop of oil there as well

[Guest]

hey mate, i have a lil tip for the line roller that i only started doing 2 weeks ago. i dont just use oil or light lube now, i pull the roller out and dismantle in order it comes apart, clean all washers and nooks and crannies with cotton buds, the bearing its self i spray with inox or wd40 to free it up and help clean out a bit. then sit bearing in small container and soak in light oil, then i use a inox mx6 premium machinery grease( most tackle shops should have it ( charltons, tackle warehouse) then fairly heavy layers between washers, bearings and the sections that hold the line roller. squeeze together and wipe excess grease away with cotton bud and clean roller of any grease where the line goes. this way offers a bit more water resistance to the main inner sections of the roller, which helps maintain smooth operation with out that funny dry sound

here is a few diagram sort of pics lol

[attachment=34108]P5110001800x600.jpg[/attachment]

[attachment=34109]P5110002800x600.jpg[/attachment]

[attachment=34110]P5110006800x600.jpg[/attachment]

this bush below is worn on left, easy fix to just turn it around when you put it back together to the still good side lol

[attachment=34111]P5110013800x600.jpg[/attachment]

[attachment=34112]P5110007800x600.jpg[/attachment]

[attachment=34113]P5110008800x600.jpg[/attachment]

[attachment=34114]P5110015800x600.jpg[/attachment]

just clean excess off and wipe any residue off

hope it helps you some way

Thankyou so much Wes,these pictures have been very helpful...Thankyou for taking the time to post these pictures up

Thanks

Darren

[tikki169]

For my certates I do nothing but spray them down and let them dry off before putting them into their covers, but for my other reels I'll lightly spray them down and once dry I wipe them down with a slightly oily rag, back the drag right off and probably every 4-5 fish I'll take the spool off and oil the shaft and any bearings, along with a few drops into the housing. After about 7 uses I'll take all the plates off and clean the old grease out and replace. Once every 3-4 months or depending on use I'll regrease the drag washers to.

[Guest]

Bump for Dave7.....there you go mate hope this helps

Cheers

Darren