# neglect of maintenance and need suggestion of experience



## BAYFISHER (Jul 6, 2001)

I took my tsunami, and okuma combo to OC, and caught well over 80 blues, all released, but my main concern is neglect. It was saltwater of course. The reel, is a year old, and the rod im sure is suited for salt. but by not cleaning it right away, and two months later, havent yet, will i pay in divedends for not maintaining it, or if i clean it in a week, what other steps might restore reel? Everything moves well, and dont see corrosion yet. Need simplified ideas by anyone.


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## ORF Pete (Sep 26, 2009)

Is taking apart reels not your thing? So long as it's not a Van Staal or something that is sealed it shouldn't be too hard to service. The baitrunner/baitfeeder/lineliner design of spinning reels can be a little tougher to service, but it's best just getter' done and learn the internals because some of those seem to corrode the fastest just due to the higher number of internal parts.

If the reel still spins well then it probably just needs a little cleaning and greasing. So my 2 cents are get out the reel schematics, a small screwdriver, and get cleaning. Get some Cal's Universal Reel and Drag grease, and a wire brush for any corrosion. Take the thing apart including the drag stack, remove all the old grease and any sand in there, then slop on new grease and put the reel back together. Glob on extra grease in any areas that you noticed corrosion. You may want to take a good look at the drag washers. If they are felt washers and look black or burned up after you degrease, replace them. If they are carbon fiber they'll probably be fine, just degrease and regrease.

If you don't want to completely take apart your reel, or if health reasons like arthritis make it a chore, you could just open up the case and look for any sand or corrosion. If you see none and if the grease looks pretty fresh and not brown or black, just apply a little extra grease in any dry areas and screw it back together. If you open it up and see bad things, bite the bullet and clean it thoroughly.

As for the rod, a bit of mild soap and a toothbrush works well for cleaning the eyes out. Scrub out any salt depositing you see, most likely where the ceramic ring meets the metal of the guide. Once the guides are dry run a Q-tip around the inside of the ceramic rings to check for any burrs or cracks.


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## BAYFISHER (Jul 6, 2001)

I noticed no burnt drags, and it did have sand within,but none penetrated other clicking mechanisms, or spring assemblies. No way in the world will i split the case for internal gears. That was a disaster some years ago, and never got it back together again (shimano baitrunner). That was before having to pay 200+ for the newer models. Than you for your time effort, and yes i have devloped clicking thumbs due to fishing. Pretty funny in my case, but can be painful at times. I call it collateral damage. Any specific grease that you sport?


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## ORF Pete (Sep 26, 2009)

If you're ever down in the lower Bay I'll show you how to take it apart. I love taking apart pretty much any kind of reel. Just need the schematics, and a camera to take pics as I go along.

As for grease, there is Cal's Drag Grease and both Penn and Shimano make a good grease. Pretty much any kind of high temp marine grease would probably work well. Most Walmarts sell a little oil and grease kit made by Berkley for like $4 that is decent enough for this kind of use. Cal's is probably the "best" and most widely liked, and what I'd use in any reel that I plan to smoke the crap out of the drag specifically. DO NOT use a White Lithium grease. That's the only kind of grease you want to avoid as far as I know.

I know a couple guys that clean out their spinning reels a pretty lazy way. They just take off the gearbox cover and spray out the insides with carb cleaner, then blow out the carb cleaner with compressed air and drop some oil on all the bearings and grease the heck out of it. I don't really recommend this, but it's better than nothing the next time you get a bunch of sand and salt on the inside. You DO NOT want to let a degreaser/solvent sit on non-metal components long at all btw.


Little side story; I bought a used Daiwa Sl50SH on ebay a few years ago for $10. Externally it was a 7/10, but internally more like a 3/10. Still, all it took was another $10 to get the reel working again. Just needed to measure and replace two bearings. The drag washers were fine, they were just locked in place to the metal washers due to bad grease and the previous owner storing the reel with the drag locked down. Fixing reels and getting bargains like that is almost a whole other hobby for me sometimes.


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## OceanMaster (Dec 22, 2011)

For the rod and guides, after cleaning as mentioned by ORF Pete, I will wax the entire rod and guides (minus the grips of course) with Meguiar’s Mirror Glaze #56 Boat/RV Pure Wax. I simply wipe it on everything, blank, guides and wraps several times, buffing it out between coats. It really helps keep the salt water from easily penetrating the rods finish and protects the guides a bit better between fishing trips.


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