Is It Hard To Clean A Reel? 2024

Catch and Grease reply :

Hey guys, I have a reel from a combo I bought called the shimano zeles that I use alot and it sounds like it needs to be cleaned. I think it has dirt or something in it making it alittle rough... Do you guys think I could take it apart and clean it without breaking something even though I've never took a reel apart? How hard is it to clean a reel?

desmobob reply :

If you're comfortable doing that sort of thing, go for it. It's always good to have an exploded diagram handy if you try it.

http://www.shimanofish.com.au/media/fishing/shimano/saf/documents/all_schematics/baitcast_reels/ZELES200_v1_m56577569830877974.pdf

Tight lines,

Bob

Delaware Valley Tackle reply :

It depends on your mechanical aptitude and willingness to take your time. Never open a reel without a schematic handy and keep in mind that they are mostly a parts list, not assembly instructions. Someone will inevitably post the link to Shimanos videos, which are just ok. Most reel models have what I call a "Gottcha" somewhere. That's not a super expensive reel to experiment with. Set aside enough time (probably a couple of hours first time) and document with pics and notes just how it came apart. Let me know if you get stuck and I'll try to talk you through.

Catch and Grease reply :

On 11/3/2014 at 9:32 PM, desmobob said:

If you're comfortable doing that sort of thing, go for it. It's always good to have an exploded diagram handy if you try it.

http://www.shimanofish.com.au/media/fishing/shimano/saf/documents/all_schematics/baitcast_reels/ZELES200_v1_m56577569830877974.pdf

Tight lines,

Bob

Well that parts diagram is a lot to look at... didn't expect it to be that complicated haha

On 11/3/2014 at 9:36 PM, Delaware Valley Tackle said:
It depends on your mechanical aptitude and willingness to take your time. Never open a reel without a schematic handy and keep in mind that they are mostly a parts list, not assembly instructions. Someone will inevitably post the link to Shimanos videos, which are just ok. Most reel models have what I call a "Gottcha" somewhere. That's not a super expensive reel to experiment with. Set aside enough time (probably a couple of hours first time) and document with pics and notes just how it came apart. Let me know if you get stuck and I'll try to talk you through.

Okay, I guess if I want to learn it'd be best to start with a cheap reel like this... When I get some free time ill sit down for a few hours and try to work it out. Probably wont be able to until this weekend but ill give you a shout if I run into trouble. Thanks!

papajoe222 reply :

A helpful hint, if you don't mind. As you remove the parts from the reel, lay them out from left to right on a clean surface (I like using a gift box cover). Reverse the order when reassembling. This will help you when it comes to location of the smaller parts like washers and screws. Be careful when removing springs and clips. If they fly off, they're a bugger to find.

fishballer06 reply :

Whenever I take apart my reels to clean, I normally lay them out on a clean, soft, white towel. That way I can see everything and it doesn't get lost.

OkobojiEagle reply :

When you lay the parts out on a towel as mentioned... lay them in an orientation that helps you remember which side of the part is top vs. bottom. Some parts it doesn't matter when re-assembling the reel... some parts it does.

tater555 reply :

Really and truly it isn't that bad as long as you pay very good attention and lay all your parts in the order they come out. And also like the guy above me said, lay down a light colored towel or shirt to work on. It really helps you keep track of those small parts and prevents them from bouncing half way across the room whenever you drop something. Good luck!

J Francho reply :

Laying parts out on a paper towel is a bad idea. Orientation can be easily determined with a correct schematic. Here's how I keep track of a stripped reel.

greentrout reply :

To each his own but, for me, I'd rather take it to my professional rod and reel guy and get it done right for a mere 25.00 dollars and always give him a little extra. He does good work.

Old school basser....

J Francho reply :

There's two pros in this thread, lol.

roadwarrior reply :

On 11/3/2014 at 9:36 PM, Delaware Valley Tackle said:
It depends on your mechanical aptitude...

Inspector Harry Callahan (Clint Eastwood)~ "A man's got to know his limitations"

For me that means it's going to be serviced by Mike @ DVT.

