[wvlheel]

I've bought two new reels this summer, a penn battle 3000 and a quantum (emblem?) 2500. Each has seen significant surf fishing use but only for 2-3 months.

Both of them are now quite. "Sticky ". I'm disappointed. The quantum has the occasional "grinding" feel like there is something in the bearings (sand?)

I rinse them religiously after use. I dont know squat about tearing down and rebuilding a reel and the schematics I see scare the poot out of me. Anything else i should be doing?

 

[sundrop]

Sand intrusion and more so salt intrusion. No choice but to tear them down and do so religiously if you are in salt and especially sand. I don't always tear mine apart to the last little spring but I do pull the spools, remove the side covers and soak them in hot water, white vinegar and dawn dish liquid. Blow/dry them out hit them with a good shot of PB Blaster (pushes out any remaining moisture), and hit them with a good synthetic reel oil and grease on the bearings/gears. I flush the bail roller and spring with PB Blaster and hit it with some reel oil also. I wash the spool in the same hot water. I sometimes remove the drag washers, clean and very lightly oil them, or drag grease if its carbon fiber drag. When I reassemble it all gets a misting and wipe down of Reel Magic or silicone spray and I hit the line on the spool with a good blast of Reel Magic.

 

[wvlheel]

Good lord, no offense but that's exactly what I didn't want to hear- but thanks . I guess I have some work to do . How often do you perform that level of service?

 

[Brenardo]

I highly recommend at very least washing them off with good water pressure very thoroughly everytime.

 

[sundrop]

Good lord, no offense but that's exactly what I didn't want to hear- but thanks . I guess I have some work to do . How often do you perform that level of service?

If I spend any time on the sand, everytime. If they get soaked with saltwater, like wading, everytime. Otherwise they get rinsed well, and a full cleaning when I hear a noise or get bored and the weathers bad.

 

[h2ohhh]

View attachment 65241

If I'm going to the coast for a few days its a daily hose down but at the end of the trip I will strip them down, use a q tip to pull out the sand (it will get in there even in 'sealed' salt water reels), grease and re-lube them. It's not as daunting a task as you think as long as you pay attention to how you remove the washers and such....

 

[trigger22]

I highly recommend at very least washing them off with good water pressure very thoroughly everytime.

I've always heard heavy water pressure for rinsing was bad. I give them a thorough but light rinsing. The theory is that the heavy pressure forces sand and salt down inside of the reel. I don't know if that is true or not but it works for me. I give my reels a complete tear down, degreasing and regreasing/oiling twice a year.

 

[Brenardo]

I can see where that theory comes from. But I always use my thumb over the end of water hose.

 

[stevef]

I have heard that rinsing/washing the exterior under pressure is not a good idea as it can "push" the bad stuff into places where don't want it. Like Trigger, I gently rinse my outfits after every trip to salt (or brackish) water, reserve a take-apart cleaning to 1-2 times per year and let a professional do the complete teardown-clean-lube-reassemble thing about every other year.

 

[dbeam]

I rinse all of the reels each time they are in salt with whatever pressure is on the hose. Mist first then a hard spray, when I get home they go into a bucket of water till I get a chance to disassemble, clean, and relube. It is usually months between trip to the salt so I don't want to take any chances. I have a couple of baitcaster that have picked up some noise over the years but still work well, I usually use them in the salt. I have also found that a reel intended for salt use will do much better than freshwater one.

Drop, what is the purpose of the vinegar soak??

Darrell

 

[Brenardo]

I saw on here the other day that white vinegar will break down salt deposits. But thats just me putting 2 and 2 together

 

[Trout tooth]

I also use q tip with alcohol to clean old dirty grease the use a clean one to apply the new grease, but be careful not to but too much grease on the gears because it tends to make the reel sluggish on cold mornings. I do wash my reels down with the water hose and spray reel magic all over the reel after every use this has worked well for years.

 

[mjbowhunter]

I soak my reels in salt away

 

[Brenardo]

I soak my reels in salt away

The reference to vinegar was in response to a salt away product, it was mentioned that it works just as well but isn't nearly as expensive. But the talk was about outboards, I think it would work on reels as well.

 

[Drum Runner]

I used white vinegar to get uncured epoxy off my hands yesterday. One of only two methods I know of that work.
It has many uses.
If it will clean the deposits in a coffee maker, it will certainly clean saltwater deposits.

I keep white vinegar at home and at the shop.

 

[h2ohhh]

I used white vinegar to get uncured epoxy off my hands yesterday. One of only two methods I know of that work.
It has many uses.
If it will clean the deposits in a coffee maker, it will certainly clean saltwater deposits.

I keep white vinegar at home and at the shop.

Excellent information!

 

[Drum Runner]

Excellent information!

Works on partials or dentures as well. Soak em over night.

 

[sundrop]

Vinegar removes rust, cleans glass, kills germs/bacteria, breaks down bone spurs in the joints, aids digestion, relieves sunburn pain, reduces itching bug bites, deodorizes, cleans mineral and calcium deposits from surfaces and things like coffee makers, removes soap scum. I use vinegar all over the place.

 

[Drum Runner]

Vinegar removes rust, cleans glass, kills germs/bacteria, breaks down bone spurs in the joints, aids digestion, relieves sunburn pain, reduces itching bug bites, deodorizes, cleans mineral and calcium deposits from surfaces and things like coffee makers, removes soap scum. I use vinegar all over the place.

You can use Coke to clean a lot of things as well. Both are high acidic.

 

[dbeam]

Wow Thanks for the info.

Darrell