Bearing Question.. 2025
BASSPATROL247 reply :
How do you remove the sheild on sheilded bearings? Are the sheilds installed/remo ed pretty much like a c-clip that holds bearings in the sideplates? Same basic concept?
iabass8 reply :
Some are held with a c-clip and some are pressed in. To remove the c-clip shields, take either a sharp, small hook or box cutter blade and simply push and lift the ring off. I couldn't tell you if it's easy to re-install them. once I take them off, they stay off. To remove the pressed in shields on bearings you often find in side plate bearings, you "simply" use a box cutter blade and place it in the inner most gap closest to the spool shaft hole and lift. There's a super fine line to ruining a bearing here. you should practice on a few bad bearings first. You have to be very careful not to ruin the inner race or the bearings inside. I've done it dozens of times and it's really simple...now. It isn't necessary to do this. I just take all the shields off my bearings to pass time in the winter and clean every inch of them.
Delaware Valley Tackle reply :
It won't hurt to open a bearing and run it that way, but it's not really necessary either to clean them. A couple soak/swish/rinse cycles in an appropriate solvent will clean them right out. I don't recommend messing with pressed in shields. The c clip ones are enough of a pain.
masterbass reply :
I leave the shields on ever since I started using my dremel to flush them. I spin them in brake cleaner and give them a quick spin dry then add a drop of oil. It is so fast an easy.
J Francho reply :
There no reason to remove the shields. Ever.
BASSPATROL247 reply :
Thanks guys, reason i ask is i have a few bearings in a couple max reels that just dont spin, ive cleaned the reel bearings in all of them but all but one reel has a bearing that after i clean it just wont spin like the others, i'll add to that it took a couple cleanings to get the others to spin for a while, not sure if abu uses heavier grease or lower quality bearings??? I could replace them but figured id try to remove the sheilds and soak them again...
BASSPATROL247 reply :
On 7/10/2015 at 2:43 AM, masterbass said:I leave the shields on ever since I started using my dremel to flush them. I spin them in brake cleaner and give them a quick spin dry then add a drop of oil. It is so fast an easy.
What do you use to hold the bearing on your dremel, im looking at mine right now and thats a good idea, to spin them out instead of removing the sheilds..
masterbass reply :
On 7/10/2015 at 2:50 AM, BASSPATROL247 said:What do you use to hold the bearing on your dremel, im looking at mine right now and thats a good idea, to spin them out instead of removing the sheilds..
I just wrap enough tape around a small drill bit and push the bearing on. I spin them on a slow setting and only for about 10 seconds and then test them.
BASSPATROL247 reply :
On 7/10/2015 at 2:54 AM, masterbass said:I just wrap enough tape around a small drill bit and push the bearing on. I spin them on a slow setting and only for about 10 seconds and then test them.
Cool man thanks..by low do you mean like on 5?10?15???
BASSPATROL247 reply :
Worked like a charm..must of had some residual grease in that one, on to the rest. Thanks again
J Francho reply :
The Dremel is a good way to ruin a bearing. Test them on a chopstick with your finger. A gentle flick, and it will spin smoothly and quietly with no chatter when clean and dry. Then you can lube them with whatever oil you like.
masterbass reply :
On 7/10/2015 at 4:07 AM, J Francho said:The Dremel is a good way to ruin a bearing. Test them on a chopstick with your finger. A gentle flick, and it will spin smoothly and quietly with no chatter when clean and dry. Then you can lube them with whatever oil you like.
That's why I use low speed and in short bursts because it doesn't take much to get them clean. I test them by spinning with my finger. For me it beats the heck out of soaking them over and over again. It takes me about 30 seconds clean, dry and lube 1 bearing.
J Francho reply :
Yeah, all you're doing is grinding and polishing the bearings down with the grime. Shortcuts are rarely the right way.
AdamsEye reply :
Most of these bearing are a few dollars, some kits can be had for under $20. Far easier and faster to replace with better bearings any how, then to fool with them. The bearings start to wear under clean use, add dirt and you get increased wear. Best move at that point is to replace it, the price factor is minimal.
BASSPATROL247 reply :
Yeah,i have some ordered for all my reels but it will be a week before they arrive. Nothings wrong with it but i got some reel butter to try so i broke the reel all the way down and i noticed one spool bearing didnt spin hardly at all, reel casts fine but just knowing about that bearing would have drove me nuts..the dremel thing worked the first try, now i wont be thinking about it. I replace all my bearings yearly wether their bad or not so i think i'll use the dremel because it is very fast and easy..
J Francho reply :
Lol, just throw $20 at it rather than simply do it right. I have reels that are more than a decade old with OE bearings in them.
iabass8 reply :
On 7/10/2015 at 10:24 AM, BASSPATROL247 said:I replace all my bearings yearly wether their bad or not
not excessive at all
BASSPATROL247 reply :
On 7/10/2015 at 10:27 AM, J Francho said:Lol, just throw $20 at it rather than simply do it right. I have reels that are more than a decade old with OE bearings in them.
