Reel Maintenance

[Volvo]

Went for a Fish the other day and one of my baitcasters sounded a tad dry and noisy!! , gave me a heads up "About Time for some maintenance " . Well glad i did too, although i always give my Reels a good freshwater hosedfown after each trip most were a tad on the dirty oily side when pulled apart .
Water ingress from hosedown i guess and dont seem to make em as they used to!!??..
More regular cleandown and oil from the looks of it ey..

[scottar]

A more motivated, younger and less time poor version of me used to service his reels every 6 months but I was on the water nearly every weekend.vthese days they do tend to get attention either before a big trip or if they get vocal. A bit of regular love goes a long way

[Triple]

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2091910997535606&id=492223430837712

[Noelm]

I do lots of reel repairs for friends and I find doing them is almost kind of therapeutic, I get all setup on the balcony table, tools all laid out on a towel (an old towel if you want to stay alive) and some grease an WD40 type spray and some containers to put parts in, most reels are pretty simple, biggest issue is when someone has had a go at fixing one and bring it to me in a plastic bag in a thousand bits.

[Noelm]

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2091910997535606&id=492223430837712
I don't think that would be my method to fix anything, he mentions how salt water got in at 30mph on his JetSki, I suspect it might get in a bit easier now it's a great hole drilled in it.

[ben475]

Any particular grease noel?

what do you ro with the drag washers?

I do lots of reel repairs for friends and I find doing them is almost kind of therapeutic, I get all setup on the balcony table, tools all laid out on a towel (an old towel if you want to stay alive) and some grease an WD40 type spray and some containers to put parts in, most reels are pretty simple, biggest issue is when someone has had a go at fixing one and bring it to me in a plastic bag in a thousand bits.

[Volvo]

Yes, while this looks all good and easy i have trouble thinking about the drill shavings when drilling said hole!!.
If i were to follow the idea i would prefer next time i serviced my reel to take sideplate apart, drill and clean hole attatching a rubber bung ti fit.
That way no shavings left behind within reel internals.
Next question is?? , what has this fogging oil in it??.

[scottar]

Would just be easier to buy reels that have an oil port I would have thought but each to their own.

[Noelm]

Any particular grease noel?

what do you ro with the drag washers?
I use outboard marine grease on spinning reels, and most game reels, but some baitcasters I use oil or brand name grease, most drags are dry unless some sort of upgrade has been done. I posted this once before I think, but I have a nice set of Dental tools, little picker things, hook things and my best thing is a pair or artery tweezers, they hold stuff really tight, they kind of work in reverse, you push them open and they are sprung loaded closed, add to that a small quality shifter, various sized philips and Flathead screwdrivers and some decent long nose pliers and you can just about fix any reel.

[Triple]

I don't think that would be my method to fix anything, he mentions how salt water got in at 30mph on his JetSki, I suspect it might get in a bit easier now it's a great hole drilled in it.

A screw goes in the hole.. and some of the comments are people using rubber grommets etc instead.

[Triple]

It's usually plastic so going slow keeps the "shaving" in one piece and they used a vacuum as well.

[scottar]

The "Hot Sauce" product from Quantum seems to be a pretty good "purpose built" product. Same sort of colour as ATF..........hmmmmmm. Stains the same too if you aren't careful. Do not use it near your wifes best white table cloth.......no brownie points there at all.;D

[Noelm]

I have been guilty of some rather serious working in the house disasters, that's why I work out on the balcony now, I have spilled acetone on Lino tiles in the kitchen years ago, dissolved them in a second, used the best measuring jug for outboard oil back in my premix days, got some petrol in my eye and while fumbling blindly for something to wipe them with, I picked up a white sheet in the laundry with greasy hands, dripped some rod varnish on the kitchen table, got some rather icy moments after some of those, funnily enough, still married!

[scottar]

Same here Noel. All sorts of misadventure. I never did locate the spring from a shimano baitcaster in Mum's living room carpet. I don't dare work outdoors for the same reason - or in the shed for that matter. Way too many nooks and crannies for small "jumpy" parts to hide themselves - at least until I've bought the replacement.

[Noelm]

My balcony is a dream work space, lots of light, comfy chairs and white table which is perfect for doing repairs, plus a fantastic view of the beach to keep me entertained. I find if you get everything ready before hand, most things go well, it's when you have to search around for a special tool or something that things get lost.

[Dignity]

Same here Noel. All sorts of misadventure. I never did locate the spring from a shimano baitcaster in Mum's living room carpet. I don't dare work outdoors for the same reason - or in the shed for that matter. Way too many nooks and crannies for small "jumpy" parts to hide themselves - at least until I've bought the replacement.