OkobojiEagle reply :

On 11/3/2014 at 10:18 PM, J Francho said:
Laying parts out on a paper towel is a bad idea. Orientation can be easily determined with a correct schematic. Here's how I keep track of a stripped reel.

I would agree that using paper towels as a work table cloth isn't a very good idea, but I think a cloth towel (as suggested above) carefully laid flat is a helpful precaution. Part orientation isn't always easily identified from a schematic. I've learned that an IAR bearing can be reassembled upside down and doesn't work in that orientation... my schematics aren't discernible as to which end of an IAR bearing is up. I use a muffin tin like yours as well, but will lightly dot the top of some parts with a felt tip maker. I'd rather err on the side of caution.

J Francho reply :

Not sure how you can keep track of up or down, when you have to wash the parts...

Just put the tube in the AR bearing, and turn. That will tell you which way it goes back. Some bearings even have an arrow stamped for the direction they turn. Otherwise, I've yet to encounter a part that goes in the "wrong way" and yet allows the reel to work. Clutch springs can be tricky - on reels that have two, I recommend taking a a quick cell phone snap before removing them, so you can tell which goes in the top and bottom. Generally, the smaller one goes on the bottom, connected to the kickplate.

BobP reply :

DVT is right that there is often at least one "gotcha" in just about all modern low profile reel models - something that is easy to take apart but finicky to put back together. For Shimano reels, the level wind system was often the assembly that most vexed me during reassembly until I developed a knack for it. When I take apart an unfamiliar reel model for the first time, I find that it helps to shoot some pics of the reel with a digital camera or phone to show how they should fit back together. The diagram that comes with the reel is primarily for ordering parts. It will not show you how part X needs to be oriented to make the reel work properly. That said, it's certainly worthwhile to learn how to do this yourself. Besides a sense of accomplishment, it gives you a good idea of how the innards of the reel work together so when/if something goes wrong in the future, you'll have a good idea of what it is and how to correct a problem immediately and get back to fishing instead of having to send the reel off for weeks to get it repaired. It's up to you to decide whether you have the aptitude to reassemble the reel properly after cleaning the parts. I think it's worth a shot but if you have serious doubts, you can either limit the level of service you attempt on the reel or simply send it off and let a professional to do the work.

OkobojiEagle reply :

On 11/3/2014 at 11:33 PM, J Francho said:
and yet allows the reel to work.

... and there in lies the question. I use four spinning reels that have to have the rotor reassembled to know whether the IAR bearing is installed correctly. (just an example) As I wrote above, err on the side of caution.

Catch and Grease reply :

I would send it to DVT (or any other reel technician) but its a cheap reel. Is it really worth it to take a cheap reel and spend 25$ or so every so often to get it cleaned up? That's like paying around half the price of the reel itself to get it cleaned.

I think I'll just try cleaning it and hope for the best...

J Francho reply :

What model?

Catch and Grease reply :

Its a shimano zeles, its from a combo shimano makes.

http://fish.shimano.com/publish/content/global_fish/en/us/index/products/combos0/Zeles.html

J Francho reply :

On 11/3/2014 at 11:50 PM, OkobojiEagle said:

... and there in lies the question. I use four spinning reels that have to have the rotor reassembled to know whether the IAR bearing is installed correctly. (just an example) As I wrote above, err on the side of caution.

oe

The rotor is not connected to the AR sleeve in any reel I've ever worked on. You should be able to infer what direction the roller bearing is installed using the method I posted above. You'd have to know what direction the rotor spins in the first place (usually clockwise, looking at the face), though. Maybe that's the disconnect?

At any rate, marking the the top of the AR won't hurt anything, and if it helps, go for it.

