Lubing worm gears?

[Killerbug]

I have begun to lube the worm gear on some costumer reels with grease, I have noticed that grease stays longer than oil, and does not affect casting distance notably on my own reels.  But I am worried about the long term effects, as grease picks up dirt easier that might add additional wear to the pawl.  

On reels with a disengaging level wind I am always greasing the worm gear, but I am not sure if I should use this a procedure on costumer reels.

[coastalobsession]

I do a LIGHT coat of yamaha marine grease.

[alantani]

i use corrosion x.  either one should be fine. 

[Ken_D]

I suspect the choice between oil or grease would depend on where the fishing's happening. All the worms I see come back for fix, that had the factory grease left on (mostly Abu 7000's) are choked with black crud, grit, and worse: sand.  I send them back out with a light coat of Dritz sweing machine oil.

In a straight ocean troll fishery, I send the worms out with a very thick coat of marine grease (mostly Penn 340/345's)

I an in-river scene, they go out with a spray of Super Slick Stuff (mostly Abu 55/6500's)

[coastalobsession]

I use corrosion x or reel butter.

[Bryan Young]

I now use TSI321 if I'm not taking the level wind assembly apart and TSI301 if the assembly is apart.

[redsetta]

After a few years of trial and error, it's just Inox MX3 these days.
I also agree with Ken's comment:

All the worms I see that had the factory grease left on are choked with black crud, grit, and worse: sand.

Cheers, Justin

[flyforfish21]

I now use TSI321 if I'm not taking the level wind assembly apart and TSI301 if the assembly is apart.

+1

except the levelwind always comes apart when i tear em down (yeah i know, i'm crazy ). So far been staying lubed nice, and almost no dirt pick up. Stuff is great!

Geoff

[Ken_D]

After a few years of trial and error, it's just Inox MX3 these days.
I also agree with Ken's comment:

All the worms I see that had the factory grease left on are choked with black crud, grit, and worse: sand.

Cheers, Justin

If I want to go a spray lube, I'll use the Canadian equivalant of Super Slick Stuff. They re-label it, and sell as HyTek dry garage door lube. It's pretty decent.  http://www.superslickstuff.com/lubricant/Super-Slick-Slick-Stuff.html

[Jimmer]

A dry lube on these sounds like a great idea, no attracting and collecting dirt. Anyone tried Boeshield T-9 on these?

[timpz]

Here in the uk we have a protuct called 3 in 1 ptfe dry lubricant that i currently use for loosening tight spigots on rods, do you think that this would work for levelwind worm gears?

[Killerbug]

Here in the uk we have a protuct called 3 in 1 ptfe dry lubricant that i currently use for loosening tight spigots on rods, do you think that this would work for levelwind worm gears?

If the washout is not to fast, the levelvind system is constantly wet while fishing.

[UK Ron]

I use mountain bike chain lube.

[Killerbug]

Great idea actually!, I remember you cat get some quite sophisticated wet lubes for bikes or even waxes with low washout properties.

[0119]

I used to use Pedro's Dry Ice chain wax.  It would flake quickly and clog the derailieur.  When I got into serious racing we gave the chains a simple parafin bath. The idea of using wax is not to lubricate the external area like the worm gear but to lube the hinge pins.  Has anybody tried Phil Whites Tenacious Oil?  Phil White makes incredible grease!  Ive used tenacious oil to lube the guts in spinners with good success. I'm gonna have to try it on my Abus too.