Solvent for flushing bearings? 2025

The Kangler reply :

I've searched but I can't seem to find an answer. What solvent and procedure do you guys use to flush reel bearings? Seems like I remember someone mentioning naphtha, but I don't trust my memory. Any advice you can give would be much appreciated i.e. how long to soak? How to remove the solvent after flushing? etc. THANK YOU!!!

Yudo1 reply :

I spray some brake cleaner fluid in a small clear bottle and I shake the bearings in it for awhile then spin them a pencil to test them. Repeat process until they are smooth then set them on paper towel to dry for a day. It works for me and I didn't want to get an ultrasonic cleaner or bearing blasters.

Delaware Valley Tackle reply :

Naphtha works well but it's nasty stuff. acetone is a better choice. My favorite is perfect solution but that's probably overkill for a reel or two.

Angry John reply :

Many guys use simple green and put them in a small ultrasonic. I have good luck using starting fluid. It does not leave anything behind and i have yet to find an occasion where i melted any plastic with it. It dries very fast and is cheap. Lots a ways to skin this cat those are just two...

FrankN209 reply :

CRC 05101 QD Electronic Cleaner

RoLo reply :

Plain ole 'gasoline' is tough to beat, but does harbor a fire hazard.

'Kerosene' is a safer alternative and an excellent degreaser.

Roger

WRB reply :

Acetone is a keystone solvent and easy to use with good ventilation. Clean in acetone then rinse in alcohol, then lubricate.

My suggestion is send your reels to DVL annually for cleaning.

Tom

The Kangler reply :

Thanks for all the replies!

On 5/19/2017 at 12:26 PM, WRB said:

Acetone is a keystone solvent and easy to use iwith good ventilation. Clean in acetone then rinse in alcohol, then lubricate.

My suggestion is send your reels to DVL annually for cleaning.

Tom

I'm not familiar with DVL. Care to enlighten me?

WRB reply :

On 5/19/2017 at 12:53 PM, The Kangler said:

Thanks for all the replies!

I'm not familiar with DVL. Care to enlighten me?

DVT

BassThumb reply :

On 5/19/2017 at 12:26 PM, WRB said:

Acetone is a keystone solvent and easy to use with good ventilation. Clean in acetone then rinse in alcohol, then lubricate.

My suggestion is send your reels to DVL annually for cleaning.

Tom

What's the purpose of rinsing the bearings in alcohol after the acetone soak, if you don't mind me asking?

I always use acetone but I've never used alcohol afterwards. I just let them dry. Does it work better?

Bass_Fishing_Socal reply :

Delaware Valley Tackle, he the one replied to your post. He is our site sponsor and always help out other as well.

OnthePotomac reply :

A second here on CRC Electronic Cleaner. A whiz at removing grease, no odor, no residual and dries instantly. I put the bearing in a tiny cooking screen strainer, step out doors and blast away. Then they get a short bath in lighter fluid, Yellow Rocket Fuel (SS), or Oust Met Oil (ceramic) and good to go and it does not take all day to clean them.

RoLo reply :

On 5/19/2017 at 2:58 PM, BassThumb said:

What's the purpose of rinsing the bearings in alcohol after the acetone soak, if you don't mind me asking?

Pretty much like washing yours hands with Ivory soap then washing them again with Dove soap

For decades, the Gold Standard toolroom degreaser was 'carbon tetrachloride'.

But due to liver toxicity, carbon tet was banned by OSHA and alternative degunkers are now used.

Gasoline, alcohol, paint thinner, acetone, mineral spirits & kerosene are all popular degreasers (flip a coin)

Roger

cadman reply :

I put naphtha in a small jar and put it in my ultrasonic cleaner. Cleans the bearing very well without any residue. Once the bearings are dry (I wait about 1/2 hour, as naphtha flashes off quickly), I put on my favorite oil and I'm good to go. There are a lot of ways to clean bearings, find the one that works for you.

buzzed bait reply :

On 5/19/2017 at 11:43 AM, FrankN209 said:

CRC 05101 QD Electronic Cleaner

same here, works really well for me

J Francho reply :

I use pure acetone from beauty suppliers. Same stuff a nail tech would use. I basically keep changing out the fouled acetone, and soaking and swirling until the acetone runs clean after a soak. Usually a few hours for each batch. Three soaks usually gets the nastiest bearing clean. Baby food jars work well.

