Author Topic: Greasing inline reels or any reel for that matter (Read 5191 times)

mistertwister · « **on:** Dec 03, 2016, 10:20 AM »

I've read some different posts about greasing inline reels as they tend to come from the factory with little or no grease. I've got some ardent reel butter and also some white lithium grease. I was going to take apart my new no.8 cgi inline today, just wondering if you guys know what areas to hit. I've read grease for gears and oil for bearings, as for the oil will wd40 work? I want to touch up all my reels before the season starts but want to make sure I'm not messing something up. Also read about greasing or oiling the drag, but have also read not to?

NeFiShNeTiMe · « **Reply #1 on:** Dec 03, 2016, 10:22 AM »

I would not use wd40. Look for something that will withstand the freezing temps.

ice dawg · « **Reply #2 on:** Dec 03, 2016, 10:29 AM »

Hot Sauce for oil.

E Z turn · « **Reply #3 on:** Dec 03, 2016, 10:51 AM »

Quantum Hot Sauce . Check Fish USA.

3300 · « **Reply #4 on:** Dec 03, 2016, 10:55 AM »

hot sauce is good.
the eagle claw inline reels came with what looked like petroleum jelly and would get way too stiff in the cold.
i used quantum hot sauce oil and grease after cleaning them out. both are red and easy to see how much your using.

http://www.fishusa.com/product/Quantum-Hot-Sauce-Reel-Lubricant

river rat78 · « **Reply #5 on:** Dec 03, 2016, 11:17 AM »

When oiling the bearings you only want to use a small drop.

missoulafish · « **Reply #6 on:** Dec 03, 2016, 11:20 AM »

Hot sauce too.

jammer icecube · « **Reply #7 on:** Dec 03, 2016, 01:42 PM »

Hot sauce hands down.

RyanW · « **Reply #8 on:** Dec 03, 2016, 02:38 PM »

I completely disassemble and degrease everything then apply HotSauce oil to all metal gears and bearings including the bale arm and handle assembly. No grease in the winter for any of my reels. Summer is a different story.

HotSauce may seem pricey but a little bit goes a very long way and should last a while. I've serviced 4-5 reels a season for the past 3 and have barely put a dent in either the oil or the grease. Now if you want to use grease (which really is unnecessary if you use HotSauce oil) I would choose a sub-freezing grease like the blue stuff found in tip-ups, I can't remember the brand but there are a few that produce the blue grease.

mr.clean · « **Reply #9 on:** Dec 04, 2016, 02:56 AM »

RyanW the blue colored grease you are referring to is called Blue Lube sold by HT Enterprises . I have used this product in my tipups. Frabill also carries a grease called Sub zero lube. Some people use white lithium grease. Mister twister hope this information helps you out.
Steve

FishGut · « **Reply #10 on:** Dec 04, 2016, 03:35 AM »

So is there a distinct difference between open water and cold water grease?

Hot sauce and Reel Butter are premium greases, but really are meant for freshwater, open water fishing tackle. I would think grease meant for use in sub-freezing temps would melt out of the equipment stored in the garage during the summer months..

esox_xtm · « **Reply #11 on:** Dec 04, 2016, 06:15 AM »

Quote from: FishGut on Dec 04, 2016, 03:35 AM

So is there a distinct difference between open water and cold water grease?

Hot sauce and Reel Butter are premium greases, but really are meant for freshwater, open water fishing tackle. I would think grease meant for use in sub-freezing temps would melt out of the equipment stored in the garage during the summer months..

Yes and no.

I frequently fish open water till ice up and have looked for a "crossover" grease and oil. Just doesn't make sense to me to have to stock too much stuff (as if...).

Having worked in a retail tackle shop for several years cleaning and servicing reels and packing tipups I have settled on some preferences.

Oil: Very simple. I use a product called BreakFree CLP. It's great stuff intended primarily firearms. Doesn't gunk or get hard, stays liquid waaay below zero, actually keeps dirt from building up on metal parts. I can make it go a lot further if I take a page out from competition casting mods. Many of those guys use Auto Trans Fluid. Yep, the red stuff that goes in your car/truck tranny. They'll use it straight or slightly modified but that's too "fast" for regular use and you'd have to lube at least daily or even more often for a full day of casting (think bass or musky fishing here). I mix it 75/25 0r 50/50 BreakFree to ATF and you gotta give it a good shake before use to get the heavy, slippery stuff re-suspended. For that matter Marvel would probably sub for ATF if you had a mind to.

Because I'm a curious guy sometimes I experiment. I got a bottle of that overpriced Hot Sauce stuff. It's red (sound familiar?) It seemed OK but it tipped over in my reel maintenance box and half of it leaked all over everything. On examination I could see a number of tiny cracks in the bottle cap around where the oiling needle comes out. I noticed it when I bought it but didn't think it was going to leak. Wrong. After a couple of go arounds with Quantum customer non-service I threw it away and added Quantum to my "don't waste your time" list.

I've played with some others but I kept going back to my special blend. Pretty much done investigating at this point.

Grease: Here again, I've played with a number of offerings, Reel Butter (too stiff and gunky), Penn Synthetic (still pretty stiff in the cold), I've got some Cal's around somewhere but haven't used it yet. No, I'm not even trying the overpriced Hot Sauce. My go to grease is good old cheapo ABU silicote reel grease. Despite the "Silicote" name I don't know that it is silicone anything. It does have PTFE (Teflon) though. It's a clear grease so not particularly messy, very light and easy to clean up at maintenance time. It's on the cheap side and is not "the latest greatest" but it's still around because it just flat out works well.

Blue Lube... don't go there for reels. It's just plain a mess. Great for pressure packing tipup tubes but for reels.....nah. Same with Frabill SubZero.

