# Reel Cleaning for Dummies ?



## mud runner (Aug 28, 2009)

Sorry for the long post...I have been reading a lot of posts on here about cleaning curados and have pretty much just winged it from all the reads with a lot of help from Dip and others. I have begun to enjoy the aspect of cleaning my own reels but I have ran into a few problems with it. I break down all of my reels completely and clean everything down to the frame. I do not do the "super tuning" or even really polish any of the brass for that matter. I clean all parts to some extent either with nylon brush or SS brush. I soak all bearings in acetone and clean out and dry, check for cleanliness and re-install or replace as needed IMO. I clean frame and use drag grease on frame and re-grease drag washers. On the bearings I use Rem-Oil and I'm not sure if that is where my problems are coming from but after everything is put back together all seems well, free and smooth. Take the reels out for a little fishing and either during that trip or next one there always seems to be a rattle here or a bearing making noise elsewhere after only one trip. My question is, is there something I'm doing wrong? Or maybe just using the wrong kind of oil? I'm looking for a little guidance to what I'm missing if anything? BTW, I am doing this cleaning on mainly Curados 100B, 200E7, 200BSF and a 50mg7. 

Any help would be appreciated, thanks in advance.


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## bubbas kenner (Sep 4, 2010)

q tip in the pinion gear has made alot of differenece in my shimanoes and I have also winged it in my cleaning abilities thanks to this site and the people on it .qtip on a cordless drill not to heat it up too much just run it through to clean it out .I have schematics for the 3 reels i own it helps to keep it simple.


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## trout250 (Aug 24, 2005)

i have used rem oil for a while and no problems, if you feel like you are not getting enough lube, try going with the shimano oil and see if this cures your problem. no matter what oil you go to you havr to lube the bearings more often because you atr putting less oil in them to achieve more casting distance. I have gone to a heavier lube on my pawl and track to eliminate some extra oiling.


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## trout250 (Aug 24, 2005)

Bubba go to harbor frieght and pick up one of tjier cordless dremel type tool kits around 9 bucks a lot easier/ controlable to use than a drill while working on small parts


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## Dipsay (Apr 28, 2006)

When you say "rattle" have you lightly greased the main gear?.


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## mud runner (Aug 28, 2009)

Yes I do lightly grease the main gear. It rattles and sounds like the pawl slapping but I have removed it since then on my 100. Still some light rattle sometimes, on my 100b. Mainly I am having bearing issues I think, I have been rinsing and oiling after each use and it seems some of them get pretty noisy fairly quickly. Just starting to think I'm doing something wrong. Thanks for all the input.


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## BustinTops (Aug 31, 2010)

Try packing the pinion bearing with grease. Also...is this rattle on the cast or retrieve?


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## mud runner (Aug 28, 2009)

The rattle is spuratic but mainly during casting


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## mud runner (Aug 28, 2009)

The rattle is spuratic but mainly during casting, I'm only having the rattling on one 100b. The others just seem to be bearing issues.


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## BustinTops (Aug 31, 2010)

maybe a bent spool shaft?......does the edges of the spool have any burrs on them?


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## mud runner (Aug 28, 2009)

No burs on the spool, it's possible that the shaft is bent but wouldn't that be a more constant resistance? I am not having any resistance just more noise I guess you could say than prior to me cleaning the reels. This is only happening on a couple of them, I might just throw in the towel and send some to Dip to work on. Everything seems in order according to schematics, I am not sure if I am over oiling or not enough, I only do one drop. Also does the roller bearing get grease or oil?


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## dunedawg (Jun 17, 2007)

I use "Rocket Fuel" for all bearings. It's made specifically for high performance casting reels and used by a lot of guys in competitive distance casting. Kinda high, but worth it in my opinion.


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## BustinTops (Aug 31, 2010)

If its happening during the cast its not the the A/R bearing. Let me as you this.......do you have any kind of tape under the fishing line?.....sometimes it can make the spool off balance.


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## mud runner (Aug 28, 2009)

Don't use tape, just a knot. I had this problem with another 100b and I took it back apart and ended up having two bearings that were shot after one trip. That is why I was thinking that maybe it's just the oil I'm using, maybe I'll try the rocket fuel or something else. Appreciate your help. I'm not sure at this point.


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## Dipsay (Apr 28, 2006)

Hmm, Not sure where to go from here. But then again it's hard to diagnose it with out having it in your hand.. If bearings good, no burrs on spool, gears greased, it should fly. Gimme a shout if I can help..Dip 713 412 1769


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## Bantam1 (Jun 26, 2007)

I would check the yoke and yoke springs. The rattle could be the pinion bouncing or making contact with the spool. You can give the yoke springs a little stretch to help give them some more tension. 

