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I clean out the grease with WD-40 and Q-tips, which won't hurt anything, then use a few drops of siliconized gun oil on the main shaft, handle bearings, bail pivots, and main bearings...just a drop. Do NOT clean the grease out with carb cleaner or anything such as that; damage to the fiber/plastics washers in the drag system will result. Quantum also makes Hot Sauce, and I've also used Berkeley Silicone Reel Lube in the past. I used to use Boeshield T-9, a PTFE spray lube developed by Boeing that is waterproof and cold-proof. I think you can still find it at some bicycle shops..but it's really spendy.PS...that's what I did to all my Presidents....
So do you only use oil on everything?[/quoteYup. Since the Pres's go on my ultrlight summer rigs, too, I don't switch back and forth. Most people tend to overdo it when it comes to lube; a drop on any moving part is all you need. In fact, on my bail pivots, I usually just use a drop of silicone..or a drop of WD-40. I find oil on the outside pivot points tends to collect dust/dirt if you use them for soft water fishing. I also crack my reels open every year and go through each one.
Also use WD-40 and Q-Tips to clean reels, and Quantum Hot Sauce. Makes the inexpensive Shakespears I use feel and work better, just a drop on bearings, main shaft, and drive gears.
Don't use anything on drag washers....any oil on them is what causes erratic or "jerky" drag...which means you oiled them or oil has migrated to the washers /felt. Shimano, Penn, and Pflueger, to name a few, state when the drag becomes erratic or jerky, the washers and felts must be replaced, as oil has migrated to them. That's what I've followed in 20 plus years of reel repair...just my .02
Thats mainly the problem though, the drag washers bind up from expanding in the cold and have too much friction unless its loosened way up. The drag will hitch and buck because it doesnt spin free enough in colder temps.The lube on the gears inside isnt that bad if you cup the reel in your hand to warm it up a bit.
Do you happen to know of a good how to vid on youtube on how to do this. I looked through some, but most either were non informative or were what seemed to be a 12 yro kid just showing off it gear.