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  1. #1
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    Cleaning new reels?

    How many of you disassemble and clean out the grease in a brand new reel? Just wondering, I do. Just bought a new Lews (first one, primarily a Shimano guy) and it is packed full of grease! I was a co angler in a Bassmaster tournament a long time ago and a tech at the Quantum trailer told me when you get a new one strip it and clean it. They pack it full at the factory because they know the average user will never open it up.

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    #2
    A brand new reel, I will fish for a few months to make sure there is no issues with it. All you need if for the manufacturer to deny a warranty claim because they notice someones been in the reel. If I buy a used one, its getting stripped and done my way.

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    #3
    You can get better performance by flushing the bearings and oiling them very sparingly with a high performance oil as they come over lubed from the factory. Levelsind bearings are packed with grease sometimes but I prefer that anyways. Personally I don’t think that you can have too much grease on the gear train.

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    #4
    Quote Originally Posted by LgMouthGambler View Post
    A brand new reel, I will fish for a few months to make sure there is no issues with it. All you need if for the manufacturer to deny a warranty claim because they notice someones been in the reel. If I buy a used one, its getting stripped and done my way.
    +1

  5. Member SoonerFan's Avatar
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    #5
    Quote Originally Posted by Limitfish View Post
    How many of you disassemble and clean out the grease in a brand new reel? Just wondering, I do. Just bought a new Lews (first one, primarily a Shimano guy) and it is packed full of grease! I was a co angler in a Bassmaster tournament a long time ago and a tech at the Quantum trailer told me when you get a new one strip it and clean it. They pack it full at the factory because they know the average user will never open it up.
    I believe some manufacturers grease up their reels to add smoothness to the reel and hide inferior bearings and gears. I bought one of those flat white 13 Fishing reels for under a 100 dollars. It was pretty quite and smooth right out of the box. However, as soon as I gave the bearings a good flush and drop of YRF, it sounds like a coffee grinder but the spool spins like an electric motor. I'll usually flush the spool bearings as soon as I get it but I've found that the higher end reels don't need it as much a lower end one does. I don't dig into the gear side until the reel is a few years old or I hear a reason to.

    I find it interesting that a Quantum tech recommended flushing the grease out of the reel...just sayin'. Their are the deadest feeling reels of all IMHO.
    Don't worry Ma'am....
    I'm only here for the
    Bass.

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    #6
    Clean and oil spool bearings out of the box and the reel gets torn down on the annual clean.

  7. Member
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    #7
    This is a higher end Lews so I think I’ll flush the spool bearings and oil. Also the worm gear for the level wind is jammed with grease so I’m going to clean it off and oil it with super lube. I don’t like grease on the worm gear, in my opinion grease attracts dirt.

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    #8
    I fish them stock for a bit of time. If I am not happy I may try a modification/tuning of some kind. It also gives me a little reference for whatever performance gains I can achieve over the reel in its stock form from the factory.

  9. Better Lucky Than Good! Casslaw's Avatar
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    #9
    Once I get a new reel adjusted just right for whatever combo it’s going to be used for I send the reel in to be cleaned and have the bearings upgraded/fixed. Then I have to readjust everything!

    I wish I had the knowledge to take my own reels apart. I can build a small block Chevy with my eyes closed but I won’t learn my reels. It comes from ignorance; I don’t know what to upgrade, or what oil or grease to use in different locations.

    For those of you that do quality reel cleaning and bearing upgrades,,,,bless you!
    2006 Triton SP-185, 2006 Evinrude Etec 90, PowerTech NRS3, Garmin Echomap Plus 73CV & 93SV

  10. Member SoonerFan's Avatar
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    #10
    Quote Originally Posted by Casslaw View Post
    Once I get a new reel adjusted just right for whatever combo it’s going to be used for I send the reel in to be cleaned and have the bearings upgraded/fixed. Then I have to readjust everything!

    I wish I had the knowledge to take my own reels apart. I can build a small block Chevy with my eyes closed but I won’t learn my reels. It comes from ignorance; I don’t know what to upgrade, or what oil or grease to use in different locations.

    For those of you that do quality reel cleaning and bearing upgrades,,,,bless you!
    EZ PZ....Watch this, it’s most of what you need to know for the majority of baitcasters out there.
    Don't worry Ma'am....
    I'm only here for the
    Bass.

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    #11
    Quote Originally Posted by SoonerFan View Post
    EZ PZ....Watch this, it’s most of what you need to know for the majority of baitcasters out there.
    Arguably the best reel cleaning/maintenance video out there.....makes em reel like butter, and cast fantastic.
    For the spool bearings---best investment was a $35 Ultrasonic cleaner and clean them in acetone....
    followed by one small drop of oil in each spool bearing....works great....I like the Shimano Bantam oil alot.....

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    #12
    Do you have a prefered brand of ultrasonic cleaner?

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    #13
    Quote Originally Posted by Limitfish View Post
    Do you have a prefered brand of ultrasonic cleaner?
    There are alot of the cheaper ones in the mid 30's.
    Some guys like the one from Harbor Freight that goes for $80, but you can get it on sale.
    The brand I have is called Famili, got it off of ebay, for $35ish.....been working great.

  14. Member Jeff Hahn's Avatar
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    #14
    I've done it both ways...run a new reel out of the box for a season and then tear down with all other reels over the winter...and, tearing it down right out of the box. I'm not sure it makes any difference.

    I got my Ultrasonic cleaner from Bed, Bath, and Beyond with a coupon my wife had. It's made for jewelry but works great for reel parts. Just don't put any plated or painted parts in the Ultrasonic...the vibrations can loosen the plating or paint.
    "The man of system is apt to be very wise in his own conceit; and is often so enamored with the supposed beauty of his own ideal plan of government that he cannot suffer the smallest deviation from any part of it…He seems to imagine that he can arrange the different members of a great society with as much ease as the hand arranges the different pieces upon a chessboard.” Adam Smith, The Theory of Moral Sentiments

  15. Member RazorCat's Avatar
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    #15
    Quote Originally Posted by LgMouthGambler View Post
    A brand new reel, I will fish for a few months to make sure there is no issues with it. All you need if for the manufacturer to deny a warranty claim because they notice someones been in the reel. If I buy a used one, its getting stripped and done my way.
    Same here. Buy them in Spring, try them out, if they make the rotation they get cleaned and lubed with the rest in January.
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    "It's just fishing"