Just personal opinion based on my experiences, user mileage may vary....

E Z turn · « **Reply #12 on:** Dec 04, 2016, 06:32 AM »

Interesting information . Thanks for your post.

filetandrelease · « **Reply #13 on:** Dec 04, 2016, 07:04 AM »

Guys this sounds stupid and feel free to rip me , but I clean my reels of grease and replace it with a few drops of sewing machine oil , it either works or I've been lucky

esox_xtm · « **Reply #14 on:** Dec 04, 2016, 07:35 AM »

@ f&r: Nothing wrong with sewing machine oil or any light machine oil for that matter. Most gun oils work well. Keep the oil simple and light. I use my blend because I do a mega crap ton of casting the rest of the year and it excels for that. It just happens to work very well during the winter as well.

Previous poster was correct though. Oil for bearings, I put it on the levelwind worms as well. Gears should get grease, oil just runs off and doesn't provide much if any protection or lubrication in that application. That's why the challenge to find something light enough for that duty in the cold. It would be interesting to hear from our friends north of the border where it get reaaly cold.

OldSailor · « **Reply #15 on:** Dec 04, 2016, 07:55 AM »

I also use Break Free CLP for oil and ABU Silcote reel grease. Been using it for decades!! Just don't over lube your reel !! A little goes a long way!!

ice dawg · « **Reply #16 on:** Dec 04, 2016, 10:03 AM »

I use cold weather grease to lube the screws in my garage door openers. Seems to work in my reels too.

esox_xtm · « **Reply #17 on:** Dec 04, 2016, 12:46 PM »

Quote from: OldSailor on Dec 04, 2016, 07:55 AM

I also use Break Free CLP for oil and ABU Silcote reel grease. Been using it for decades!! Just don't over lube your reel !! A little goes a long way!!

That's a little creepy OS. You been stalkin' me?

mistertwister · « **Reply #18 on:** Dec 04, 2016, 02:04 PM »

Thanks for the tips! I ordered some hot sauce oil, I'll save the grease for my summer rods!

potatoe · « **Reply #19 on:** Dec 04, 2016, 07:08 PM »

I have a little bottle of fishing reel oil made by Lucas Oil, just purchased a few weeks ago. Is this the little blue bottle you guys are referring to. I have never oiled or greased a fishing reel but just recently thought about doing it. Want to make sure I bought the right stuff

Bartb · « **Reply #20 on:** Dec 04, 2016, 07:12 PM »

This is out there...but I use paintball gun lubricant on my ice reels. It's made to perform in extremely cold temps (paintball guns use co2 and when fired very fast it gets super cold and even produces small amounts of dry ice inside the gun during rapid firing)

Works great.

SkiSoloII · « **Reply #21 on:** Dec 04, 2016, 08:03 PM »

How about Reel Magic? I've heard a number of people swear by it.

Dave

redneckdan · « **Reply #22 on:** Dec 04, 2016, 10:01 PM »

Mobilith SHC 007. NLGI 00 with ISO 460 base oil. I've used it in tipups and reels down to -50F. Unfirtunately, only comes in pails drums and kegs. Most cold weather reel greases are a NLGI 1, SHC 221 would be similar. Now available in tubes.

SnoHam13 · « **Reply #23 on:** Dec 04, 2016, 10:15 PM »

mineral oil, no problems yet

SnoHam13

Salmonquest · « **Reply #24 on:** Dec 05, 2016, 07:07 AM »

Just a word on WD40. It is NOT a lubricant. It is a solvent. It is ment to dissolve particles.

DO put it on your reel when cleaning.

DO NOT rely on it to lubricate.

I would add another vote for CLP or lithium grease.

NYSporty · « **Reply #25 on:** Dec 05, 2016, 07:35 AM »

Quote from: SkiSoloII on Dec 04, 2016, 08:03 PM

How about Reel Magic? I've heard a number of people swear by it.

Dave

I love the stuff I'm a freak about my reels I use Hot sauce in the gears and Reel Magic on the outside and on the line.
I just got a Black betty freefall, if I pulled some drag the line would pinch and not free spool.
I gave it a shot of Reel Magic and it work great now.

SirCranksalot · « **Reply #26 on:** Nov 28, 2018, 08:12 AM »

Bouncing this to top---thx esox

vanhln · « **Reply #27 on:** Nov 28, 2018, 10:30 AM »

I found this thread useful for my inlines.....

I also use TSI-321 and it works well.

https://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=348780.msg3714396#msg3714396

Dakota-Lew · « **Reply #28 on:** Nov 28, 2018, 10:52 AM »

Its all about the TSI 321

slipperybob · « **Reply #29 on:** Nov 28, 2018, 11:38 AM »

I like revived thread discussions.

I'm one of those who won't use Hot Sauce...personal bad experience with my old cheap equipment and red dye getting all over other things...

I will vouch for the Abu Silicote grease...which use to be the Zebco PTFE reel grease...cheap and works great.

Spinning reels...I will grease the line roller. It's probably the only ball bearing, if there's one in there that I will dab some grease. Nowadays most ball bearings are shielded, so only oil can get in there. If it's a metal bushing for sure grease. If it's a low friction nylon bushing, nothing in there.

And here's the trick. Xtreme reel+ lubricant is awesome for those metal bushings. Even in those reels where the knobs are squeaking or resisting rotation and there's no way to get grease in them. Just a drop of Xtreme reel+ and then let the lube work itself into the bearings or bushing. Keep spinning that knob until it's spinning freely. Remarkable...only wish that I didn't need reapplication so frequently as the stuff does sort of dry out.

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Author Topic: Greasing inline reels or any reel for that matter (Read 5191 times)