A gentleman from Canada posted the following
query about cleaning his reel on the Bass Fishing Home Page.
I have a Shimano Bantam Magnumlite Speedmaster 2200. It is an old
reel but I love it. I have taken the whole reel apart. It is all
laid out on a sheet in my basement ready to be cleaned. What can I
use to clean the gears etc. After that is done what kind of
lubricant should I use. I have some Zebco oil and grease. Is this
any good. I have read lots of posts on this site about Rocket Fuel.
Can I use this on my reel. Any suggestions on how it can be improved
would be appreciated Getting cold here. Boat put away for the
winter. Lots of time for getting gear ready for spring. You think it
is possible to jump over the winter Thanks guys and girls
Here's my response.
Congratulations on your attempt at cleaning your own reel. Some
folks don't even want to try it. Do you have a schematic of the
reel? If not, email me and I’ll send you a copy.
Cleaner -- I don't know if they sell it in Canada, but I
use a biodegradable degreaser called Simple Green to soak reels.
It’s available in the auto department of WalMart. I've also been
told that Castrol Purple degreaser works well too. Mix it 1 part
degreaser to 2-3 parts water and let the reel parts soak for several
hours. Make sure they are completely covered. Use an old toothbrush
(the stiffer the better) to dislodge any stubborn gunk. Rinse in
clear water and let dry thoroughly. Be careful not to lose any small
parts.
You can use plain old Ronsonol or Zippo lighter fluid (naptha) to
clean the small parts and degrease the bearings. You can use it on
all the small parts – use an acid brush (stiff brush with a metal
handle) to help remove the gunk. Put the bearings in a small
container (I use small plastic medicine cups) and let them soak in
lighter fluid for 10-15 minutes. You'll probably see the fluid
change color after a while as it dissolves the old grease. Remove
the bearings from the fluid and tap them gently to remove the excess
cleaner. Then dispose of the old lighter fluid, refill the
container, and soak the bearings again. Do this as many times as
necessary until the fluid remains clear.
Now tap the excess fluid out of the bearings and check them for
smoothness. Hold the outer race between your thumb and index finger
and stick the point of a plain old wooden pencil in the hole. SLOWLY
rotate the pencil feeling for any roughness. If it's rough at all,
replace the bearing. If not, you can reuse it. Interestingly enough,
this old reel uses the same bearings as a Curado, Calcutta, or
Chronarch. If the bearings need replacing, I’d suggest upgrading to
ABEC7 bearings. They have closer tolerances than stock bearings and
are cheaper too.
Inspection – things to check. 1) Check the Anti-Reverse
Pawl (#545 on the schematic) for wear. It is a metal arm with
very thin copper plates mounted on each side. Those copper plates do
wear out, so if they are getting thin or are deformed, replace the
pawl. The copper plates have to grab the sides of the
Anti-Reverse Ratchet (#542 on the schematic). If they aren’t
worn thin but are bent out a little, you can CAREFULLY bend them
back together so they grab firmly. 2) Check the Pinion Gear
(#544 on the schematic) for wear. Look into the hole where the spool
shaft goes (the end with no teeth). There are two small flat lands
that hold the spool that may be worn. Replace if they are.
Re-lubing – OK, here’s the mantra. 1) Oil bearings and
bushings. Oil stock bearings liberally. ABEC7s need less
lubrication to realize their full potential. Excess oil will just
slow them down. 2) Grease gears and any metal that slides on
another surface. Get the grease down into the gear teeth. I use
a small, stiff paintbrush for this chore. Wipe off any excess. Put a
very thin coat on sliding metal parts. Just put a tiny bit on the
end of your finger and rub it on. A little dab’ do ya!
Products – Zebco grease will work fine. As I said, use it
sparingly. Zebco oil is OK too. Yellow Rocket Fuel can be used with
either stock or ABEC7 bearings. It’s thinner than Zebco oil, and
will allow your reel to cast farther. You can use the Rocket Fuel
for everything, but I’d reserve it for the spool bearings. That’s
where it does the most good. The ABEC7 bearings will also increase
your casting distance and provide additional smoothness over stock
bearings.
The biggest improvement you can probably make on this nice old
reel is a set of ABEC7s lubed with Yellow Rocket Fuel. Use just one
drop from the bottle per bearing. More will overload the bearing and
slow it down.
Good luck & Good Fishing -- Jim Johns,
Heartland Tackle
Service - The Best Reel Service in the Heartland!
