Author Topic: LOOKING AFTER BEARINGS (Read 35646 times)

REEFMAN · « **on:** June 24, 2010, 07:39:43 PM »

Looking after your bearings....

A sealed bearing is very difficult to inspect, clean and to lubricate. The bearing balls and race may be well rusted inside without being able to see the damage. I prefer to remove the outer cover completely. Then one can access the balls and race of the bearing easily. Cleaning and lubing becomes much easier...

Now the entire bearing is exposed and can be inspected for rust and damage.

Soak the bearing in a benzine bath for 10 minutes. Scrub all grease off and relube.

Test the bearing by threading a pencil through it and spinning it. The bearing should spin freely, without much vibration or noise. Scratchy spinning means damage to the races or balls, where roughness causes friction.

In general, Spool bearings should be oiled with a good quality Oil.
All other bearings should be greased. This helps keep water out the bearing. When greasing a bearing, pack it fully with grease, compact the grease with your fingers into the bearing on both sides until it's full.

NB: Any signs of brown spots of rust, the bearing ideally needs to be replaced.

This bearing is toast!

A properly greased bearing

I don't close up the bearings again after opening them. Much easier to inspect and to maintain.

Half-Pint · « **Reply #1 on:** July 26, 2010, 05:39:17 PM »

Hey Reefz I know you and most others use benzine to clean the bearings but what do you use to lube them. I have heard all sorts from the more traditional rocket fuel to olive oil ...Yes olive oil

REEFMAN · « **Reply #2 on:** July 26, 2010, 06:15:15 PM »

Spool bearings must be oiled... all other bearings must be greased. Wherever you have a bearing that affects casting, then lube it with oil.

With Fixed spool reels (Coffee Grinders), there are no bearings that affect casting, so all bearings should be greased properly. Only Multiplier spool bearings need to be oiled.

Anti-reverse bearings MUST NOT be greased! The bearing will fail! One drop of anti-corrosion oil spread over the bearing will protect it from corrosion.

Oils to use are a hugely personal thing. ReelX is one of the best to use.
Quantum Hot sauce is also excellent.
Rocketfuel is good, but the Tournament Rocket fuel doesn't last too long because it's very thin and burns off quickly. So with Rocket fuel, you need to lube much more often often.
Some guys use sewing machine oil, and there are many other good reel oils out there... Penn lube is excellent, Shimano, Daiwa also make their own lube.
Personally, I have my own 'magic sauce' - I mix fully synthetic Motor oil - Mobil 1 with Rocket fuel, makes it more or less the consistency that lasts and provides excellent protection.

I would only use Olive oil if I was desperate!

Greases to use - I fancy the Kingfisher/Surecatch red grease - it's reasonably cheap and low viscosity, provides good protection.

For Drag washers, Cal's grease is probably the best, but any good Teflon grease from a Hobby shop is fine. It's what they use in the bearings of the Radio cOntrolled cars... so it works!

UPDATE:
Currently using Corrosion block Grease and Oil. Used extensivley in the Marine and Aviation industries. Superb stuff. And they deliver.
www.corrosionblock.co.za

Half-Pint · « **Reply #3 on:** July 27, 2010, 08:58:38 AM »

Thanks Reefz

Quickbite · « **Reply #4 on:** July 27, 2010, 11:26:35 AM »

Quote from: REEFMAN on July 26, 2010, 06:15:15 PM

Spool bearings must be oiled... other bearings can be greased. Wherever you have a bearing that affects casting, then lube it with oil.

Oils to use are a hugely personal thing. ReelX (available from Whaler and Smoothdrag.com) is one of the best to use.
Rocketfuel is also excellent, but the Tournament Rocket fuel doesn't last too long because it's very thin and burns off quickly. So with Rocket fuel, you need to lube much more often often.
Some guys use sewing machine oil, and there are many other good reel oils out there... Penn lube is excellent, Shimano, Daiwa also make their own lube.
Personally, I have my own 'magic sauce' - I mix fully synthetic Motor oil - Mobil 1 with Rocket fuel, makes it more or less the consistency that lasts and provides excellent protection.

I would only use Olive oil if I was desperate!

Greases to use - I fancy the Kingfisher red grease - it's reasonably cheap and low viscosity, provides good protection.
For Drag washers, Cal's grease (also from Whaler) is probably the best, but any good Teflon grease from a Hobby shop is fine. It's what they use in the bearings of the Radio cOntrolled cars... so it works!

Reef- do you heat your bearings and then put int the lube?

QB

REEFMAN · « **Reply #5 on:** July 27, 2010, 12:31:09 PM »

I used to when I used closed bearings - now with them open, there's no need to - can deposit the oil directly onto the balls...

kingslide · « **Reply #6 on:** June 21, 2013, 12:16:46 PM »

From my personal experience I will stay away from rocket fuel if one is doing a lot of wading. The viscosity of the oil is to thin - do not even last a proper day.

