Curado 200k cleaning

[Brownjason686]

So ice is almost ready to fish. Decided break down this real and share some pics. It was crazy the amount of grease I found including the bearings.

[Brownjason686]

Also like to know how long everyone let's there bearings dry after flushing them

[fishballer06]

I'll agree. These things are packed with grease. I put bearings in the knobs of mine, and whenever I popped the knob caps off I couldn't even see the screw in there because it was just a gob of grease. I don't know what Shimano thinks they're protecting in there. It's just two plastic bushings in the knobs.

[SteelHorseCowboy]

The grease that came out of my bearings. Some of it anyway. I wiped the grease off the outside, and I'm sure some that was liquified while letting them soak the first time was blown against the wall when I hit them with compressed air.

I don't let them sit there and dry very long. I've started soaking them with mineral spirits instead of acetone, as FFF pointed out to me that some bearings have plastic ball cradles rather than metal ones, and if unsure of which, it's better safe than sorry.
Then I blow 'em out with compressed air.
This is usually the last thing I do before reassembly, so I take a break. Smoke a cigarette, hit the can, grab a drink, whatever.

A new bearing oil I've found, it's actually a very old product I've heard of and seen before, but only recently found some on a shelf for the first time. It's called "Zoom Spout", and I found it at an ACE Hardware store. Love the stuff and highly recommend it.

[Brownjason686]

How light, is that oil. I just used the shimano oil that came with it today. It's OK, but I'd like something a little lighter. Guess I'll b e getting some mineral spirits. Cast and feels smoother than ever

[Brownjason686]

Mike cork, do you offer super tuning services? If so I'd like to talk about having it done. Thank you

[Mike Cork]

Yes I do, what model do you have?

[Brownjason686]

I'd like to have a curado 100b and maybe curado 200k done

[Mike Cork]

I'd like to have a curado 100b and maybe curado 200k done

The 100B you will see a lot of improvement. The K, well I think it might be wasted money at this point unless you see issues on the spool shaft or brake drum, being a newer reel they should be a mirror finish still. I can help the K out some though.

What I'm trying to say is after a super tune on these two reels, you'll get them back and think OMGosh the 100 is amazing, then the K, you'll think it's better but not near as dramatic as the 100... Did that make sense. I'll be out all day tomorrow but we can talk more Sunday.

[Brownjason686]

Ok, thank you Mike. The curado k to me is the best curadodo ever. If it last like the bantam than great. Guess I'll just talk about the 100b. Just wish the 70 had micro gears.

[SteelHorseCowboy]

How light, is that oil. I just used the shimano oil that came with it today. It's OK, but I'd like something a little lighter. Guess I'll b e getting some mineral spirits. Cast and feels smoother than ever

I have both. I'll take a look at them and see if I can give you a pretty good description of the difference, if any.

[Oldfart9999]

Mike cork, do you offer super tuning services? If so I'd like to talk about having it done. Thank you

Mike does an excellent job of super tuning, you'll be glad you let him!!!
Most manufacturers use waaayyy to much grease!!!
Rodney

[SteelHorseCowboy]

Jason, there's no doubt about it, the Shimano oil is lighter and thinner.
This pic shows one drop of each, zoom spout on the left, Shimano on the right. They were dropped within seconds of each other and allowed to sit until they each stopped spreading.

Then I put 5 drops of each in separate shot glasses and tilted them in different directions. Both flowed against glass very smoothly, but the Shimano oil did flow faster.
The Shimano oil is definitely less viscous.

However, I then did a little touch test. I smeared each drop on my desk around with my fingertip. You may be able to see all the scratches in the surface of my desk. Both oils obviously smeared very easily, they're both very light and free flowing.

BUT, two things happened:
1st, I was able to feel the scratches in my desk through the Shimano oil. Not at all with the Zoom Spout. That's pretty normal when comparing a lightweight, low viscosity oil to one that's a bit thicker and higher viscosity. But this felt like the difference in comparing WD-40 to 90 weight gear oil, except the fact that both of these oils are very light and neither one is anywhere near 90 weight gear oil.
2nd, when I wiped them off with a dry microfiber rag, the Shimano oil wiped off completely dry while the Zoom Spout oil left a slick feel where I'd smeared it around. I'm not talking about a greasy, oily residue, it left nothing visible and appeared completely dry, but had a noticeably slicker feel where it was, while the Shimano oil was completely gone without a trace.

