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Lube for Anti-reverse Bearing?

Question 
14K views 25 replies 10 participants last post by  Wild Bill 
#1 ·
In cold weather one of my Chinese Slammers will not stay locked in the anti-reverse position. I just took a second one and put it in the freezer to test it and it also will not lock down. I am thinking the lubricant (rice oil);-) will not let the bearing work in cold temps. I am going to call Penn Reels tomorrow and see what they say.

Does anyone know of a good lubricant for the anti-reverse roller bearing for cold weather. Never had that trouble with any of the Slammers made in the USA. This is a bad time to have to send them back. Actually there is not a good time.
 
#2 ·
WB - Only rarely have I had that problem. I'm sure you've hear many times, "oil for bearings & anti-reverse... and grease for everything else".

I just saw on the Shimano spinning reel page in the brand new BPS catalog the following sentence, "All styles (of Shimanos) are ported for easy lubricating of the reel without disassembly". The port just looks like the threaded cap that screws into the other end of the handle shaft. Don't know if this is a new feature or if their spinning reels have always been that way. Doesn't say whether to use grease or oil though. I might try grease.

I have a Shimano Symetre (rear drag) that I'm still trying to figure out how to remove the side plate... its definitely not intuitive. Any suggestion from anyone???
 
#6 ·
I actually just opened my Stradic FI's open last night. The " directions" say not to over lube... I don;t know if I over lubed or not. I was careful to add a few drops of lube that came with the reels.

I'm waiting for Bills wife to ask " What the hell is a reel doing in my freezer ?" Can you tape that for us, PLEASE ???
 
#3 ·
Not sure about the Slammer AR but a lot of them are run dry. Since the bearings are activated via centrifugal force, any type of a viscous fluid would be detrimental to the performance. I can only surmise that you got oil in them and the oil’s increased viciously when cold is causing the AR to malfunction.

I would try taking them out and cleaning them to see how they react.
 
#4 ·
Not sure about the Slammer AR but a lot of them are run dry. Since the bearings are activated via centrifugal force, any type of a viscous fluid would be detrimental to the performance. I can only surmise that you got oil in them and the oil's increased viciously when cold is causing the AR to malfunction.

I would try taking them out and cleaning them to see how they react.
I thought of that Clyde and will clean it and assembly it dry and see what it does after in the freezer. I do not want to fish it dry until I talk to Penn Reels in case it needs lubrication to survive. The RPM's are not very fast on a reel crank, so it may work OK dry.
 
#5 ·
Lock down the drag and back reel if the fish wants to take line - old, old school fishing :D.Direct drive and if you lose grip of the handle - bloody knuckles :eek2:.

I think you are on the right track that cold temps made the lube stiffen up.Try warming the reel up and see if it operates OK. If it does - then most likely you'll need a lighter lube.The anti reverse dog is a tiny piece of metal.The pin might be too tight it rides on - perhaps opening it slightly or gently filing the pin will allow it to engage easier.

Give Jerry at Bluefin's a call. He knows reels inside/out and is always willing to share tips/tricks.410 477-9244
 
#7 ·
Lock down the drag and back reel if the fish wants to take line - old, old school fishing :D.Direct drive and if you lose grip of the handle - bloody knuckles :eek2:.

I think you are on the right track that cold temps made the lube stiffen up.Try warming the reel up and see if it operates OK. If it does - then most likely you'll need a lighter lube.The anti reverse dog is a tiny piece of metal.The pin might be too tight it rides on - perhaps opening it slightly or gently filing the pin will allow it to engage easier.

Give Jerry at Bluefin's a call. He knows reels inside/out and is always willing to share tips/tricks.410 477-9244
Thanks Skip but there is no dog or pin in the Penn Slammers or most modern infinite anti-reverse reels. A roller bearing is used that is designed to roll one way and bind up in the opposite direction. It is temp related because I can make all my Chinese Slammers do it by putting them in the freezer. As they return to room temp they work fine. I suspect the lube is causing the problem. It looks like light oil but who knows what "rice oil" will do in cold temps.

I will first call Penn Reels tomorrow morning and try to talk to their engineers or repair guys. Thanks for the contact info for your reel guy.
 
#8 ·
Now I see the problem - some engineer re designed the anti reverse :D.
Most likely the same guy who designed the bail pin on Penn spinning reels with graphite bodies.It breaks easily but requires an entire new rotor to fix it.

Sounds like you got it figured out that it is the lube/oil - good luck finding an oil that works in cold weather :thumbup:.

