Carb cleaner for bearings takes everything out of them, plus for regular wash down a nice soft warm water spray then a small spray of penn Rod and reel cleaner then another Luke warm water spray to remove too much cleaner. Encored with a nice soft towel to dry and wipe the reel. Also a little drop of Shimano oil for the line roller and the handle and drags loosened and put away till next time. Never had any problem and my reels always look and perform like new
I can't remember the exact name but I think it's called Salt away ... Spray product for marine items .. reels etc
I don't know if my last reply went through, I'm new here and trying to navigate the site .... Check out a product called Salt Away ... Amazon has it and works awesome ... You can youtube the product too
excellent posts.... Hot soapy water works... hot water helps the parts dry better than cold water. I paint the parts with grease as Hafnor says. I use salt-X and corrosion X as others have said, and I also use TSI-321 for high drag loads and the TSI-301 for low drag load applications. The TSI-301 is superior for friction reduction to the TSI-321, but the TSI-321 is superior in thermal conductivity. In conventional reels the heat has to travel (sink) through the drag plates and through the spool bearings to the shaft and then through the shaft end bearings to conduct the heat to the casing. In high drag applications the dry lube (TSI-301) inhibits the conductive transfer of heat across the spool bearing outer race-to the roller bearing-to the inner race to the shaft. This is OK in low drag applications where the spool spinning like crazy and a short fish fight is gonna happen. My bass reels are spinning with TSI-301dry lube. In a high drag load application, especially if you increased the drag by playing with the belleville washer configuration, the thermal conductivity of the wet lube (TSI-321) is more of a benefit and will increase the transfer of heat through a thin film on the bearing parts... This is really important on red meat big bruisers such as yellowfin/bluefin Tuna, the reel bearings must be able to conduct the heat transfer to the casing or else the drag washer properties get compromised and often get real grabby to the point of costing us a fish. I use de-chlorinated brake cleaner in the spray can to degrease my reels and bearings, the de/non chlorinated is important because it will not hurt rubber or plastic components. The rubber seals and bearing seals with rubber on them won't tolerate much else without altering the properties of the rubber... Excellent info here by everyone.... D-C
The ability of the SPOOL bearings to spin well and simultaneously conduct heat through the drag plate to the bearing... through the bearing... to the shaft... to the case... is directly related to the thermal conductivity of the bearing lubricant. Factory grease (And most greases) are a thermal insulator, not a thermal conductor. The TSI-301 is the best at reducing friction within the bearing itself, fantastic stuff for spinning fast! The TSI-321 grade is a WET light oil with much better thermal conduction properties (For an oil anyway). I remove the bearing, remove the shields, spray the hell out of the bearing with DE-Chlorinated brake cleaner in a spray can. Blast away at the grease and then soak it in the brake cleaner for a while. Wash and clean with hot soapy water, rinse with even hotter water and then let them dry and apply the TSI-321 for high drag (Heating) use or TSI-301 for low drag (heating) use. Although the TSI-301 spins them bearings like nothing else... the thermal conductive properties are not there if high drag loads relative to the reel size is going to be encountered... If your steelhead fishing in Oswego NY in February I would not use the TSI-321 even tho the drags will get a workout. TSI-321 will not spin well below 35 deg F. But don't worry... Your reel will have plenty of time to cool off while you periodically break up the ice accumulated in your rod guides. FYI... TSI-321 will jam your AR10/15 at 20 deg F and lower... So, in extreme cold the TSI-302 is the best choice for the AR10/15 and fishing reels, but flush and change it out come summer.... De-Chlor brake cleaner spray, TSI-301 or TSI-321 Or speed X or Corrosion X all do the job and have purposes... understanding them is the key D-C
Quote "If your steelhead fishing in Oswego NY in February I would not use the TSI-321 even tho the drags will get a workout. TSI-321 will not spin well below 35 deg F. But don't worry... Your reel will have plenty of time to cool off while you periodically break up the ice accumulated in your rod guides." D-C love the message. Those who have not fished in real freezing weather will appreciate the advice .........usually after they forgot it & the experience of frozen guides & frozen braid. I stopped using braid in freezing areas a long time ago & re-spool my reels with fluoro when heading into coldcountry. We talk about cadence in rodwork when working lures to get the action we want. There is another cadence in fishing freezing weather...........3 casts...........splash the rod in the water to melt the ice on the guides ..........3 casts repeat.............He He He.
You Got it Denis.... and every 5th cast go back to the truck and turn the heat on... I miss Oswego... I go steelheading on the Smith and Klamath in northern Cal yearly but its not the same as it was in NY as a kid.... D-C