Do what right? Spend 20$ and replace them is wrong? I know how to clean a bearing..soak them,rinse them,dry them and oil them..been doing it for a long time but when i clean mine it takes a long time for 18 reels so if i can tear them all down,clean and lube them and have them back together in a few hours compared to over a day by using a dremel then its more than worth it to me..if the dremel ruins them wich i doubt it will in leaa than a year oh well i replace them anyways..
BASSPATROL247 reply :
On 7/10/2015 at 10:45 AM, iabass8 said:not excessive at all
Lmao! Nics! Thats what little things like slow spinning bearings do to my mental health hahaha ive got some quirks when it comes to fishing and my gear... that or im just plain crazy! Like i always say, to each their own.
BASSPATROL247 reply :
On 7/10/2015 at 2:43 AM, J Francho said:There no reason to remove the shields. Ever.
Sure there is, easier and faster to clean..
Jeff H reply :
On 7/10/2015 at 2:33 AM, Delaware Valley Tackle said:I don't recommend messing with pressed in shields. The c clip ones are enough of a pain.
d**n straight! 
BASSPATROL247 reply :
On 7/10/2015 at 2:43 AM, J Francho said:There no reason to remove the shields. Ever.
Sure there is, easier and faster to clean..
masterbass reply :
I'll take my chances with the dremel. I don't see it as a short cut, I see it as efficient use of a tool. I spin them at 5,000 rpm's for less than 10 seconds then test with my finger. If they're clean I spin dry for another 10 seconds and add a drop of oil. I don't think it is any harsher than casting a few thousand times a week. I cleaned the bearings in 9 reels in about 10 minutes. Now if I spun them at a top speed of 32,000 rpm's for extended periods of time I would be nuts. After cleaning, they absolutely fly! So fast in fact, I don't bother buying abec7's anymore. The stock seem just fine for me. By the way, how fast do you think they spin during casting? I've heard the td ito type r spool did 30,000 rpm's.
k3bass reply :
On 7/10/2015 at 11:15 AM, BASSPATROL247 said:Sure there is, easier and faster to clean..
I agree. With the shields on you'll never really know if you got all the gunk out of the bearing or not, no matter how many time you soak them. I usually replace my shielded spool bearings with non shielded bearings.
BASSPATROL247 reply :
On 7/10/2015 at 2:23 PM, masterbass said:I'll take my chances with the dremel. I don't see it as a short cut, I see it as efficient use of a tool. I spin them at 5,000 rpm's for less than 10 seconds then test with my finger. If they're clean I spin dry for another 10 seconds and add a drop of oil. I don't think it is any harsher than casting a few thousand times a week. I cleaned the bearings in 9 reels in about 10 minutes. Now if I spun them at a top speed of 32,000 rpm's for extended periods of time I would be nuts. After cleaning, they absolutely fly! So fast in fact, I don't bother buying abec7's anymore. The stock seem just fine for me. By the way, how fast do you think they spin during casting? I've heard the td ito type r spool did 30,000 rpm's.
I agree 110% the dremel is not gonna do no more harm than casting for a couple days..i was amazed how fast you can clean them, i clean my reels once a month and sometimes more but i fish ALOT more than most guys so it shouldnt take long to see if the dremels gonna mess them up... i dont think it wil the wah you told me to ise it...dont see it...
BASSPATROL247 reply :
On 7/10/2015 at 4:07 AM, J Francho said:The Dremel is a good way to ruin a bearing. Test them on a chopstick with your finger. A gentle flick, and it will spin smoothly and quietly with no chatter when clean and dry. Then you can lube them with whatever oil you like.
I read an article from this site and the guy who wrote it said he read in an engineering handbook that abec1 bearings are rated to run at a sustained 32,000 rpm's greased and 38,000 rpm's oiled. I like him think that a baitcaster spool does not spin that fast and if if does it does not spin that fast but for only a second.. i beleive that pretty much tells me that bearings on a dremel at 5,000 rpm for 10 seconds will not hurt a reel bearing wich i would think is rated higher than abec 1 or eaual to abec1... so yeah...theyll be fine. He also did the math for a one inch spool filled with line and said if you could get it to spin at 32,000(or 38,000 i cant remember) rpm's your lure would be traveling 166ft per second....
OkobojiEagle reply :
On 7/10/2015 at 4:24 PM, BASSPATROL247 said:I read an article from this site and the guy who wrote it said he read in an engineering handbook that abec1 bearings are rated to run at a sustained 32,000 rpm's greased and 38,000 rpm's oiled.
