Reel maintenance suggestions 2024

n8casCT reply :

This week I am going to try to do maintenance on my reels for the first time and I wanted some advice before starting.

First off my reels are pretty dirty. A few of my spinning reels sound a little more 'geary -- gears grinding louder than they should' and a few of my baitcasters started to slow up and make noise (especially when it's raining out)

I bought a big jug of simple green and wanted to know what I could and could not submerge in simple green. I have basic instructions for reel maintenance on shimanos and DAIWA bait casters but was looking for any advice before starting.

Could I just send my SHIMANO reels to SHIMANO for maintenance (I heard sometimes if you do, they send you back the same model reel but it's not the exact original you sent them)?

There are a ton of bad DIY reel maintenance sites and youtube videos, does anyone have some links to some good ones? Thanks.

roadwarrior reply :

Satisfaction guaranteed:

http://delawarevalleytackle.com/

BassResource.com sponsor offering our members

a 10% discount!

-Kent

BTW: The Shimano story you heard is NOT true.

Many of us know the Manager of Customer Service.

He also happens to be the head of the repair department

and a member of this forum (Bantam1).

skunked_again reply :

everyone cleans their gear differently. ive never used simple green, but i have used a simple green type degreaser thats safe for plastic and thats all that goes in that cleaner. all of the brass/aluminum/steel parts get soaked in acetone. painted frames gets a bath in the simple green type cleaner.

bilgerat reply :

Learning reel maintenance on your front line gear is a bad idea. Do that with beater reels during the winter if you want to learn. This close to nice weather is no time to be waiting on the springs you lost to come in the mail, only to find you can't get it back together anyhow.

Take RW's advice.

hookingem reply :

I Sent my reel to Shimano once, and they deff. sent back the same reel! Now I bring them to a local guy Wayne Knabe.

n8casCT reply :

Quote
Learning reel maintenance on your front line gear is a bad idea. Do that with beater reels during the winter if you want to learn. This close to nice weather is no time to be waiting on the springs you lost to come in the mail, only to find you can't get it back together anyhow.
Take RW's advice.

You might be right.....thx for the heads up, but this is helpful for my junk reels...

WdyCrankbait reply :

Quote
I Sent my reel to Shimano once, and they deff. sent back the same reel! Now I bring them to a local guy Wayne Knabe.

Yeah, I take my reels out to Wayne as well great person all that old fishing tackle in his trailor, good greif!

I always try to get my reels address at the beginning of each new fishing season. Good luck with the cleanings!

uicdent11 reply :

Buy the reel mechanics book. It is a great investment and really helped me the first time I broke down all my reels. His grease and oil are top notch as well.

* It is not letting me post his website. Just google "reel mechanic".

BassThumb reply :

My advice is to take a half dozen pictures of the process if you have a digital camera. It's nice to have these pics when you're reassembling the reel, at least until you get the hang of it.

Also, applying grease to the gears is really easy when applied with a small paintbrush.

BobP reply :

Simple Green won't hurt reel parts. Soak them a couple of hours and use a toothbrush to remove any caked on grease, dry thoroughly and lube the right parts with the right lube. An experienced amateur who knows how will take a couple of hours to service a reel in detail. Be sure you have a schematic on hand, take your time, and it also helps to take digital photos after you take off the side plate. It's not rocket science but reels are precision tools and parts have to be reinstalled exactly where they came from to run properly. And you need to be careful of E clips and retainer springs that have a bad habit of shooting off into oblivion if you aren't careful. You can do it. Many of us do. But if you have doubts, the charge for a pro to do it is also very reasonable and the results are guaranteed.

JacobK reply :

Quote
Satisfaction guaranteed:
http://delawarevalleytackle.com/

BassResource.com sponsor offering our members

a 10% discount!

-Kent

BTW: The Shimano story you heard is NOT true.

Many of us know the Manager of Customer Service.

He also happens to be the head of the repair department

and a member of this forum (Bantam1).

DVT is definitely legit, and extremely trustworthy/honest! He's got my business forever!

trevor reply :

Quote
My advice is to take a half dozen pictures of the process if you have a digital camera. It's nice to have these pics when you're reassembling the reel, at least until you get the hang of it.
Also, applying grease to the gears is really easy when applied with a small paintbrush.

Videotape

Mr SwimJig reply :

Delaware Valley Tackle is definitely the way to go. Quick turn around, outstanding work and plus BR members get a 10% discount. Your reel is professionally cleaned and serviced and ready to go to work.

0119 reply :

Simple Green can and will hurt many different things. Even in a diluted state. I ruined the finish of my wifes Blazer's rims once trying to get the brake dust off. The manufacturer states it is harmful to anodized aluminum even in a 50/50 solution. Ive also noticed it dull the finish on anodized bicycle parts when I worked as a bike mechanic. Bantam warns on another forum just this last week about caution when using it.

curls00 reply :

0119 is right. Simple Green, even diluted, can hurt aluminum and make it dull and pitted. I know from first-hand experience with my polished aluminum cold air intake in my car -- it's now a nice shade of dull grey with what looks like water spots (but its actually etched due to the diluted Simple Green). If you're going to use it, dilute it a lot -- 4:1 or more. Also, don't let it sit on metal parts -- just scrub with an old toothbrush and rinse immediately.