Bearings can corrode. They should last more than one trip. I would change the lube you are using if it is not protecting against corrosion.


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## mud runner (Aug 28, 2009)

Thanks for all the help! I'll try again and see what happens. Dip what's your turn around time right now and how much to do your magic on a curado BSF?


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## Dipsay (Apr 28, 2006)

PM sent brotha..


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## Pro Reel (Jan 3, 2010)

It's probably the way you are cleaning your bearings. I see you said that you soak them in acetone. I'm sorry, but that just doesn't work. Soaking anything thats dirty just loosens deposits. To get something clean it has to be scrubbed and rinsed. Try cleaning your dirty dishs by soaking them and see how that works. bearings are full of tight spots in a closed cage. Soaking simply loosens the **** thats in them and then lets it get into the area between the balls and the cage. Dip , myself and others use ultrasonic cleaners to agitate the solvent and force it to flow through the bearings. the US waves break up deposits and flush them out. If you keep changing the solvent until it's gin clear, then the bearings are actually clean. Even then, some will still not be smooth as silk. Sometimes there is still microscopic grit that didn't get flushed out. I use a can of brake cleaner with the extension nozzel to force cleaner through the gap around the race and shield to finish rinsing them. They usually spin super free and smooth after that.


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## ClearLakeClayt (Aug 2, 2011)

*Have Had Good Experience with Acetone...*

Agree, Pro Reel, just soaking in acetone won't get it. But for those of you who haven't yet justified getting an ultrasonic bath, here's my acetone technique:


Use small stainless or glass cup to conserve acetone (see photo)
soak in ~3/4" of acetone for a few minutes
insert tight stick (paintbrush handle in my case) through bearing
roll around inside cup, in the acetone
repeat as required until no more crud comes out, changing out dirty acetone as Pro Reel mentions
it's often truly amazing the amount of crud that comes out of one of these little bearings!
blow out bearing with keyboard air can, test spin, repeat acetone bath and rolling until satisfied with bearing spin
roll bearing on firm surface to feel for any irregularities
add tiny drop of oil to bearing and test spin again
use dirty acetone to kill weeds in driveway cracks...


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## mud runner (Aug 28, 2009)

Pro Reel, what you are suggesting makes sense, do you have any suggestions for an ultrasonic cleaner? I'm not familiiar with an ultrasonic cleaner but would like to give it a shot. I usually try to soak and roll around in acetone and usually there is a lot of traqsh that comes out, but I don't change out acetone and repeat, that is possibly what I am doing wrong. Thanks for all the advice!


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## Dipsay (Apr 28, 2006)

mud runner said:


> Pro Reel, what you are suggesting makes sense, do you have any suggestions for an ultrasonic cleaner? I'm not familiiar with an ultrasonic cleaner but would like to give it a shot. I usually try to soak and roll around in acetone and usually there is a lot of traqsh that comes out, but I don't change out acetone and repeat, that is possibly what I am doing wrong. Thanks for all the advice!


 You can get them at Harbor Freight, Grainger. They usually have a few different models. Mine was like $70 but it's like a 2 1/2 quart heated bad boy. It's possible that you havent gotten all the corrosion/sediment out, but I'm not sure that is going to explain a "rattle" Like I said.. Just doesnt seem to fit in my head. Pinion? maybe. PR makes a good point though. You need to clean out that acetone. Once I start seeing sediment in mine I change it out. But alot of time evaporation occurs and I gotta change it out anyhow..Dip


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## Bantam1 (Jun 26, 2007)

This is one of those problems that we would need to see the reel in person to make an accurate diagnosis.


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## Pro Reel (Jan 3, 2010)

I agree that my guess might not be the rattle he is hearing, but I do know that bearings that are only partialy clean can get a stuck ball or grit in them that causes noise. One might describe that noise as a rattle. You should hear my wife try to describe the noise her car makes. LOL Harbor freight has a small heated unit for around $30 bucks. You don't need a US cleaner to get bearings clean, it's just the easiest method I have found and the US cleaner helps with other parts also. You can soak them and then use a can of brake clean with the extension nozzel to blast cleaner into the tiny gap. You can also buy a cheap bearing blaster that does the same thing, I don't think it works very good though. You can also cut the end from a tapered paint brush and chuck it into a cordless drill. Fill a coffee can with simple green and hot water, then peg a bearing on the end of the shaft and spin it while holding the outside of the bearing submersed in the cleaner. The spinning bearimng will form a venturi and suck cleaner through the bearing to agitate it and rinse it out. You would then still need to spray a solvent through it after that to get the simple green rinsed out with something that evaporates. You can use lighter fluid and just squirt it into the bearing with the little nozzel on the can to do that final rinse. If after all this, your reel still rattles, then I guess it's not the bearings.


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