J Francho reply :

On 11/4/2014 at 12:03 AM, Catch and Grease said:

Its a shimano zeles, its from a combo shimano makes.

http://fish.shimano.com/publish/content/global_fish/en/us/index/products/combos0/Zeles.html

I'd stick to this plan:

http://fish.shimano.com/publish/content/global_fish/en/us/index/customer_service0/reel_maintenance_instructions.download.-mainParsys-0001-downloadFile.html/Maintenance%20Tips-%20Baitcasting%20Reels%20%282%20pages%29.pdf

CarolinaBoy4Life reply :

Just this past Saturday I experimented with taking some of my reel's apart and checking them out. Didn't really dive too deep or take too much apart but I learned alot just by experimenting and checking components. I did have a IPL while doing this. I was messing with some of my cheaper baitcasters. Too new to reel cleaning and maintenance to move up and break down my more expensive rigs.

OroBass reply :

Something i learned is to work on a large surface. There are lots of little springs, clips and spaces that can go flying. Some of the clips can be super hard to find if they fall on the floor.

hatrix reply :

Its not that hard really. Everyone who like to fish should probably know how to do some minor maintenance to there stuff. You don't need to get crazy your first time taking one apart. Just pop off the handle plate and clean and grease the pinion and main gear and see what that gets you. I think chances are though if it feels rough or like gears when you turn the handle one of the gears might be beat. If you have another reel to swap out the gears to test it that's always nice and easy.

Jaheff reply :

On 11/4/2014 at 12:57 AM, hatrix said:
Its not that hard really. Everyone who like to fish should probably know how to do some minor maintenance to there stuff. You don't need to get crazy your first time taking one apart. Just pop off the handle plate and clean and grease the pinion and main gear and see what that gets you. I think chances are though if it feels rough or like gears when you turn the handle one of the gears might be beat. If you have another reel to swap out the gears to test it that's always nice and easy.

I agree, I know when I first got into baitcaster I took two reels back that only needed to be degreased cause the AR spun backwards. I think some reel company's get a bad rap cause they over grease their reels. All they need is a little cleaning.

greentrout reply :

I'll do the basic cleaning but here's what my guy does for me:

All cleanings consist of the following:

Complete disassembly and inspection.

Thorough ultra sonic cleaning of all parts in a special degreaser solution.

All bearing shields removed, cleaned, and re-lube/greased.

Carbon fiber drag washers lubed with Cal's drag grease.

Lube, grease, and reassemble.

Each to his own.

Old school basser...

Alonerankin2 reply :

On bearing shields that are stainless, those cannot be reinstalled, or can they?

J Francho reply :

On 11/4/2014 at 1:43 AM, Alonerankin2 said:
On bearing shields that are stainless, those cannot be reinstalled, or can they?

Some are "press in" and you pretty much ruin them taking them out. Others have a c-clip retainer. Removing those pretty much ruins them too, though I suppose you can try to put them back in. I don't bother removing metal shields. It's not necessary. If you don't care that anything gets in there, take them off.

Delaware Valley Tackle reply :

I don't even reinstall so called non-contact seals. Once open they're best left open. Whether or not to open them to begin with is the real question (and not always even possible). As a rule, I wouldn't bother opening shielded bearings. If they're quiet but not really spinning well after several soaks, removing the shields may help you save them and running them open is no big deal as long as maintenance is regular.

J Francho reply :

Quote

I don't even ~~reinstall~~ buy bearings with so called non-contact seals.

Fixed it.

I really don't know why people buy OS bearings. Just get the shielded version. A bearing can't get crapped up with what can't get in there, and regular maintenance is status quo for those that upgrade bearings anyway - that's why you never hear about problems running bearings open. For the user that doesn't do anything until something goes wrong, it's a bad choice.

kickerfish1 reply :

On 11/3/2014 at 10:18 PM, J Francho said:

Laying parts out on a paper towel is a bad idea. Orientation can be easily determined with a correct schematic. Here's how I keep track of a stripped reel.

What temp and how long do you bake those cupcakes?!

J Francho reply :

350°F, middle rack, 22 mins, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Raul reply :

The problem is not cleaning it, the problem begins when you break it down ( itsy bitsy teeny tiny lil parts fly at warp speed going boldly where no other reel part has gone before ) and then putting it back together can also represent a problem, schematics help but are not the solution. Take pictures as you remove parts so when you are putting it back together you can see where and how the parts are placed, so you won´t end up with the I don't understand face when you see extra parts after you finish the reassembly process.