Delaware Valley Tackle reply :

Thanks for the votes of confidence! We're here to help.

n8casCT reply :

Thanks again for such good advice. I got one reply on another site, that's it. I think I'm going to brave it on my 2 year old SHIMANO CITICA first and maybe try my higher end reels afterwards. OR, I might send the zillion or CHRONARCH for super-tuning with the Delaware guy. Is the super-tuning worth the upgrade? The zillion is almost brand new the CHRONARCH is a few years old but in really good shape.

Delaware Valley Tackle reply :

The Zillion has a two piece spool shaft so there's not much tuning to do there. The Chronarch may benefit, but the extent depends upon it's current condition. If it's never been cleaned, that's probably a good first step. A clean/lube/inspect servive costs members $16.20 ($18-10%) plus shipping.

n8casCT reply :

Should I send my symetre spinning reels to SHIMANO to get cleaned ? Do they offer this service? Is there a fee? Or should I service them myself ( I have the PDF download from the SHIMANO website and all the tools to do it myself - it'd just be my first time ) I'm going to send out some of my bait casters to DVT and try to clean my old CITICA baitcaster.

J Francho reply :

Quote
The Zillion has a two piece spool shaft so there's not much tuning to do there.

Not only that, I' find I end up detuning the spool speed with something a bit more durable than the TD-Z oil from the factory. The average guy doesn't want to HAVE to oil their reel after every trip. At least that has worked wonders wit my two Zils for me. Believe it or not, Shimano's Bantam Oil is the stuff I'm using in my Zills, LOL.

BobP reply :

Good to know Simple Green isn't right for EVERYTHING. I dump reels parts in a jar of naphtha as I remove them. Cleans quick, evaporates fast and won't hurt plastics. For bearings, I want something more volatile and faster acting, so I soak them in starting fluid. If I want to scrub a bare reel frame, I use dish detergent and a toothbrush in the kitchen sink.

Delaware Valley Tackle reply :

Quote
Should I send my symetre spinning reels to SHIMANO to get cleaned ? Do they offer this service? Is there a fee? Or should I service them myself ( I have the PDF download from the SHIMANO website and all the tools to do it myself - it'd just be my first time ) I'm going to send out some of my bait casters to DVT and try to clean my old CITICA baitcaster.

We service spinning reels as well (same $). The newer spinners can be every bit as challenging as a baitcater to dis/re-assemble.

QUAKEnSHAKE reply :

Quote
Good to know Simple Green isn't right for EVERYTHING. I dump reels parts in a jar of naphtha as I remove them. Cleans quick, evaporates fast and won't hurt plastics. For bearings, I want something more volatile and faster acting, so I soak them in starting fluid. If I want to scrub a bare reel frame, I use dish detergent and a toothbrush in the kitchen sink.

You might be interested in something like this

Its called a bearing blaster

OnthePotomac reply :

N8, here is a Shimano picture site for you and if you go to Shimano.com they have full videos of the cleaning process.

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(2%20pages).pdf

n8casCT reply :

Quote
N8, here is a Shimano picture site for you and if you go to Shimano.com they have full videos of the cleaning process.
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(2%20pages).pdf

Thanks. I got these DIY pdf files, but couldn't find the videos?

n8casCT reply :

Okay, I actually sit down and get all my tools out and I'm all set to go to clean on of my symetre spinning reels and all I have to help is this...http://fish.shimano.com/publish/content/global_fish/en/us/index/customer_service0/reel_maintenance_instructions.download.-mainParsys-000100-downloadFile.html/Maintenance%20Tips-%20Spinning%20Reels%20(1%20page).pdf

Is there a better DIY for spinning reels out there???

n8casCT reply :

Currently working on my 2 yr old Shimano Citica and besides a hair-brain moment (with removing the sideplate) I'm doing okay. But now I'm stuck at removing the retaining clip from the worm shaft

I've tried using thin needle-nose pliers but I think I bent both the washer AND the retainer clip and have made no progress - If this was one of my better reels, I would be real ticked off - thanks to whomever said try it on an older reel first. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

I've already ruined this reel (it will be my backup reel this year on the water - not mounted on any set up)

skunked_again reply :

youve not ruined anything. i use a scribing tool to remove those.

you need to dolly the clip out from the inside.

bilgerat reply :

If you are serious about this, you will need to invest in some basic tools. If you have a decent hobby store in your area, you can find precision pliers, screwdrivers, etc. similar to what's on this site... http://www.micromark.com/?gclid=CJ7U3a30yacCFcfe4AodZSvLEg

For screwdrivers I would suggest these...http://www.amazon.com/Wiha-26199-Slotted-Phillips-Screwdriver/dp/B000NZ5QG0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1299963475&sr=8-1

They are the some of the finest made and they will last a lifetime.

You should also have a small pick set in addition to good screwdrivers and a variety of pliers. A 1/4" drive socket set (metric) with shallow and deep sockets is helpful also. You could have walked that clip out with a tiny flat bladed screwdriver or a pick. ALWAYS keep a finger over clips as they will shoot across the room never to be seen again.

You're on your way, just keep your head and learn to walk away for a few minutes when things get **itty.

One more thing I do is note the orientation of every single piece. Often there are subtle differences between, for example, the two sides of a gear or washer. Schematics usually don't show the detail of smaller parts. Some guys take pictures, I sketch them on paper. Details are everything when it comes to working on reels.

n8casCT reply :

I tried getting my thinnest flathead underneath but only bent one side and I bent the thin washer underneath too. Your right about "walking away" from time to time. I put it back together and it works, so that's a plus. Maybe tomorrow I will try to get at the worm shaft. The needle nose pliers I have are pretty small, but I could use a scribing tool like you had mentioned. thx

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