How many RPMs running dry are they rated for?
oe
J Francho reply :
You guys can do what you think makes your reels work better. I'll do what working on thousands of reeks has told me what works. You don't need to replace bearings EVER if you do it right. Right generally means slower. Have at it. When you ruin things, I'm always available to help you out. As a general recommendation to the average guy that wants to clean up his reel and get some longer life and maybe some added performance, some of the advice in here is not the best. Degrease, rinse, soak in solvent, dry. Lubricate, then test. If it's not what you think it could be, repeat. There is no short cut.
BASSPATROL247 reply :
I know i dont jave to replace mine every year but i do because i like to. And im callin BS on you should NEVER have to replace a bearing, ive had some go bad and all the cleaning and lubing in the world couldnt fix them, nothing last forever.i suppose the drag disks last forever too? Your nuttier than a snickers...NOTHING last forever including bearings no matter how or how often you clean them...
BASSPATROL247 reply :
On 7/10/2015 at 7:44 PM, OkobojiEagle said:How many RPMs running dry are they rated for?
oe
Didnt say..search reel care and you'll see the article, really good one.
rippin-lips reply :
Someone just lock the thread. Some people try to be right about everything.
Logan S reply :
I've never had to replace a bearing, ever...My stuff sees a ton of use and I'm not exactly easy on my gear either. I've got a Curado 100B that I've used heavily for over a decade with the original bearings...And to be honest, I don't even take care of it that well.
I think any quality reel these days comes with quality bearings...And unless you drag it through sand or mud they should last as long as the rest of the reel does with basic minimal maintenance.
Regarding the original question, I don't bother removing shields. A drop of oil every now and then keeps things going perfectly for me.
Kevin22 reply :
On 7/10/2015 at 10:29 PM, rippin-lips said:Someone just lock the thread. Some people try to be right about everything.
Lock it so the mod doesnt get proven wrong? That is what is wrong with forums these days...
Good discussion so far, different opinions but both have merit.
I personally dont see how a dremel could harm a bearing unless the bearing is full of sand.
rippin-lips reply :
Two people that have worked on over a thousand reels combined have tried to help. Both have years of experience with what they're talking about. Yet still get argued with by someone who's cleaned a handful of his own reels. That is what is wrong with forums these days.
Kevin22 reply :
So only the most experienced know the best ways? That is asinine. New techniques for completing tasks are thought of every day, not only by the most experienced.
k3bass reply :
On 7/10/2015 at 11:31 PM, rippin-lips said:Two people that have worked on over a thousand reels combined have tried to help. Both have years of experience with what they're talking about. Yet still get argued with by someone who's cleaned a handful of his own reels. That is what is wrong with forums these days.
Just because someone has years of experience doing something doesn't make everything they do or say right.
rippin-lips reply :
That's not what I was getting it, and what you said is very true. In this instance it doesn't apply though. Not in my opinion anyhow. Which is just that, an opinion. I'd take the advice of two people with lots of experience over one with minimal.
I'm finished with this thread. Y'all have a good day. I'm off to work.
J Francho reply :
On 7/10/2015 at 11:13 PM, Kevin22 said:Lock it so the mod doesnt get proven wrong? That is what is wrong with forums these days...
Good discussion so far, different opinions but both have merit.
I personally dont see how a dremel could harm a bearing unless the bearing is full of sand.
No, lock it because someone resorted to petty insults and disrespectful attitude.
The question posed above was what benefit is there to remove the shields. The reply was that it is easier to clean. Then someone had a bad idea to clean the bearing with a Dremel. Now you're asking how a Dremel could damage a bearing unless there was some dirt in there.
How would dirt get in there? Uh, you removed the sheilds because you didn't want to wait out the cleaning process.
So you see, it's not a matter of I'm a mod and you're wrong. It's a matter of BEST PRACTICES, and realizing for the ten or so people that posted here, hundreds of others will have also read it, and taken something in here as gospel. I'm not gonna be the one that broke another guy's reel.
k3bass reply :
On 7/11/2015 at 1:01 AM, J Francho said:No, lock it because someone resorted to petty insults and disrespectful attitude.
The question posed above was what benefit is there to remove the shields. The reply was that it is easier to clean. Then someone had a bad idea to clean the bearing with a Dremel. Now you're asking how a Dremel could damage a bearing unless there was some dirt in there.
How would dirt get in there? Uh, you removed the sheilds because you didn't want to wait out the cleaning process.
So you see, it's not a matter of I'm a mod and you're wrong. It's a matter of BEST PRACTICES, and realizing for the ten or so people that posted here, hundreds of others will have also read it, and taken something in here as gospel. I'm not gonna be the one that broke another guy's reel.
Looks to me like you're the one with the disrespectful attitude. From many of the old threads I've been reading it's not the first time. When you dont agree with someone or something that's posted you get snarky and lock the thread. Maybe it's time to put your big boy pants on.
J Francho reply :
Just did.
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