Oil And Grease For Shimano Reels 2024
chromedog reply :
I need to get some oil and grease to do the winter cleaning on some reels. Can you use hot sauce or reel butter products on shimano reels without doing damage? Is one better than the other?
Thanks in advance.
nwibass reply :
It's not going to hurt it, all reels are basically made the same therefore most components interchange. I use "quantum" grease on my shimanos, works fine, just dont use alot or it will bog it down. Goodluck!
JIGFISHERMAN. reply :
yes you can use both.
I like Hot Sauce oil, because it maintains the most consistent viscosity through a wide temperature range.
I use Cal's drag grease for all points that need grease, Typically, I'll grease the drag system, even if delivered from the factory dry.
J Francho reply :
Be careful....I've heard stories of voided warranties. Why not just call Shimano, and get the right stuff? Permalub and Bantam Oil is what to ask for. 1-888-577-0600
JIGFISHERMAN. reply :
On 12/29/2011 at 11:32 PM, J Francho said:Be careful....I've heard stories of voided warranties. Why not just call Shimano, and get the right stuff? Permalub and Bantam Oil is what to ask for. 1-888-577-0600
Your online sarcasm usually goes over my head, so I've got to ask, are you serious?
J Francho reply :
There was absolutely ZERO sarcasm in that reply.
0119 reply :
Bantam discussed this over and over when this board choose to have a shimano page. Quantum hot sauce will void your warranty. It is highly not recommended by shimano. On a side note dont ever use it in a pinch on your firearms either!
chromedog reply :
OK, thanx for the information. I had gotten a lot of conflicting info and wanted to make sure to use what was best for my reels. I will give shimano a call this afternoon.
Delaware Valley Tackle reply :
Shimano's drag grease can be used for drags as well as gears. If you have already have Rem Oil, 3 in 1 or even sewing machine oil oil along with Yahmaha Blue marine or Superlube grease you can lube all but the drags. Drag washers require a specific drag grease to function properly.
JIGFISHERMAN. reply :
On 12/30/2011 at 1:00 AM, Delaware Valley Tackle said:Shimano's drag grease can be used for drags as well as gears. If you have already have Rem Oil, 3 in 1 or even sewing machine oil oil along with Yahmaha Blue marine or Superlube grease you can lube all but the drags. Drag washers require a specific drag grease to function properly.
You use that stuff for lubing bearings???
Delaware Valley Tackle reply :
No. I was not not clear when I said all but the drags. The oils I listed are suitable for bearings. The grease would go on gear teeth. To service the drag you will need Cals or Shimano drag grease. FWIW Crankshaft and handle knob bearings can be grease packed if you prefer that feel. I personally do not.
JIGFISHERMAN. reply :
On 12/30/2011 at 1:08 AM, Delaware Valley Tackle said:No. I was not not clear when I said all but the drags. The oils I listed are suitable for bearings. The grease would go on gear teeth. To service the drag you will need Cals or Shimano drag grease. FWIW Crankshaft and handle knob bearings can be grease packed if you prefer that feel. I personally do not.
You don't think those oils are VERY heavy for spool bearings?
Delaware Valley Tackle reply :
I picked this up somewhere along the way. My choice in the shop is Yellow Rocket Fuel. The suggestions above are options if you don't want or have specialty lubes.
