WD40 to the rescue...

[Abbeysdad]

I had an old Gladding South Bend reel laying around that was in good shape but set up stiff as heck. I took it apart and sprayed liberally with WD40 which freed it up nicely. Cleaned all the old grease out, then layed in some new white lithium grease. Back together now and smooth as new! Spooled 10# test Trilene mono and slapped it on it's original GSB glass rod for another rig.

[Fathead]

another way to break reels free of any stiffness is to lt it sit in a pot of boiling water which will dissolve any dirts, sand, salt, etc...... works quite well to boil it then hit it up with some hotsauce

[freakyfish]

they say wd40 acts as a solvent and takes off the original grease.and freezes up your bearings.you should wash it off and put reel grease back on.just a sugestion.

[Fishbear]

Abbeysdad,

I hope and pray you made sure you dried all the WD-40 off the parts, before putting the grease on. WD-40 traps moisture and acts like a barrier to the grease. If there was any moisture on the parts, when you put the WD 40 on there, they will rust.

[Abbeysdad]

Originally Posted by Fishbear

Abbeysdad,

I hope and pray you made sure you dried all the WD-40 off the parts, before putting the grease on. WD-40 traps moisture and acts like a barrier to the grease. If there was any moisture on the parts, when you put the WD 40 on there, they will rust.

No way. WD40 stands for Water Displacement recipe #40... developed for NASA back in the day. It has three main ingredients and although it's a well guarded secret, two of them are solvent and OIL! If you've ever cleaned parts in safety solvent, you'd understand how WD40 aids and makes sense in this situation of frozen metal parts. I am confident that cleaning the reel with WD40 and applying the white lithium grease was perhaps the best way to restore this ancient reel.

[BigBassin144]

abbeysdad, actually WD-40 is great for CLEANING reels, even new ones. But fishbear is correct, if you did not remove all the WD-40 it will make your problem worse. I'd clean it up again, and make sure you get all the WD-40 off. I don't know about the white lithium grease for reels, I'm sure it will be ok though. I use Abu Garcia reel grease and oil.

BB

[lowrider]

all i know is that waterfowlers DO NOT use wd to lube a shotgun. add some leftover gunpowder and a little water and you get a gummed up mechanism.

[Abbeysdad]

Seems to me some folks don't understand what penetrating oils are or what they do.
Sorry I brought it up....(but it works great!....and that reel that might have gone over the back fence is as good a new now.)

[zooker]

Originally Posted by lowrider

all i know is that waterfowlers DO NOT use wd to lube a shotgun. add some leftover gunpowder and a little water and you get a gummed up mechanism.

royal purple synfilm and deicer are the only two things i use on my guns..

zooker

[BigBassin144]

Originally Posted by Abbeysdad

Seems to me some folks don't understand what penetrating oils are or what they do.
Sorry I brought it up....(but it works great!....and that reel that might have gone over the back fence is as good a new now.)

Now being the key word here. what about Later, when the WD-40 dires and messes up the reel even more?

BB

[BigBassin144]

Here's some info.

Originally Posted by Raul

Keithdog, WD-40 is not a lubricant recomended for fishing reels, if you spray in WD-40 it´s going to dissolve away whatever little grease and oil you have left in your reel, later it´s going to vaporize and you end up with gearing and bearings that are not lubricated which is going to cause wear. It can be used as a solvent to clean the gearing, never as a lubricant.

(quote taken from: http://www.bassfishin.com/bassfishin...ighlight=WD-40)

Here's another from A reel maintenance guide.

DO NOT SPRAY YOUR REEL WITH PENETRATING OIL, OR WD-40. THINK!! Penetrating oil will do just that, it will penetrate the threads of your screws and thereby possibly cause them to become loose. Penetrating oil can also cause fine grit and other foreign matter to enter places it does not belong causing premature wear. It can also wash away grease from places it should be and replace it with foreign matter. It will also cause the surface of your reel to be sticky causing grit and foreign matter to adhere in such a manner that it is hard to remove by rinsing with plain water. If you have used penetrating oil on your reel before reading this guide you may want to make a solution of warm water and dish detergent and brush with a bottlebrush before spraying with plain water. When the reel is to be stored for an extended period of time we suggest paste wax or apply a small amount or medium weight oil with a small cloth and then polish to a smooth hard dry finish.

BB

[rangerryan]

you put what every you want on that reel. its your reel and wd40 wont hurt a darn thing unless you dont clean and regrease at the end of every fishing season and keep it clean and lubed throughout the season and lithium grease is the best grease for moving parts if it is good enough to assemble high rpm racing motors its good enough for your reel. and if you wanna get technical PB is the best spray penatrant. this stuff will run up hill.

[Fishbear]

I am a trained, practicing gunsmith on the side.

THE #1 thing that was pounded into my head by instructors and other gunsmiths I have worked with and for,,,,, NEVER use WD 40 for anything but nuts, bolts, hinges, and such. A person who uses WD 40 on a firearm will soon be visiting a gunsmith, wondering why that dern gun just wont work right. Same applies to reels. Take them apart, clean them with a good solvent, dry them off, grease and oil per specs then reassemble. Leave the WD 40 for getting sticky bolts and screws loose.