Reels in the freezer - that's a new one - but very smart thinking.
 
#18 ·
Now I see the problem - some engineer re designed the anti reverse :D.
Most likely the same guy who designed the bail pin on Penn spinning reels with graphite bodies.It breaks easily but requires an entire new rotor to fix it.

Sounds like you got it figured out that it is the lube/oil - good luck finding an oil that works in cold weather :thumbup:.

Reels in the freezer - that's a new one - but very smart thinking.
really, WTF is up with that?? have had 2 break. gotta buy the whole rotor.
 
#10 ·
Bill...As the others have stated, the a/r bearings should be clean and relatively dry...I believe the slammers have a roller bearing style a/r.

As you suspect, if you have added too much lubricant or too much has accumulated, the cold weather will lower the viscosityof the lubricants and cause the bearing to stick.

You can probably solve your problem by cleaning out the bearing and drying it out. A very minimal amount(one drop), of a very light oil like Hot Sauce, rocket fuel or Xtreme Reel+ can be used. www.xtremelubricants.com

Brian...As for the shimano reels with the "oil port", it is recommended to use the port to put a "drop of oil" periodically after use...I would recommend a drop of oil after a days fishing...make sure it is only ONE drop, too much will cause problems...Grease should be used when the reel is taken apart for cleaning and service.

HJS .....for your symetre reel...the spool has to be removed and the rotor has to be loosened up or removed to get your sideplate off...also move the rear drag lever to the back of the reel to get it out of the way.

Feel free to give me a call if you guys have any questions, I'll be glad to help if I can...443-848-1074
 
#12 ·
Sounds like good advice Ralph. I will call Penn in a little while and report what they say.


Brian-

Since there are big bags of llama wool also in our freezer, I do not think a little reel will draw much attention. Years ago when I used to fillet a lot of fish, the freezer also held fish guts until trash day. That was a tough sell at first.
 
#19 ·
Sounds like good advice Ralph. I will call Penn in a little while and report what they say.

Brian-

Since there are big bags of llama wool also in our freezer, I do not think a little reel will draw much attention. Years ago when I used to fillet a lot of fish, the freezer also held fish guts until trash day. That was a tough sell at first.
Llama wool? figures, when you are ready to give up the coffee grinders, let me turn you on to baby alpaca, and vicuna.:D
 
#14 ·
Brian-

You may be thinking of a different kind of wool.:eek2:

Because llamas come from cold climates, those in the US need to be sheared in the spring or they would get too hot. One animal produces a big bag of fiber. We have nine llamas but my wife and other "llama mama" shear llamas for other llama owners. If the owners do not want the wool, we wind up with it. I never asked why it is in the freezer but it needs washed and processed and I suspect it goes in our freezer until that is done.

I just called Penn and the repair dept opens at 9 Am.

Here is the contact info if others need it.

For further information on PENN Repair Service
call 215-229-9415 extension 181.
Our repair service coordinator will be happy to
answer your questions.
 
#15 ·
Bill, both of my Penn 440 SSGs were doing the exact same thing in the cold this weekend. They don't even have a "reverse" selector switch on em... I was confused how they could just pop into locked reverse mode without a switch... I guess I over lubed the suckers.
 
#16 ·
Talked to Larry at Penn Reels. He said the bearing was not defective. The solution is to clean the AR roller bearing and apply Reel X AR lubricant. It is a thin oil.

I can only find Reel X and not Reel X AR. I have Speed X and Red Rocket fuel. I am going to try those one of the reels and do the freezer test. It that does not work I will buy some Reel X.

ReelSmith (Ralph) was right on target with his advice.
 
#20 ·
Lou-

I use all types of reels. Just bought another Calcutta 401 TE, which is a strong little reel, and a Curado 201, which is a real sweet caster. Spinners still have a place, however.

According to the llama mamas, Alpacas are often nasty. They shear both llamas and alpacas. I try not to get too involved with either.
 
#21 ·
Capt. Buckster - if you can find the tiny piece that broke off and align it just right- Super Glue can be used to repair it.

The new design sucks - IMHO.Guess it is cheaper to mold the pin rather then use a tiny SS screw.

If you call Penn - sometimes they will send you the new part free , if you first mail in the busted one.A few years ago Penn redesigned the reel foot on graphite spinning reels.I busted 4 of them in one week :eek2: - they replaced them all.Had to take the reel totally apart though to repair them but saved alot of money.Penn seems to stand behind their product :thumbup:.
 
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