i need to know where to lube my baitcaster. i have been slacking. i havent done it yet, i probly should have ton it twice in the amount of use i have on it.
where do i put the drops, and do i have to unspool it??
thanks in advance
ps- i finaly feel im worthy of using a baitcaster, and i took the plastic off my cork!! i told myself i wouldnt take itoff till i was nearly problem free fishing with it. took me half a season, but i got it... still got alot of brakes on tho
I usually put a drop of oil on the bearings twice or so a season and hit the level wind worm gear also. I have heard mixed suggestions on the level wind, whether to use oil or Greece so I will leave that answer to the experts. About mid season and over the winter I do a complete take down, clean and re-lube. May be over kill but it works for me. The most important thing is to remember just a drop of oil will do it. don't over do it. .
dumb question but where are the bearings, and do i have to unspool to drop them? i know i have to put oil on them but i do not know where they are.
There are many different reels on the market so knowing which one you have will help?
But you should have at least one bearing under your cast control knob :-* so take it off and place one drop of oil on that bearing, this will be one of two spool shaft bearings. Look to the other side of the reel and gain access to the other spool shaft bearing. If it is a Curado simply removed the side like you are going to adjust your casting breaks and the bearing is right there. Place a drop of oil on this bearing.
If you can remove your spool check to see if there is a pinion gear bearing that you can gain access too? This sometimes is attached to the spool or will be where the spool shaft slides up into the reel on the handle side.
Also if you can remove your spool, you may be able to lubricate your crank shaft bearing as well. After removing the spool, reels like shimano and Pflueger give you and access hole to put a drop of oil on this bearing and it's hidden by the spool.
As far as the Worm Gear goes I like to use grease. However this is catch 22, meaning grease will hold a lot of dirt and debris. So if you are fishing really dirty water and don't clean your reels often then stick with just oiling your worm gear. If you keep your reel clean and fish fairly clean waters and don't get a lot of sand on your equipment then I prefer grease as it stays with the reel longer and protects it better.
Mike whats your recommendation for oil that can be easily found?
Blake
I sell Rocket Fuel or you can purchase Ardent Reel Butter or Quantum Hot Sauce, I recommend them in that order.
Quote from: Mike on July 28, 2008, 10:12:50 AM
I sell Rocket Fuel or you can purchase Ardent Reel Butter or Quantum Hot Sauce, I recommend them in that order.
Mike, I use to use TJ Rocket Fuel but I am now back to using Hot Sauce.It seemed to me that the Rocket Fuel didn't last as long as the Hot Sauce and I was having to re-lube my reels more often with the Rocket Fuel.How long does the Reel Butter last I might give that try if it doesnt break down as fast as the Rocket Fuel.
That is very interesting. Never had a problem with Rocket Fuel and I fish in some extreme conditions (except cold). Here in Louisiana the heat and dirt can get pretty bad. However if you don't like it that's cool. To be honest I haven't put the Reel Butter through an annual test. The longest I have used it would be about 6 months, simply because I tear down my equipment at least every 4 and occasionally a reel might go 6 before a cleaning. So all I can say is it will last that long in the summers of Louisiana ;)
Its not that I dont like it.It is that I dont like having to redo my reels every 4 months.For the the guys that dont clean there own reels it can be very costly to pay to have them done that often( I have 12 baitcasters ) so a bit heavier lube may last longer and be more cost effective.Lets face it most people only have there reels cleaned once a year and if there using a 6 month lube there is a lot of added wear a tear on the reel.With yellow Rocket Fuel it is recommended that you reapply every 6 months or more depending on the use of the reel.
This is true for the pro tournament angler, but for the weekend tournament angler rocket fuel will last. I have had this discussion with the manufacturer's of rocket fuel through email (England is an expensive phone call) and they say that it is the reel repair guys that are putting that suggested re-lubrication time out, not them. I recommend you have your reels cleaned every six months, not solely because of the lubricants but because of corrosion, dirt, and lubrication.
You are correct it is a very fine lubricant. That is why it works so well. I have no idea the fishing conditions you have. I can't explain why rocket fuel doesn't work for you or last as long as Hot Sauce. Around here, for me, Hot Sauce is a sticky mess about half way through the summer and gums up the bearings. I see quite a bit of local business from folks complaining that their reels are not performing correctly and when I open them up there is a red mess inside. However, to Hot Sauce's defense I have no idea how long it had been in there?
oh im so sorry mike
its a revo sx left hand
iminsanenutz, the info below about bearings has you covered pretty good then ;)
Hey Mike,
What do you think of the stuff that Shimano and Abu Garcia include with new reels? Is the Rocket Fuel better?
I am a true believer in Rocket Fuel and it is the only thing I use. With that said, you can't go wrong by using the oil that the manufacturer puts in the box with the reel ;) problem is they don't give you very much :'(