bearing supported pinion gear

[Crankbait]

This goes out to the reel tech’s and super tuners. On the Shimano reels with the pinion supported bearing when you upgrade the bearings to either ABEC 7’s or orange seals do you upgrade the pinion bearing and if so is it more for reeling smoothness? And if so can this bearing be greased?

[DVT Mike]

Yup the pinion support is strictly for smoothness. There's no need to upgrade bearings other than the spool bearings. Pinion support bearings can be greased but I personally prefer the feel and ease of application of a heavy oil. I can't see installing a ceramic bearing then greasing it. If you want to build a 1-off enthusiast type reel, bearings of all sizes are available as upgrades.

[pro reel]

It would be a waste of money to put an expensive bearing there. The stock bearings are fine and if they need replaced due to wear or corrosion then a standard abec 5 is plenty good and probably cheaper than a stock bearing from the manufacturer. Thats a very low speed bearing and it's only purpose is to center the pinion gear. No one ever agrees on oil or grease for that bearing. I prefer a tick oilbecause I hate to use grease anywhere at all close to the spool shaft so that it doesn't migrate. Grease would sty in the bearing longer and if it's a thin grease may make the reel feel tighter where as oil may make the reel fell a little loose. This is another reason I love to use the TG's line of oils. I can get the rocket oils in several viscosities and I can blend them together to make any viscosity i need. They have the super thin tourney formula, the med yellow thats perfect for most bearings, the red thats a little thicker. The red is what I use on pinion bearings, all action parts and worm gears. Then they even have liquid grease that is good for bigger saltwater reels and great for spinning reels.

[Crankbait]

Hey Pro and Dvt do you prefer to grease the crank shaft bearing.......what's your thought.

[pro reel]

Originally Posted by Crankbait

Hey Pro and Dvt do you prefer to grease the crank shaft bearing.......what's your thought.

Yes, I grease the crankshaft bearing. I have oiled them beofre, ut even with thick oil, I think it makes the reel feal to loose when you use oil. Now, as for whats best, they both would be fine, but grease will protect it better and last longer.

[Tavery5]

I prefer to grease both, think it makes the reel feel smoother and tighter. Ceramics would IMO be a waste of money, put them where they can truely perform.

[gonefishin3]

What type of greese and what type of oil do you guys use? i assume there is heavy oil and light oil too... can one of you guys specify what you use and where you use it? thanks !
GF3

[pro reel]

There are dozens of good oils available. For actual oil, I prefer TG's brand of rocket fuel reel oils. Rocket fuel is available in 4 viscosities from very thin to very thick. They are all the same basic formulas so you can blend them together to make any thickness you need. I also use a product called TSI 301. It's only available on line from the manufacturer. It's expensive, but goes a long way when only used for spool bearings. It will make stainless steel bearings spin very fast. TSI 301 can't be used on plastic. For grease, I was using super lube teflon grease and still like it just fine. It's a great grease for reels in most uses. It's a little thick for spinning reels and it's also a little thick for some bearings. I use cals universal reel and drag grease for most uses now because it works just as good as super lube but is a little creamier and great for bearings. It's also the only grease thats good for carbontex drag washers.

[Crankbait]

Do you use cals universal reel and drag grease in the plunger?

[pro reel]

Yes, My greaser is now filled with cals.

[Crankbait]

Originally Posted by pro reel

Yes, My greaser is now filled with cals.

my bad i meant greaser, plunger is the thing in the bathroom right you can buy a large container of cals to fill the greaser? Is TG the only oil you're using on reels?

[DVT Mike]

It depends little bit on the customer. People's definition of "smooth" can vary. Some like the connected feel others think smooth means totally effortless cranking. If I think a cleaning will be a once ina blue moon thing, grease will last longer. In between regular annual or bi-annual services, a gear oil will work. Don't get too hung up on lubes in a DIY situation. The main thing to be sure everything is clean and use an appropriate lube for each application: grease for gears, oil for bearings...

[Crankbait]

Originally Posted by DVT Mike

It depends little bit on the customer. People's definition of "smooth" can vary. Some like the connected feel others think smooth means totally effortless cranking. If I think a cleaning will be a once ina blue moon thing, grease will last longer. In between regular annual or bi-annual services, a gear oil will work. Don't get too hung up on lubes in a DIY situation. The main thing to be sure everything is clean and use an appropriate lube for each application: grease for gears, oil for bearings...

Yeah i hear you.
I’m a fanatic about flushing my bearings. Even though it’s no big deal to throw em in my ultrasonic.... the bearings blaster is so quick I’ve been known to use it on some buddies reels in the parking lot!