Yep. Those little nylon pieces inside the bail arm mechanism of spinning reels just love to go about 10 metres into my white rock garden. Must be dozens of them there, even tried using one of those fly nets you put on the table at a bbq but they still get out somehow.

[Noelm]

The view from my "workshop"

[scottar]

Nice view. The weathers a bit warmer up here - never get anything done too many distractions in a location like that and can never guarantee something will go back together properly :o ;D.

[Noelm]

Yeah it is distracting at times, there is a roof and I sit in the shade, plus the sea breeze keeps things nice and cool, it's distracting when the surfs good and there's a lot of surfers out, it's not always flat like that of course, I get a few Crays straight across the road which is good

[Noelm]

Oops I forgot, that's a day when it's not so flat

[banshee]

I do lots of reel repairs for friends and I find doing them is almost kind of therapeutic............

Funny that,lol,I've been 'retired' eighteen months after fifteen years of service and repair of reels and rods.......If I never see the inside of another reel it will be to soon.

[banshee]

......and for those losing springs etc,take the part off in a plastic bag.

[Noelm]

Funny that,lol,I've been 'retired' eighteen months after fifteen years of service and repair of reels and rods.......If I never see the inside of another reel it will be to soon.
Yeah, I guess it's like lots of things, if you have to do it is a lot different to want to do it, I only do it because it's something I like, I don't charge and only do reels for friends, it's certainly not a business or time consuming, it just kind of happened decades ago, I started mucking around modifying reels that had a few bugs in their day and it just continued on.

[banshee]

The view from my "workshop"


Is that Barrack Point?

[Noelm]

Yes, sure is, I have lived there all my life, my grandparents moved there sometime in the 1930s, and I have lived in Headland Parade since I was born.

[Volvo]

Bit closer n you could cast a bait :)..
Nice view

[Noelm]

I do fish just over the road, get some nice Bream.

[Volvo]

Surf Whiting ??.

[Noelm]

Yes, Whiting are very slow this year, but I get beach worms on the beach pictured, not that I am very good at catching them, but it's good fun, then fish for Whiting, usually get a decent feed, no idea what's happened to them this year, but right down the coast it's the same, Lake Illawarra usually has plenty, but Whiting and Crabs are hard work this year, too hot, too cold? Too much rain, not enough rain? who knows?

[banshee]

Yes, sure is, I have lived there all my life, my grandparents moved there sometime in the 1930s, and I have lived in Headland Parade since I was born.

Beautiful spot.I can remember lots of days on that beach as a little kid.

[Noelm]

Little Lake which is at the end of the beach, just near my place is very popular with families, nice and safe for kids to swim, we often walk down the road and picnic or BBQ there with the grandkids.

[ben475]

With a trip coming up in a few weeks time, i pulled out an old jarvis walker spin reel that hasnt been used in 17 years, was last used fishing the surf but pretty much fresh water trolling only besides that.

The reels been stored in its box inside the house and pretty much looks like new.

I have a quick look over it and give it a wind, it could be a touch smoother but it feels ok.
But i notice the spool is not moving up and down, strange...
So i pull it apart and notice a heap of the gears have been stripped, bit surprising as i remember it working last time it was used.

Anyway apart from that all the bearings were in good condition, there was plenty of grease inside the reel and it was clean inside.

I dont think it would have needed anything doing to it had the gears not been stripped.

[Volvo]

Aluminium gears I presume ??. Ive had a couple of older threadline reels and like yours , sitting in their box and strangely enough after some years upon stripping for maint clean some of the cogs on the gears were missing presumadly stripped ??.
Eroded was I think what happened older alloy compound.

[ben475]

Aluminium gears I presume ??. Ive had a couple of older threadline reels and like yours , sitting in their box and strangely enough after some years upon stripping for maint clean some of the cogs on the gears were missing presumadly stripped ??.
Eroded was I think what happened older alloy compound.I didnt think about what they were made of, but yeah now thinking of it, it did look like that cast type alloy? The broken parts look a bit like its made from compressed powder.

Interesting you have experienced the same problem.

[Volvo]

Yep have some older threadies ive kept in their original box they came in in hope of handing down to the Grandchildren:) !! , but at days end buy them quallity to last and always look into what the gears/gearing are made of .
Guess that may happen here n there with reels that may be a tad cheaper in price ??....
Mind you i have some more exy priced reels that have shyte themselves second trip out too...