Lube.............................Viscosity@78F (cP)
Mobil-1 0W-30 (syn)..................400
Superlube w/PTFE..................... 245
Zebco Needle Oiler.................... 206
Quicksilver Storage Seal............ 203
Abu Silicoat Reel Oil..................176
Browning Midas Gun Oil (syn)... 140
Quicksilver PS and Trim Oil........136
BSB Speed Bearing...................114
Red RF (hc)...............................93
PMI Paintball Gun Lube...............90
Power Steering Fluid................. .90
Diawa Std Needle Oiler............ ...84
Reel-X.......................................74
ATF Dextron III...........................62
Shimano Std. (hc).......................60
Yellow RF (hc)............................59
3-In-1 Oil...................................40
-
Reel Butter..................................28
Quantum Hot Sauce......................25
X+1R..........................................21
Diawa TDZ lube (syn)...................18
Diawa/Liberto Pixy Lube (syn)........18
Whale Spit (hc)............................14
Abu Black Max .............................14
WD 40........................................6
Tournament RF (hc)......................4
Friction Zero Lub (hc/syn )............4
Rem Oil (hc)................................3
Reference: DI water.....................1
-------------------------------------------
Lube....Viscosity (cP) @ .....38F...........@78F.........@ 98F (cP)
Yellow RF ........................285..............59....... .......35
3-In-1 Oil.........................161....... ......40...............20
Quantum Hot Sauce...........100..............25............... 16
Goose52 reply :
RemOil has an extremely low viscosity of only 3. I use RemOil on spool bearings, and use Abu Silicote (viscosity 176) on crankshaft and knob bearings and on the wormshaft. The RemOil is so thin that you need more frequent applications than some of the other standard reel lubes.
3-in-1 oil shows a viscosity of 40 at 78 degrees - but it gets real thick (160) at 38 degrees.
I have a chart of reel lube viscosities that I copied from somewhere on the web but I don't want to post here as I can't remember where I got it and whether it was copyrighted. A web search on viscosity of reel lubricants might turn up some charts on this topic...
EDIT - while I was typing - DVT posted! I think we have the same data.
J Francho reply :
Quote3-in-1 oil shows a viscosity of 40 at 78 degrees - but it gets real thick (160) at 38 degrees.
As you noted, there is much more to the picture than just viscosity specs.
LgMouthGambler reply :
Whatever brand you decide to use, make sure you thoroughly clean all the old oil and grease off all the components as to avoid a chemical reaction between the old and new lubricants. Once that has been done, its more of a smooth sail from there on. Dropping the bearings in eaches own Acitone cup over night will help to ensure a thorough cleaning of the bearings. Some scrubbing of gears and such, for the removal of grease, with a toothbrush helps for a good cleaning as well. If your not sure of yourself, you could hand it over to a professional (like DVT) to make sure its done properly.Good luck, fish on!
Goose52 reply :
On 12/30/2011 at 2:07 AM, J Francho said:As you noted, there is much more to the picture than just viscosity specs.
You bet! I wouldn't have paid much attention to that 38 degree viscosity temp when I lived in SoFla or SoCal ... but I sure pay attention to it now! I was fishing in 33 air temps the other day and didn't notice any loss of casting distance with the RemOil - but perhaps I might have with another lube. I've fished sub-freezing with the RemOil and still been OK (the rod guides and reel line guide ice up before I have any lube problems... 
).
Hi Salenity reply :
I guess it's time to switch to winter oil. lol
On a side note I have an unopened new bottle of Hot Sauce oil I'd sell . I'm scared to use it after some of the stuff I've read...
J Francho reply :
I use Oust Metol in sub freezing conditions.
Raider Nation Fisher reply :
On 12/30/2011 at 12:10 AM, 119 said:Bantam discussed this over and over when this board choose to have a shimano page. Quantum hot sauce will void your warranty. It is highly not recommended by shimano. On a side note dont ever use it in a pinch on your firearms either!
Obviously there is a story to go along with not using on firearms. Please do tell.
J Francho reply :
On 12/30/2011 at 3:49 AM, Hi Salenity said:I guess it's time to switch to winter oil. lol
On a side note I have an unopened new bottle of Hot Sauce oil I'd sell . I'm scared to use it after some of the stuff I've read...
The oil is not nearly as obnoxious as their grease.
Glenn reply :
On 12/30/2011 at 12:10 AM, 119 said:Bantam discussed this over and over when this board choose to have a shimano page.
And then Shimano chose not to have it anymore. We didn't give them the boot.
Just wanted to make that clear.
