Dismantling and fully servicing your reels once a year is an excellent initiative for keeping your equipment in good working order for as long as possible. But when it comes to sea fishing, simple, regular maintenance after each outing is essential. Corrosion, particularly of the spool, occurs quickly!
The method I'm presenting is the one recommended by Shimano and I've been using it for several years. The reel pictured is 5 years old and has only had one roller bearing change.
Step 1: Apply the brake
Start by tightening your reel's brake to prevent water from seeping underneath it and "cleaning" the brake washers of their grease. Turn the knob to the right.
Step 2: Rinse with hot water
Hot water has the property of dissolving salt (I'll let you look at your saucepan when you're cooking pasta...), so you need to rinse your reel thoroughly under it.
Step 3: Turn the crank
To evacuate the water and "spin" the spool, spin your reel very fast. Centrifugal force will evacuate the water.
Step 4: Shake
Then shake your reel to remove any remaining water.
Step 5: Wipe clean
Then wipe your reel with a clean cloth.
Step 6: Release the brake
It's always best to store your reels with the brake released to avoid keeping the felt washers compressed. So turn the knob to the left to remove the pressure.
Step 7: Oiling
To keep your reels in top condition, a drop of oil is recommended. This can be applied to the sprocket, either through the hole provided on some models, or directly onto the sprocket itself.
The other part you can oil is the crank handle.
I use Quantum Hot Sauce oil, which is very fluid when the cruets supplied by the manufacturer are empty.
Now you can put your reels away until your next outing!
