Reel Servicing

[winston]

I think I have this correct, please comment. Clean all parts with thinners, oil the bearings( I guess with reel oil) and grease the gears ( I guess with reel grease). But what do I use on the main shaft? Grease or oil? Thanks Winston.

[Bushbasher]

Oil...... but not too much. In fact, the rule of thumb with any reel servicing is "less is more". Use only just enough oil and grease to lubricate the moving parts as too much will just slow things down and gum up the internals. Too much oil in the bearings and on the shaft will slow the bearing down for a start and secondly will slowly migrate and will mix with the grease thinning it and effectively washing the grease from the gears. Too much grease will just bind up the gears and the excess grease can also migrate and will just slow down any other moving part. The upshot of all this is that you'll use more effort to crank the handle when winding which gets tiring and as I said, too much oil will wash grease from the gears and cause premature wear.

Cheers
Bushbasher