SirSnookalot reply :
On 12/29/2011 at 11:32 PM, J Francho said:Be careful....I've heard stories of voided warranties. Why not just call Shimano, and get the right stuff? Permalub and Bantam Oil is what to ask for. 1-888-577-0600
Fact, not fiction. I'm one of the people that had their warranty voided. Sent my spheros 4000 in for repair and they did void my warranty for not using their oil. I had an issue with one of my stradics, ordered a part from Shimano and when the part never showed, I called and they had no record of the order ever being placed. I avoid Shimano service, will only use them as a last result.
Dave T. reply :
On 12/29/2011 at 11:27 PM, chromedog said:I need to get some oil and grease to do the winter cleaning on some reels. Can you use hot sauce or reel butter products on shimano reels without doing damage? Is one better than the other?
Thanks in advance.
I use the Shimano oil, their Permalube, and Drag Grease on all my Shimano reels. Seems to work fine. Plus, if I have a warranty issue, there won't be any questioned asked. On my non-Shimano reels, I like the Ardent Reel Butter products, and at some point will probably use it on the Shimano's when they are out of warranty.
Delaware Valley Tackle reply :
In the 80's there were auto manufacturers trying to force the use of a certain brand of motor oil to avoid warranty claims. I can vouch thay it is almost impossible to pin a mechanical failure on a brand of lube. A misapplication is another story. It boils down to how much you want to fight about it. A $200 reel is a different story than a $20,000 car.
A legitimate warranty claim issue should be apparent before the first service on a new reel in most cases. Fish it like you stole it right out of the box and once you're satisfied all is well, have it cleaned and lubed for max performance.
J Francho reply :
Look at you stealing my lines, lol. Have a happy new years!
BobP reply :
Hot Sauce is a very good oil. Bit I'd never use it due to the red dye that migrates all over inside the reel. Yuck! If you have lubricated drag disks in your reel, you should lubricate them with a specific drag grease like Shimano ACE-2 , which is a heavy, sticky cosmoline grease - NOT regular grease. Among oils that you can find in stores, I'd pick the Reel Butter Bearing oil. I've been using Yellow Rocket Fuel for years and like it, along with SuperLube grease (a white PTFE fortified auto bearing grease you can find in 8 oz cans at NAPA stores). Good stuff.
Dave T. reply :
On 1/1/2012 at 1:26 PM, BobP said:Among oils that you can find in stores, I'd pick the Reel Butter Bearing oil.
Yep, the Reel Butter Bearing oil seems to work extremely nice on bearings. The regular Reel Butter oil works nice on pivot points, and non bearing surfaces. The Reel Butter grease on gears and shafts has smoothed out a couple of reels for me, and has held up well. Water seems to have little effect on it... good stuff.
.RM. reply :
X2On 1/1/2012 at 6:40 AM, Delaware Valley Tackle said:In the 80's there were auto manufacturers trying to force the use of a certain brand of motor oil to avoid warranty claims. I can vouch thay it is almost impossible to pin a mechanical failure on a brand of lube. A misapplication is another story. It boils down to how much you want to fight about it. A $200 reel is a different story than a $20,000 car.
A legitimate warranty claim issue should be apparent before the first service on a new reel in most cases. Fish it like you stole it right out of the box and once you're satisfied all is well, have it cleaned and lubed for max performance.
In reel lubrication "Less is best" "Grease on gears oil on bearing ONLY"
Tight Lines All! 
J Francho reply :
I pack the pinion support gear, any worm gear support bearings, crankshaft frame and side cover bearings, and knob bearings with grease. I prefer the smooth feel during the retrieve. Anything that affects the spool speed once the thumbar is depressed gets oil. Of course if it's someone else's reel, and they have a preference, then...
Delaware Valley Tackle reply :
On 1/1/2012 at 7:49 AM, J Francho said:Look at you stealing my lines, lol. Have a happy new years!