I can't really, in good conscience, recommend one over the other, especially since I've only been using one for a few weeks and never used the other at all.
One thing I've noticed with ALL lubricants I've ever used, of all types and for any purpose, is that they all WILL get gummy given enough time.
At this point I have no real clue which would be longer lasting.

They seem to both have some pros and cons judging from my little desk top testing, neither one being clearly superior to the other in my opinion.
Oh, one more point in Zoom Spout's favor though? The cap broke on my Shimano bottle as soon as I tried to put it back on. Now I'm going to have to find another container to put it in, or a place to put it where it won't make a mess.
There's cost too. No idea how much the Shimano oil costs, but Zoom Spout's only about 3 bucks for a 4 ounce bottle.

[Brownjason686]

That's some good info. 3 bucks is hard to beat. Let me know how it holds up.

[SteelHorseCowboy]

Will do.

[Oldfart9999]

The new high tech oils are expensive, no doubt about it but they bond with the metal and offer better lubing and protection. If you're using a cheap reel, fine any oil will do if you do it often but when you have better quality reels don't you want to use better lubes? Synthetic lubes do a better job!!
Rodney

[Brownjason686]

Old fart, what do you like for your oil and grease. I consider anything priced at a new curado and up expensive. Just looking to keep the best care of my reels. When I hear back from Mike cork I plan on Super tuning myou curado b.

[SteelHorseCowboy]

Zoom Spout is paraffin based, and seemed to bond much better with my desk top than the Shimano oil. It still feels slick to the touch, even though it looks perfectly dry and has been wiped down several times. I'm using it on my guns now, and seems to bond better to them than most of the other gun oils I've used.
I'm with you on using the highest quality oils I can though, and generally use synthetics over dinosaurs any day of the week. But I'm always on the lookout for something better.
Meanwhile, my Curado just gets quieter and quieter...

I've slathered chapstick in a machine gun and ran the hell out of it!

[Oldfart9999]

I've been using Quantum's Hot Sauce oil and grease. I run all the parts through a jewelry cleaner then vrtex the bearings, a drop of oil on the bearings a touch of grease where needed, Hot Sauce is a very good lube. This winter I'm going to try TSI321 oil and Cal's grease. I probably don't use as much grease as many, just enough to coat the surface of the parts, grease doesn't attract dirt but it sure does hold it making a fine(at times coarse) grinding compound, it's easy enough to check the reels out during the season and lube as needed. There are many good lubes out there, REEL BUTTER, HOT SAUCE, and others, any with PTEFF are good.
Rodney

[Kurt L]

Be very Careful with Hot Sauce grease and Shimano's I have had very bad results confirmed by Shimano USA, they told me to NEVER use the Quantum grease it is incompatible with some of their gear material. I Never had an issue with the oil though! Cal's should be good looks similar to ACE 2, ACE 2 is very good and is recommended by Shimano... but absorbs water, if fishing in heavy rain or bombing lures hours on end water will make it's way to the gears and the grease/gears will suffer. IOS "Factory" grease is expensive but very good, I have been testing it on my Shimano Metaniums and Daiwa Tat's with good results.
 
Kurt

[Brownjason686]

Thank you Kurt. I fish many days dawn to dusk rain or shine. Guess the hot sauce grease is not going to be the one for me. The oil how ever I still will probably try

[bucketmouth 87]

What do you guys soak bearings in to clean them?

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

[Oldfart9999]

What do you guys soak bearings in to clean them?

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

I camp fuel(white gas), lots of ventilation, be careful it could hurt plastic gears and bushings.
You'll get a lot of answers, there are a lot of cleaners that work well.
Rodney

[FloridaFishinFool]

Mineral spirits works fine and does not damage plastics and it leaves behind a slight thin film of oil.

[SteelHorseCowboy]

Mineral spirits works fine and does not damage plastics and it leaves behind a slight thin film of oil.

This is what I've gone to after you pointed this out to me.
I do still blow them out and add a tiny drop of oil. My lady's stepfather is diabetic, and every now and then gets a bad batch of insulin needles. They'll have a burr on the tip sometimes and hurt like the devil if you try to use them. It usually effects a whole box, symptom of mass production. I usually snag a handful, take them home and hone the tips of the needles flat, then use them as precision lube applicators.