[JB]

when i got into the bass fishing scene in the 80's almost everyone used
WD40 for the spool and outside of the reel, plus as a scent on the plastics baits..everyone that had a boat usually had a small can on board.
Still we always used gear lube / oil for the inside components..and I've always heard the same since being a member on here.... to stay away from using it on reels for lub...all I ever saw was guys using it but having to reapply it constantly on our ABU 4600's

speaking of WD40,
tom cruise uses it on some Scientology movie he's making for
"the cause"
rofl

[tnfisherman]

wd40,duct tape, and super glue is some of the best inventions there ever was

[Abbeysdad]

Gee...go back and READ what I first wrote - The reel was opened up to expose the crank and receiver gears. WD40 was used as a solvent/penetrating oil to free the frozen mechanism. The 30 year old grease 'n crud was completely removed so the gears and such inside were clean, then white lithium grease was added as the gear/slider lube - replacing the 1970's grease.

[thebus71h]

I'll say this. We use WD-40 on the racecar after washing, and don't have any problems. In fact, that's why the headers we have don't rust, we spray down the headers (while wet usually sometimes), and let it sit all week, it burns off on raceday, and do it again the next week. I've had people before tell me that WD-40 makes things rust, and if it did, why on the can does it say to prevent and remove rust? We use it as a multi purpose lubricant on the car, along with cleaning carburators and fuel injection (depending on who's stuff I'm running that weekend), and never had a problem whatsoever using it. In fact, I've used it in a couple of my reels and never had a problem at all.

[Abbeysdad]

Oh yea and a last note... (apples to oranges, but) I'm no gunsmith, but last I recall you most certainly do use a solvent when cleaning a gun barrel - it's that stuff in the bottle you dip the brush into.
Also, cleaning gears or any metal parts in boiling water should be turning heads with a 'say what?' before using a solvent.

WD40 causes rust??? Hello, McFly.... it was formulated to displace water and PREVENT/REMOVE RUST. Once the solvent evaporates, a light oil film is left behind. This light film of oil is likely NOT going to inhibit additional grease applied to the gears/mechanisms.

But hey - great debate, but lets go fishin!

[robertmee]

Originally Posted by Abbeysdad

Gee...go back and READ what I first wrote - The reel was opened up to expose the crank and receiver gears. WD40 was used as a solvent/penetrating oil to free the frozen mechanism. The 30 year old grease 'n crud was completely removed so the gears and such inside were clean, then white lithium grease was added as the gear/slider lube - replacing the 1970's grease.

Don't be so sensitive....If you go back and READ what everyone wrote, they were just advising you to make sure that after you used it, to clean it off before applying the grease. You didn't make that clear in the first post.

[Abbeysdad]

I thought it was pretty clear.

Now if I could just find a source to replace the line roller/guide on the bail as this one has a wear mark (I rotated it for now).

[Raul]

Be careful not to spray WD40 on the magnets of reels with magnetic braking systems, it dissolves away the glue used to bind the rare earths powder from which those magnets are made from.

[mlakrid]

Dont believe me get it from the manufacturer:

WD-40 is a solvent and was the 40th version to be tried that is correct...
HOWEVER, it is a SOLVENT and will displace your grease and oils... do NOT use it on your reels

from snopes:
snopes.com/inboxer/household/wd-40.asp

Read the last paragraph:

Re-typed from snopes since you can not copy:

As for the claim the "basic ingredient" in WD-40 is "fish oil" it is a common rumor and one that is easily propogated (because cans of WD-40 spray include no ingedients list), but at a glance of the composition information included in the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for WD-40 aerosol indicates the product is primarily petroleum-based, with the main ingredient being "solvent naptha, petroleum, medium aliphatic" Also known as Stodard Solvent at 60%.

As a matter of fact the first TWO ingredients in the composition are both solvents and make up to 85% of the total by volume of the snopes article.

Use it at your own risk...

Mike A!
Land O Lakes, FL

[texasbasser]

never will any group of fisherman agree on WD-40 using on their reels.

I use it ALL THE TIME after fishing in the salt, and reels are good and smooth as new.

They dont do anything.

TB

[Fishnngolfn]

I haven't tried it and right now have not a need for any reel oil or cleaner as of yet. I am just enjoying the ongoing debate about this subject. I find it particularly entertaining that some of you are debating so passionately over a lubricant (pun intended).

[buddy_fuentes]

I was sent the following in an e-mail and copied and pasted it for your debate...ur ugh pleasure.