"Immitation is the sincerest form of flattery" (stole that one too) lol Happy New Year and a toast to dishpan hands!
.ghoti. reply :
This is timely. Early this year I posted about TSI 321 lube, but had no conclusions at that time. After a year of use I do have some conclusions, or opinions if you will, to report.
TSI sells two "oils". TSI 301 and TSI 321. Both are synthetic esters. The difference between the two is the solvent base. 301's solvent evaporates out very quickly, but is harmful to some plastics. Which plastics, you ask? I don't know, and they're not saying. I picked 321 for this reason. I have all Daiwa baitcasters; Zillions, Alphas and Fuegos, so they are not many plastic parts. But, there are some, so I decided to not risk it.
NOTE: SKIP THIS PARAGRAPH IF YOU'RE NOT A TECHO-GEEK LIKE ME. An ester is a compound formed by reacting an acid with an alcohol. There are many of each, and by picking the catalyst, and conditions, temperatures and pressures, one can form many different esters. There are thousands out there. Esters are the lubricant of choice for jet engines. They are the basis for many synthetic lubes, and can be blended with other lubes without having their properties compromised. What I found most interesting during my research is that ester molecules have polarity. This means they bind together, and are attracted to metals. This means they will displace water, and will maintain a high degree of lubricity under adverse conditions. It takes a lot of load the wipe them off, and extreme temperatures are very well tolerated. Remember the jet engine note?
OK, ENOUGH OF THE GEEK-SPEAK.
This year I experimented with my own reels. My "normal" lube choices are Shimano drag grease for drags washers and gears, 90wt gear oil for frame and handle bearings, and Daiwa needle oiler for the levelwind. I use Daiwa red oil for spool bearings, but I'm almost out of that so I've been using Ardent bearing oil, and will recommend that. It is a more than acceptable substitute for the Daiwa oil, and is readily available.
I replaced Daiwa red oil with TSI-321 for spool bearings in about half of my reels. I used 321 on about half of the levelwinds. For frame bearings, one each of the Fuegos, Zillions and Alphas got 321 instead of gear oil. In one reel, a tuned up Fuego, I used 321 for everything, including the drag washers and gears.
The last reel is the one I was most interested in. I did not service this reel mid-season. It went all year on the same lube. I tore it down last week and went over it with a loupe, looking for wear. I did not find any. I did notice that this reel had a bit more gear feel than the reels whose gears were lubed with Shimano drag grease. With that in mind I will not be using 321 for gears in the future. I did not see any wear on the gears, but I like the smoother feel the grease provides.
The drag was very smooth, but had a bit less stopping power. I am very particular about drag performance. I use lighter line than most, so drag performance is crucial. I polish all metal drag washers, use carbontex fiber washers, and strive to get the drag so that startup torque is as close to running torque as I can get. With 321 on the washers, startup and running torque were almost the same. The lockdown drag was only 6.5 pounds though. Compared to almost 10lbs normally. This reel got an excellent test of the drag In October. I was below the dam at Lake Shelbyville, fishing for walleye. I had dinner in mind. I'd spooled this reel up with #6 YZ, and had two jigheads tied on; a 1/16oz with a small fluke on the end of the line and a 1/32oz with a 2" grub about a foot up. I tied into a muskie about 48" long. Didn't have a tape with me, that's a guesstimate. He ran me up and down the bank, pulling drag the whole time. The drag never flinched. Eventually I had the fish right at my feet, reaching for him when the line broke. Unless I manage to catch a world record smallmouth, I'll never have a bass put a drag to the test like that muskie did. The drag was very smoother, no stuttering, and started very smoothly. The lower max drag will be an issue for some applications.
For levelwinds, 321 is the stuff. I apply it with a small artist's brush and let it dry. In use, nothing sticks to it. I does not pick up any grit that I can see. I inspected the levelwind worm gears and pawls with loupe and saw no signs of wear at all.
For frame and handle bearings, I could detect only a very subtle difference in smoothness between 321 and 90wt gear oil. And that could have been differences between reels. But, it was still there.
