fixing reel after saltwater use

[yellahunter]

hey guys,

i recently used my freshwater spinning reel in the estuary and it got a bit wet,
what is the best product to try and fix this reel with,

should i use reel oil or spray inox around the likely areas,
any ideas on how to fix this reel are much appreciated.

its just gone really tight etc and doesnt rotate freely and smooth like it used to

[davez104]

Did you wash it down straight after you got home? When you say it got wet, did it get submerged or just cop lots of spray? Either way it sounds like a strip down is in order. Clean everything and re oil/grease, put it back together and see how it goes. Depending on how long since it got wet, the internals should still be allright. Someone with a bit more reel servicing experience will no doubt give you a bit more specific advice.

Dave.

[yellahunter]

its got quite a bit of spray,
i washed it down with warm soapy freshwater when i got home,
and at that point seemed ok,
it wasnt until i picked it up a week later that i realised it was now pretty bad,

[davez104]

Try pulling the handle out and spray a bit of inox/tackle guard/wd40 inside and see if that helps. Could just be a buildup of salt and crud around the handle. Most reels won't get a lot of water inside if they are only getting sprayed.

Dave.

[yellahunter]

any preference on oil / grease to redo the reel?

[davez104]

You can buy tubes of "reel grease" from most tackle stores, but I reckon its a bit heavy for most reels. I prefer a few drops of sewing machine oil and oil after every couple of trips.

Dave.

[davez104]

I should also add that untill recently, "every couple of trips" was about once a year :-[ :-[ ;D ;D ;D ;D

Dave.

[agnes_jack]

Do not spray internally with Inox, wd40 or any of those type sprays!!!!
All this will acheive is to break down and dissolve the grease in bearings etc. It is ok to do this for a quick fix,i.e. to stop corrosion till you can get it serviced but the reel must then be stripped completely, cleaned and re-lubed. If it has become sticky then the bearings may be affected by the salt. Sometimes cheaper cast gears can corrode and may need attention. The longer it is left the worse the damage.
Hope that helps

Regards, Tony

[Noelm]

the most common thing that causes a 'tight" after a drink is the little bearing/bush where the shaft that holds the spool on goes through the case, better reels will have a good bearing that can take some "dunking" it is fairly easy to strip it down, the handle needs to come off, and the case cover pulled off as there is a small screw that holds the shaft into the main drive section that makes it "move in and out" (oscillate) all this after the spool is removed of course!, then there will be a nut under the spool to remove and hey presto you can take off the entire bail assy (rotor) in one piece and clean and lube the bearing.

[yellahunter]

cheers guys,
i will have a look at this one tonite see if i can clean it up,
so just a reel lube from a tackle shop will do the job

any preferences there

[agnes_jack]

Some parts of a reel need grease, others such as anti-reverse need oil. To service the reel properly you will need both. There are heaps of different brands about, surecatch make a good oil and most stores carry a teflon based grease called reel lube which will do the job or innox mx6 grease is a good one. But if unsure take it to your tackle shop and get them to give it a full service, drag washer clean etc.

Regards..........Tony

[Reef_fisher]

sounds like a strip down. Just done this today with a large spinning reel on my beach rod (boat floater rod) Used it on boat ,fine, looked at after wash down lightly with hose, all gone stiff. Stripped down, bearing on the side where the screw goes into the handles shaft, seized. everything else in reel in pristine condition. Went through spares box, couldn't find one to match. Went to local tackle shop, were I mostly get my gear, told him what reel, he went out the back and came out with a bag full of dead reels the same as mine. We went through them and all the reels were the same on that side. Luckily like most reels the bearing on the other side is the same. I offered to pay but was told, regular customers don't pay for stuff like that.

I only use oil on the drag, everything else has grease, brand, just make sure it has anti-corrosion properties, some grease don't.

[Noelm]

love that reef-fisher, just try and get that service from your "friendly" department store!

[nigelr]

If you need a new bearing, you might try taking the old one to your local bearing/engineering supplies outlet. You shouldn't have any trouble replacing the old one, the more common sized bearings may be available in several variations from expensive US/Euro stainless to cheap Chinese models, and in either open, shielded or sealed designs. I prefer the mid priced Jap sealed models, great quality and value for money. Always best to replace your bearings as soon as 'play' is detected, cheaper and easier than replacing gears!
Cheers!