Old Salt is servicing my reels with reel x + something or another concoction. Since this my bearings is lasting longer.

And Reefs oil and balls - sjoe!

FishStyx · « **Reply #7 on:** June 21, 2013, 06:14:51 PM »

@ reefs. Do all reel manufacturers generally use the same bearings? I've never come across (in industry, not in reels) bearings with removable seals. I agree totally with your approach here and have done it quite often to industrial bearings though it does destroy the seals because they are pressed in. And while on the subject of lube, where to use oil and where to use grease? High RPM and low RPM?

REEFMAN · « **Reply #8 on:** June 21, 2013, 07:53:49 PM »

Quote from: Limpopoking on June 21, 2013, 06:14:51 PM

@ reefs. Do all reel manufacturers generally use the same bearings? I've never come across (in industry, not in reels) bearings with removable seals. I agree totally with your approach here and have done it quite often to industrial bearings though it does destroy the seals because they are pressed in. And while on the subject of lube, where to use oil and where to use grease? High RPM and low RPM?

No they don't... Depends very much on the price of the reel as to the type of bearing that goes in it.

Removable seals... Boca make a beautiful Abec 7 Bearing... Ceramic balls in a 100% stainless steel race and ring. Seals are rubber and removable ... awesome bearings but flippin' expensive. The only reel I would put these in is a Stella or a Saltiga.

Ceramic hybrids are the way to go with fishing reels now, because the Ceramic balls cannot corrode, they last MUCH longer than normal bearings. Also, they are capable of spinning at much higher rpm's than stainless bearings, so for Casting purposes in MUltiplier reels, they are well suited.

With stainless bearings, once I remove the seal, I chuck them away, I don't try reseal the bearing. Once a bearing is packed nicely with quality grease, there is no way that even dunking in seawater will remove that grease. The problem comes with Spool bearings on Multiplier reels, which are oiled and not greased - that oil gets washed away quite quickly and corrosion can set in.
So one needs to look after these bearings much better than others.

Generally though in spinning reels (fixed spool reels), there is really no need for high speed revolution in any of the bearings, so what I have reverted to is greasing all Fixed spool reel bearings. It's only the spool bearings in Multipliers that need oiling. Once greased properly, these bearings will last several sessions before they need more maintenance.

FishStyx · « **Reply #9 on:** June 22, 2013, 09:52:46 AM »

Thanks mate. Quality info!

BJR · « **Reply #10 on:** August 28, 2018, 09:31:46 AM »

Whilst on topic of Lubricants...........is there anyone who has at least 2 bottles of Reel-X oil surplus & for sale, before I have to order from overseas ?Thks

REEFMAN · « **Reply #11 on:** August 28, 2018, 09:48:03 AM »

Ah shucks BJ... I put in an order from Smoothdrag last week...

hrogers · « **Reply #12 on:** August 28, 2018, 11:58:29 AM »

Smoothdrag give excellent service !! Mine was ordered on 20 Nov 2015 - No problems experience with the delivery
If interested, here you can get hold of Smoothdrag : info@smoothdrag.com

Visenvryheid · « **Reply #13 on:** August 29, 2018, 12:09:19 AM »

The oil is quite extensively stocked in the eastern cape..I know commercial marine and TJ's tackle stock it on the shelf? Got a tube of corrosion x grease today while I dropped a reel in for servicing.

donovann · « **Reply #14 on:** August 29, 2018, 12:28:06 PM »

Hi Reefs by any chance do you service reels

REEFMAN · « **Reply #15 on:** August 29, 2018, 12:41:03 PM »

I don't unfortunately. Where are you based?
Best guy in the country is probably Johnathan's Reel Repairs in Cape Town. On Facebook.Full Ultrasonic clean and he machines a lot of his own spare parts.

Half-Pint · « **Reply #16 on:** August 29, 2018, 02:31:13 PM »

All out angling in Pretoria also services reels, Thinus definitely knows what he is doing. I have no idea about his employees unfortunately

BJR · « **Reply #17 on:** August 31, 2018, 10:21:13 AM »

Thks guys.........those Eastern Cape shops do not stock Reel X

So I am still looking & desperate.
@ Tony.......How much is postage to SA ?

REEFMAN · « **Reply #18 on:** August 31, 2018, 11:05:00 AM »

They charged me $2.65 for a bunch of bearings and Carbontex. Kinda weird.... 50% less than a local package!

donovann · « **Reply #19 on:** August 31, 2018, 12:02:58 PM »

Hi Reefman, thanks for the reply, i am based in Durban, i have a Trini 30A that needs to be serviced.......dont really trust anyone here in Durban, or if you know of someone trust worthy in Durban, i will appreciate the info. Sending it to the local tackle shops here, you only get a basic service and no attention to detail.