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Reel Bearings and Oil

Contributed by: Ron Allison

Here are some additional tips as to customizing reels with upgraded bearings and oil. Reel Bearings
For this discussion I'm primarily referring to the Shimano line of reels as that is what I have the most experience with. Upgrading a Citica Reel The Shimano Citica reel has a nylon bushing instead of a bearing in the sideplate that covers the variable brake system (VBS). This is really the primary difference between a Citica and a Curado reel except for a bushing on the reel shaft of the Citica, while the Curado has a bearing. For those that may have Citica reels you have probably noticed that they tend to become noisy after awhile, especially if you don't keep them lubricated. This is because the nylon bushing in the sideplate gets dry and then wears from lack of lubrication. The bushing looses its lubrication much faster than a bearing does.

This bushing can be replaced with a bearing. In fact, the bearing that comes in the Curado is the exact size to fit. You could order the bearing for a Curado from Shimano and then replace the bushing with a bearing and in effect you've now got a reel that is very close to the same as a Curado, except for the reel shaft bushing. I believe Shimano charges about $10.00 for the bearing plus shipping. While it is possible to also change the reel shaft bushing this is much more difficult because it is pinned to the shaft. Also the benefits are negligable, so I don't recommend this. The bearings used in the Shimano reels are ABEC3. You can buy the same bearings from outside sources for much less. The bearing size that you will need is 3x10x4 millimeters. I have a very limited supply which I will sell at $4.00 a bearing.

Upgrading Bearings I have recently been experimenting with upgrading my stock reel bearings from ABEC3 to an ABEC7 which is a higher tolerance bearing. The benefit is that you can cast farther than with the stock bearings with no increase in effort. Any bearing that is available in ABEC3 is usually available in ABEC7, you just need to know the size. There are ABEC7 bearings available for most of the commonly used reels not just Shimano. If anyone is interested I have a list of the bearing sizes required for most reels. The average cost of the ABEC7 bearing is around $6.50 to $10 dollars. So far I've determined that while it does make a difference I only use it on certain rods. It's good for a worm rod or for crankbaits but obviously you wouldn't need them on a flipping rod. All in all I think that the stock bearings with a good reel oil are more than adequate. See below for a reel oil that I think makes a difference.
High Quality Reel Oil

There is a reel oil available known as "Rocket Fuel". This oil comes in a couple of varieties. There is Yellow which is a high quality oil and Red which an even higher quality but thinner oil, there is also one more but I don't know what it is. I have been using the Yellow Rocket Fuel for the past year and Don DeMott has also been using it for awhile. I have found and I think Don will agree that this oil does make a difference. The only parts that I use it on are the bearings and on my levelwind gear. It makes the reel much easier to cast. The drawback is that you must lubricate the bearings about once a month because the oil is thinner and won't last as long as the standard reel oil. The oil isn't cheap, a one ounce bottle runs $10.00 but will probably last for a couple of years as you only use a drop or at the most two drops to lubricate a bearing. If you decide to upgrade to high tolerance bearings in any of your reels than I strongly recommend that you also get some Yellow Rocket Fuel oil. This oil can be ordered from Buck Creek Rods and Reel Repair. The website is at www.buckcreekrodandreel.com, or he has a toll free number of 1-877-847-9603. He also stocks ABEC7 bearings for most all of the different reels.

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