XpressJeff reply :

Flammable is a major concern for most of the solutions mentioned.

Use care my friends!

Please!

J Francho reply :

You'd have to really try hard to start a fire with any of them. Perfect Solution is not flammable at all - it's not a solvent, but a degreaser.

offsidewing reply :

The alcohol rinse is to make sure the degreaser leaves no residue. Not all degreasers leave a residue.

The Kangler reply :

On 5/19/2017 at 3:44 PM, JustJames said:

Delaware Valley Tackle, he the one replied to your post. He is our site sponsor and always help out other as well.

Thank you. He will be getting a call at the end of the season.

fishwizzard reply :

How often are you guys cleaning your bearings? I am just getting comfortable with taking my reels apart and the amount of gunk in some of them was surprising. I have a mix of factory bearings and HH aftermarket ones and the difference is really pronounced on some reels, so I want to keep the performance up, but not "scrub the rifling out" as they say.

.ghoti. reply :

On 5/20/2017 at 8:09 AM, offsidewing said:

The alcohol rinse is to make sure the degreaser leaves no residue. Not all degreasers leave a residue.

All of them leave a residue. Ive heard many people claim that their method and solvent of choice leaves no residue. That would be what i call a large steaming load of what drops out of the south end of northbound bull. Don't believe me. Thats OK.

If you're really interested, do a little experiment. Put a couple of drops of your favorite oil in your favorite coffee cup. Wipe it around to coat the whole bottom. Now, use your no-residue solvent to soak out the oil. Dont scrub it. You cant scrub out a bearing. Soakit again if you feel like you need to. Let it air dry overnight. Pour yourself a nice cup of fresh coffee the next morning. Drink it. Drink it all, and then come back here and tell me your favorite solvent left no residue.

Mosster47 reply :

Get a Bearing Blaster from a skateboard, hobby shop, or online. They are under $10 and make this process infinitely easier and faster.

Hit them with three or four squirts of brake cleaner. Press them into a paper towel and rotate it a little. Do this to both sides. It will pass the spin test after this.

I can service my bearings in about three minutes start to finish.

offsidewing reply :

On 5/21/2017 at 9:00 AM, .ghoti. said:

All of them leave a residue. Ive heard many people claim that their method and solvent of choice leaves no residue. That would be what i call a large steaming load of what drops out of the south end of northbound bull. Don't believe me. Thats OK.

If you're really interested, do a little experiment. Put a couple of drops of your favorite oil in your favorite coffee cup. Wipe it around to coat the whole bottom. Now, use your no-residue solvent to soak out the oil. Dont scrub it. You cant scrub out a bearing. Soakit again if you feel like you need to. Let it air dry overnight. Pour yourself a nice cup of fresh coffee the next morning. Drink it. Drink it all, and then come back here and tell me your favorite solvent left no residue.

I alcohol rinse everything after a degrease. Bearings, carrier groups, chains, etc.

Your advice is dripping with hubris and I don't drink coffee.

.ghoti. reply :

On 5/22/2017 at 2:05 AM, offsidewing said:

I alcohol rinse everything after a degrease. Bearings, carrier groups, chains, etc.

Your advice is dripping with hubris and I don't drink coffee.

Dripping? Just read my post, and i will have to admit it sounds a bit snotty. Sorry. I did not intend it to be so condescending. My bad.

The point is, you will always have something left behind. And that little bit of whatever really makes no difference.

Hot Rod Johnson reply :

I have used Ronson Lighter Fluid for many years to clean/flush the bearings in my reels... Works great I use two plastic bottle caps, fill about half way and soak the bearings for about 30 minutes...

Jeff H reply :

On 5/22/2017 at 2:05 AM, offsidewing said:

I alcohol rinse everything after a degrease. Bearings, carrier groups, chains, etc.

Your advice is dripping with hubris and I don't drink coffee.

Was nothing wrong with that! I thought it was funny, and he made his point.

5541

Solvent for flushing bearings? 2025

related Fishing Rods Reels Line Knots topic

previous topic

next topic

most viewed Fishing Rods Reels Line Knots topic