Yamaha Grease

[alantani]

i think so.  i've seen the same thing if the large cartridge tubes.  didn't seem to be a problem!

[johndtuttle]

Keeping this thread slowly moving along...

Is there a specific reason why Yamaha Marine Grease couldn't be used for a Carbontex-based drag stack? I'm onboard with protecting the metal surfaces and gears with it but I've been using Cal's on the drag stack. Reading through lots and lots of posts, I haven't seen this addressed before. For the price and convenience, using just one product would simplify maintenance a little.

Thanks,
Jay

You can use any general marine grease on the drag washers and it works just fine. Penn uses their blue grease in there. Other than its poor longevity in heat they seem to be happy with it.

The properties of any bearing grease are really nothing to worry about in the drag, afaik. The principal function is to prevent water intrusion that gets soaked up by the woven washer and leads to lumpy washers = sticky drag performance and corrosion. The grease also has a role in reducing "start up" friction but really, that don't mean much for a saltwater reel.

OTOH, if I was fishing 2 pound leaders for trophy trout then a legit cold temp drag grease might be useful(?). Foakes or some other Freshwater Sensei will answer that question. I try, but I don't have much interaction with trophy trout .

For saltwater game fish, startup friction should not be too worrisome a consideration and the differences between different greases probably not noticeable.

[alantani]

I had tried hydrocarbon based greases and lithium based greases in the beginning,  but they both made the drag worse. Teflon based greases were the only ones that ever worked in carbon fiber drag washers for me.