> Amazing Use for WD-40



> Even half of these would be great WD40
>
> WD-40
> I had a neighbor who had bought a new pickup. I got
> up very early one Sunday morning and saw that
> someone had spray painted red all around the sides
> of this beige truck (for some unknown reason). I
> went over, woke him up, and told him the bad news.
>
> He was very upset and was trying to figure out what
> to do probably nothing until Monday morning, since
> nothing was open. Another neighbor came out and told
> him to get his WD-40 and clean it off. It removed
> the unwanted paint beautifully and did not harm his
> paint job that was on the truck. I'm impressed!
> WD-40, who knew?
>
> Water Displacement #40. The product began from a
> search for a rust preventative solvent and degreaser
> to protect missile parts. WD-40 was created in 1953
> by three technicians at the San Diego Rocket
> Chemical Company. Its name comes from the project
> that was to find a 'water displacement' compound.
> They were successful with the fortieth formulation,
> thus WD-40. The Corvair Company bought it in bulk to
> protect their atlas missile parts.
>
> Ken East (one of the original founders) says there
> is nothing in WD-40 that would hurt you.
> When you read the 'shower door' part, try it. It's
> the first thing that has ever cleaned that spotty
> shower door If yours is plastic, it works just as
> well as glass. It's a miracle! Then try it on your
> stove top... Voila! It's now shinier than it's ever
> been. You'll be amazed.
> Here are some of the uses:
>
> 1) Protects silver from tarnishing.
>
> 2) Removes road tar and grime from cars.
>
> 3) Cleans and lubricates guitar strings.
>
> 4) Gives floors that 'just-waxed' sheen
> without making it slippery.
>
> 5) Keeps flies off cows.
>
> 6) Restores and cleans chalkboards.
>
> 7) Removes lipstick stains.
>
> 8) Loosens stubborn zippers.
>
> 9) Untangles jewelry chains.
>
> 10) Removes stains from stainless steel
> sinks.
>
> 11) Removes dirt and grime from the barbecue
> grill.
>
> 12) Keeps ceramic/terra cotta garden pots
> from oxidizing.
>
> 13) Removes tomato stains from clothing.
>
> 14) Keeps glass shower doors free of water
> spots.
>
> 15) Camouflages scratches in ceramic and
> marble floors.
>
> 16) Keeps scissors working smoothly.
>
> 17) Lubricates noisy door hinges on vehicles
> and doors in homes.
>
> 18) It removes black scuff marks from the
> kitchen floor. Use WD-40 for those nasty tar and
> scuff marks on flooring. It doesn't seem to harm the
> finish and you won't have to scrub nearly as hard to
> get them off. Just remember to open some windows if
> you have a lot of marks
>
> 19) Bug guts will eat away the finish on your
> car if not removed quickly. Use WD-40!
>
> 20) Gives a children's play gym slide a shine
> for a super fast slide.
>
> 21) Lubricates gear shift and mower deck
> lever for ease of handling on riding mowers.
>
> 22) Rids kids rocking chairs and swings of
> squeaky noises.
>
> 23) Lubricates tracks in sticking home
> windows and makes them easier to open.
>
> 24) Spraying an umbrella stem makes it easier
> to open and close.
>
> 25) Restores and cleans padded leather
> dashboards in vehicles, as well as vinyl bumpers.
>
> 26) Restores and cleans roof racks on
> vehicles.
>
> 27) Lubricates and stops squeaks in electric
> fans.
>
> 28) Lubricates wheel sprockets on tricycles,
> wagons, and bicycles for easy handling.
>
> 29) Lubricates fan belts on washers and
> dryers and keeps them running smoothly.
>
> 30) Keeps rust from forming on saws and saw
> blades, and other tools.
>
> 31) Removes splattered grease on stove.
>
> 32) Keeps bathroom mirror from fogging.
>
> 33) Lubricates prosthetic limbs.
>
> 34) Keeps pigeons off the balcony ( they hate
> the smell).
>
> 35) Removes all traces of duct tape.
>
> 36) Folks even spray it on their arms, hands,
> and knees to relieve arthritis pain.
>
> 37) Florida's favorite use is: 'cleans and
> removes love bugs from grills and bumpers.'
>
> 38) The favorite use in the state of New
> York: WD-40 protects the Statue of Liberty from the
> elements.
>
> 39) WD-40 attracts fish. Spray a LITTLE on
> live bait or lures and you will be catching the big
> One in no time. Also, it's a lot
> cheaper than the chemical attractants that are made
> for just That purpose. Keep in mind though,
> using some chemical laced baits or lures for fishing
> are not allowed in some states.
>
> 40) Use it for fire ant bites. It takes the
> sting away immediately and stops the itch.
>
> 41) WD-40 is great for removing crayon from
> walls. Spray on the mark and wipe with a clean rag.
>
> 42) Also, if you've discovered that your
> teenage daughter has washed and dried a tube of
> Lipstick with a load of laundry, saturate the lipstick spots with WD-40 > and re-wash.
> Presto! Lipstick is gone!
>
> 43) If you sprayed WD-40 on the distributor
> cap, it would displace the moisture and allow the
> car to start.
>
> P.S. The basic ingredient is FISH OIL.
>
> P.P.S. I keep a can of WD-40 in my kitchen cabinet
> over the stove. It is good for oven burns or any
> other type of burn. It takes the burned feeling away
> and heals with NO scarring.