For spool bearings, this is the right stuff, with one caveat. More on that later.
So, from now on, my lubes picks will be:
Shimano drag grease for all drive gears. It's just smoother.
Shimano drag grease for drag washers in my Zillions and Fuegos
TSI321 for drag washers in my Alphas. I use lighter line on my Alphas.
90wt gear oil for frame bearings.
TSI321 for handle bearings. I like the water displacement properties for this application.
TSI321 for levelwind worm gear and pawl. Again, water displacement, and nothing seems to stick to it.
Now, about the spool bearings. At first I did not prefer TSI321. The bearings seemed quite a bit more free, but also a bit noisier. I believe my reels should be seen and not heard, so I did not like this. But I discovered something halfway through the season.
I remembered some of my earlier research, particularly the idea that 321 could be "blended" without loosing any of its properties, so another mid-season experiment was in order. I cleaned spool bearings from one each of the reels, Aplhas, Zillion and Fuego. With the shields removed I applied a small drop of 321 to each bearing, spun it until the lube was well distributed, spun them on a Dremel until all excess was thrown off, and left them to dry overnight. I then added a small drop of oil. Daiwa red oil in one, Ardent bearing oil in one and Ardent yellow oil in the third. This is the ticket! All three reels will now cast farther, with less effort, and are almost completely silent. It's almost too free for the Zillions, if you can say there's such a thing as too free when speaking of spool bearings. This is now my SOP for spool bearings.
You can ask Roadwarrior about how free the spool is on one of these reels. I met him, Speedy Madewell and Neal Coleman in early November for a smallmouth trip on the Tennessee river. I played Big Bobby Bonehead, and got my line tangled up in the trolling motor. Not one of my finer moments this year. We pulled up in a tributary, out of the current, so we could take off the prop and get the line out. Kent grabbed one of those reels, a R-Edition Alphas a on a BCR852 GLX. My current favorite setup. I had a small tube tied on with a 2/0 Owner Rig-N hook and 1/16oz internal weight. Kent tried to cast it into the next county and got a "professional over-run" bad enough to require cutting out about 25 yards of line. He was muttering in the back of the boat, something like dad-blasted Daiwahz. That's as close as I can get on a family friendly forum. LOL.
Jaheff reply :
Interesting. I wonder what the long term side effects will be on the drag washers with TSI301 not being teflon based? All I have read by the saltwater mechanics is drag grease has to be teflon based. I guess it's a cheap test with drag washers only being 8 to 10 bucks.
Edited by Jaheff.ghoti. reply :
On 1/3/2012 at 2:54 AM, Jaheff said:Interesting. I wonder what the long term side effects will be on the drag washers with TSI301 not being teflon based? All I have read by the saltwater mechanics is drag grease has to be teflon based. I guess it's a cheap test with drag washers only being 8 to 10 bucks.
I've read the same thing, in more than one place. I was a bit reluctant to try this, but then decided what the heck. I still have all the original washers. I can always put those back in if I have to. The real test will be when I use this reel again next year. I cleaned it all up and re-lubed the drag washers with Shimano grease. I hope they don't deteriorate over time, but I'll find out soon enough.
baluga reply :
Been using TSi 301 for quite sometime now and very much impressed how it maintains the free spool on my baitcasters even heavy saltwater use. I've used it on CTE 100 GT, Conquest 100 and Curados they would be casting long without re-oiling or cleaning the spool bearings for 5 months and longer. It has held up on saltwater pretty well not like the Xtreme Reel oil which I needed to re-apply every after 3 sessions in saltwater.
Kevinator1 reply :
Hey Ghoti,
You are as sick as I am with the Techno-Geek thing. I have a chemistry background and also have been experimenting with about every lubricant known to man. Hopefully I will be producing my own reel oils and greases in the near future. I really enjoyed you sharing your experiments and I will also share mine when I have completed the final product.
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