OnthePotomac reply :

LakeForkTackle.com has produced a how to DVD for cleaning and lubing baitcasters. I bought one 8 years ago for then $20 and it set me on the road to doing my own reels. You get better the longer you do it, but this was a good start for me. When I hit 13 baitcasters I decided I had better learn how. Organization and attention to detail is the key, but at least for my Shimano reels, I discovered that they are all basically the same inside.

OkobojiEagle reply :

John, I'm quite impressed with your mastery of cleaning Chinese built reels as your muffin tin picture shows... filling first the top right cup working your way top to bottom then right to left as the characters on a traditional Chinese written page.

J Francho reply :

LOL, turn the pan 90°ccw, and it's left to right, top to bottom.

roadwarrior reply :

Hmm...

My handle on a Scorpion was loose which requires removing two little bitty screws

and then tightening a little nut. This exceeded my capabilities as one of those little

burgers jumped out and ran away!

OkobojiEagle reply :

On 11/4/2014 at 3:25 AM, J Francho said:
LOL, turn the pan 90°ccw, and it's left to right, top to bottom.

I've read about you guys that go both ways... I'm guessing this is what that meant???...

hatrix reply :

The only time there are tiny parts that go flying is when ou start getting into the level wind or handle shaft. Those are held in with E clips and pop those off in a bag or something. It's really nothing to just remove the handle side plate. Depends on the reel but 4 screws and a nut the rest slide off. Really if doing that is beyond someone's mechanical ability then we are doomed as a people. I understand getting older and things being harder with little parts. But if you don't qualify for AARP then I hope for your sake you can handle such minor task.

Also please refrain from clicking the thumb bar when the plate is not on and the yoke springs still installed. Unless you don't want those yoke springs anymore and intend to send 30 minutes on the floor looking for them. I have done it myself and I know waaaaayyyyy better then that. I did it back to back the one day. Crazy

Delaware Valley Tackle reply :

Pretty much anyone has the intellect to change the oil in there car (way less involved than what we're talking about) yet what % of the population do it themselves? It's really got nothing to do with age, intelligence or coordination. Whether you lack the confidence or just the inclination to DIY this kind of stuff, there's no shame in just having it done for you, and likely with better results.

Jaheff reply :

A retractable magnet and a flashlight have saved me a few times.

roadwarrior reply :

On 11/4/2014 at 4:11 AM, hatrix said:
Really if doing that is beyond someone's mechanical ability then we are doomed as a people.

Hmm...

Just because it's easy for you does not make it easy for me. I have some other skills

that many people might find challenging. I don't think the ability to tear down a reel and

put it back together determines whether or not we are "doomed as a people".

hatrix reply :

On 11/4/2014 at 4:48 AM, roadwarrior said:

Hmm...

Just because it's easy for you does not make it easy for me. I have some other skills

that many people might find challenging. I don't think the ability to tear down a reel and

put it back together determines whether or not we are "doomed as a people".

I never said to fully tear down a reel. I am only talking about removing the handle plate. A couple screw and the the nut that holds the handle on. I don't disagree that not everyone could break down a reel 100% and put it back together. Unless you don't know how to use a screwdriver or wrench then removing the plate to access the internals should not be a issue. Of course some people might have limiting disabilities but for the average person I hope almost everyone is capable of removing some screws and the handle.

Jolly Green reply :

Take things apart slowly and carefully.

Take pictures.

Remove small, springy parts inside a bread bag or similar.

Keep an eye on your diagram. Sometimes, a small, thin washer will stick to a larger piece and you won't know it's there unless you are checking what's in your hands against what's on the sheet. Later, you will suddenly have "extra" washers (if you didn't accidentally wash them down the drain) and no idea where they go.

Sometimes things are reverse threaded.

Clean, rinse, and dry well; and go easy on the grease, it doesn't take much.

Semi-jack: I'm curious about the pitfalls of removing and reinstalling bearing shields. I've done this several times with no problems; what am I missing or potentially screwing up?

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