Solvents ?

[Buzz]

Please! Don`t siphon automotive gasoline.
You would have a heart attack if you knew all the chemicals in it , even without drinking it.
I know, just like Dominick I used gasoline for parts washup years ago,        even was a wise guy and flipped lighted cigs in pan of gas.
          The fuel nowadays is much worse than 50 years ago though,although it never was a good idea.
           Funny we wouldn`t use carbon tet , it was bad for you.


                               Buzz

[Megalops]

I use Simple Green, full strength.  Put some in a bowl & soak the parts for a few minutes, then scrub with a toothbrush-takes old grease & grime right of & actually smells nice!  And the best part-it's environmentally friendly, so you can pour it right down the sink. Will not harm plants or animals.  Cheap too!

[HalBrown]

My wife buys a product from the Watkins Company on line, which is a liquid degreaser and man does it work well for degreasing all reel parts, to include bearings.  I soak everything in a diluted solution of it, rinse it really well in a wire basket under the faucet and dry it well.  As an assurance for the bearings, I do a short soak in lighter flluid, then lube.  By the way, if you get grease on clothing (its real purpose), you just soak the spot with the stuff right out of the bottle, put it through a regular wash cycle and the grease is gone.  She has been using this stuff for years, but I just began using it for reel cleaning.  I don't know what is in it, but it is so safe you could probably brush your teeth with it (just kidding).

[bluefish69]

My all time favorite degreaser was Freon 11. It boils off at 78* and doesn't leave a trace.

[inhotpursuit]

I have been using this product for about a year now,it does a great job of cleaning old grease,removing old silicon caulking,tar,sap,tape residue,laundry,floor adesive etc etc,it is water soluble ,enviromentaly safe,and biodegradable,it is made out of oranges and even has a pleasant orange odor.
i have even mixed it with tsi 321 and used it on a old siezed electric fan motor which ran 24/7 for months before i turned it off,for cleaning bearings i soak them in it for a few minutes then lightly blow them out with compressed air then rinse with alcohol and another light blast of compressed air,cleaning old hardened grease i spray directly on to the parts and loosen the grease with a stiff brush then wash with dish soap and warm water.
Great stuff i highly recommend it
De-Solv-it  Contractors solvent

[Bunnlevel Sharker]

All i gotta say about flamability is that carb cleaner is like FWOOOOOOM! That stuff just burns with a passion

[Mic]

First off,
 You fellers are a sea of knowledge! Thanks for all the information and input!

 Now one thing I picked up by reading this again today is. Pretty much the only thing that needs greese is the drag washers. Everything else use oil. Correct ? I cleaned up a 109 last week and picked it up this morning in passing and noticed that it was not as "Lively" as it should be. Kinda "Gummy". Going back in it today and try again to do it right!
 Thank Yawl again!

 I got some 409 and WD40 after yawl fixed me up. They both work great and I havent seen any damage as of yet! I only soak parts in the WD40. The 409 I use on a towel.

 I havent tried the Carb Cleaner yet, might give it a shot when the other is used up.

 Truely Greatful guys, I really am!
  Mic

[Fish-aholic]

Now one thing I picked up by reading this again today is. Pretty much the only thing that needs greese is the drag washers. Everything else use oil. Correct ?
  Mic

Hi Mic.

It's not just the drag washers that need greasing. Just to add, the grease used for carbon fibre drag washers 'has to be' a teflon based grease. Cal's/Shimano drag grease are the most popular. A marine grease (hydrocarbon based) should only be applied to side plates, base plates, non spool bearings, moving parts; and all screws holes or threads.

The applications I use oil for are: spool bearings to achieve best free spool in casting reels. A little oil is also smeared onto the spindle/shaft. Reels used for trawling can have the spool bearings packed with grease. Anti reverse bearings are lighly oiled. Too much oil/grease can make the anti reverse intermittant. The inside of a pinion gear has a light coat of oil. I also apply a little oil to where a handle knob is attached to a shaft. This keeps the handle knob rotating freely.  

Here's a post I did that might be of help to you: Before and after...

http://alantani.com/index.php?topic=5849.0

Steve.

[Mic]

 CLICK!
 The light bulb is on now!

 I see what you mean. There sure as hell a big differance in a coating of marine greese and a glob of greese standing in the corner waiting to be used!

 I just went back and read Alan's Lubes/Oils post. Now I think I got it!

 Just protect it, dont kill it!

 Thanks again!
 Mic