Random reel tips....

[Clem Henry]

Just thought the following maybe of interest or some help to you, just a few random tips really and things to look out for regarding your reel/s




Saragosa:




Spools: All reels



Before spooling:Drag washers: All reels

Felt drag washers are great for light application but suffer at higher drag settings and will eventually disintegrate. Even if they are intact, high pressures will likely score the metal washers and lead to poor performance

NOTE:Line roller assembly: All reels


Maintenance port: Shimano

[Trevor Skinner]

Clem,

You're an invaluable resource. Glad we have you in Dubai!

Regards,


Trevor 

[Barry Kurten]

I echo Trevor's sentiment. Fantastic info ! 

Thanks a million again Clem ... im about to disassemble my Saragoza now and give myself something to do for the day 

[Clem Henry]

Glad the info is of some use...

Another area is the clutch, the setup for the lower/mid range reels is very similar for the respective size reels..4000/5000 etc things change a little in the Shimano range once you get to the Sustain, Twin power etc (basically the clutch receives more protection). Obviously the best of all is the Stella..

Pic of a Stradic after exposure to water, sand and wind...




If you fish off the beach etc you will eventually get sand  under the rotor...on the lower/mid range reels the clutch is more or less open to the elements and the combination will start to cause corrosion...



This can be fixed by disassembling and cleaning each part...this can take a bit of time depending on the state of the reel...on occasion hours

However once done, it will be fine...as long as the parts are still serviceable and functioning




The clutch is fairly robust despite the small springs etc and will normally only fail when it is over oiled or full of gunk rendering the springs useless. Again a good lightweight oil is the go, just a thin coat on the parts/rollers etc..no grease

No need to get too tied up over brands or viscosity...3 in 1 is better than nothing...but ReelX, Super lube synthetic is better if you have it.

 

[Wayne Brown]

Its midnight and I am pulling out my gosa. Really useful stuff Clem.

[Andrew Walker]

Thats an invaluable post, thanks Clem.

[Mark Harris]

Really good stuff Clem and thanks so much for taking the time to post these tips.

The syringe idea is very smart!  I have been using the Shimano spray grease lately (with the directional nozzle) but you are dead right that you can't really manoeuvre the nozzle in the maintenance port on smaller reels.  As aside, do you think that type of grease is OK for drag washers?  I will definitely try the syringe idea.

One other area I have seen neglected is the knob and handle. In Shimano reels especially with the extra "salt trap" of the folding handle design as well as the knob bearings/spindle mechanism, I have seen some cases of really horrible salt build-up.  Even A technical hack like myself can prevent this with just basic disassembly and regular cleaning/lubing.

Thanks again Clem.

[Clem Henry]

Hey Mark,

The preference would be to use a specialist drag grease, Shimano, Penn, Cal's, ZPI etc...why?

They are "said" to be designed for that specific purpose...usually with the following attributes, high heat, Teflon based, synthetic formulas. The said issue with petroleum based products is that they can dry and gum up overtime. The oils from the grease are said to sink into the fibre matrix whilst the thickeners used in the "petroleum" based greases gum and dry out on the top...

I have not seen it happen personally but that's the theory. I have used a thin coat of petroleum based grease when I haven't had the real stuff without any problem...less of an issue if you service the washer regularly. Heat can be an issue so all the specialized products are designed for high heat application.

In regard to handles/knobs you are spot on...I personally prefer a 1 piece handle and use the JM product but there are others like the MC Works etc..this just eliminates some of the play you get from the hinge/joint on a 2 piece design. The standard knobs are usually made of "septon" rubber...they don't like penertrants like WD40 or similar, also some sun cremes which causes them to become soft and sticky.

The handles used on some of the 6000-8000 size reels, Stradic FI comes to mind have pressed knobs with a plastic bottom washer. These knobs need oil as they don't use bearings (grease is too thick for the internal shaft). They have a bit of play in them due to design (no bearing) but the washer can swell when penertrants are used to try and free them up...ends up making the problem worse.

All said and done...I personally think regular maintenance is the key...a drop of 3 in 1 will be better than nothing. Please be aware that I don't have any formal training in this stuff...this is just based mostly on what I have done or found to work over the years.

[Mark Harris]

Many thanks again Clem.   

I am about out of Cals at the moment and can't get anything similar locally, so have to source overseas. I guess I was thinking whether the Shimano reel spray grease would be OK for drag washers in the meantime.  From what you say, it sounds like it will not do too much harm if they are cleaned regularly, and has to be better than nothing.

On handles, like many folks I suspect, I would agree with you that one piece handles are the go.  It gets incredibly expensive though!  A Stella 10000 for example becomes insanely expensive with the additions of a 16000 spool and a handle.

On knobs, I have replaced all of the rubber egg knobs on the Stellas and Twinpowers I own. 

I guess if there is one change I would love to see from Shimano it is a quality, one piece handle and a decent knob on their high end reels. This is one area where I  think Daiwa has really outdone Shimano - the factory Saltiga handle and knob is superb.

After recommendations from friends, I recently got my first SOM handle for 10000/18000 and it is an extremely impressive piece of gear.

[Chris Dennis]

Bloody hell, my bank manager has only just got over the shock of me buying two Stellas recently. Ok, the JM 16000 spool I can justify but now it seems I may need to buy some new handles as well .............

It does seem a bit off that a top of the range reel can be upgraded, but then again the Saltiga is significantly more expensive than the Stella and I haven't read anything about 'add ons' for them so I suppose this goes some way to accounting for the price difference.

[Ben Lovelace]

Aaaahhhh thats right Chris the spending NEVER ends with GT fishing.

[Mark Harris]

I suppose it should be said that after-market spools, handles and knobs for Stellas are not necessary. You can buy an 18000 and use it out of the box quite happily - it is a superb piece of kit.  A 10000 for GT GT fishing often does get the aftermarket treatment as you can't really get enough line on the factory 10000 spool unless you are happy using PE6

It's great having these after market add-ons, but you don't have to do it.

As for the Saltigas Chris, there are some after-market add-ons for them also.

Sorry for veering off-topic a touch!

[Ben Rivers]

I've added Shimano Yumeya Knobs to all my SWs.

[Kamalu Charlot]

I have always just used Singer sowing machine oil.  Is there any significant benefit from some of the name brand real oils?

[Clem Henry]

I have always tried to use a branded product...but I have used many others..some are ok, Singer and 3 in 1 are what I would consider fast oils..just not sure as to their longevity in a saltwater environment. Quantum hot sauce is a good fast oil and really clings on, use it on worm gears on baitcasters etc. If you service regulary most oils will be ok