Running dry bearings

[Sandbar33]

Does anybody run dry bearings? Any problems? I am putting a dry set in one of my saltwater reels and wonder how I should go about the maintenance of them. One side of each bearing is open (no shield) with the open side turned inward to the spool.

Am I asking for trouble......LOL

[kamuwela]

the open side inward is to prevent water from getting in. i myself would not install dry bearing's. atleast use reelx or alike if you choose not to add grease. i normally grease all salt water reel's. i dont think too many people cast 50's

[Bryan Young]

The only bearings that are recommended to run dry are ceramics, and they are usually used in fresh water reels.

For spool bearings, you should use a light lubricant to get the maximum spin of the bearings.  I would clean them out, shields off (both sides) before lubing them.  If you keep on shield on, you could still get water to stay in the bearing.

So the ultimate answer is yes, you are not asking for trouble, but would be replacing a lot of bearings by running dry.

[Pro Reel]

when most people talk about ceramic bearings, they are actualll talking about a ceramic hybrid bearing. Ceramic hybrids have ceramic balls in steel cages and steel rings. Ceramic hybrids do not need to be oiled because the ceramic balls are so smooth that there is very little friction and they won't wear out, however, they would be very prone to corrosion. I would never run them dry in my own reels simply because as soon as the steel cage gets even a tiny amount of surface corrosion, it will be ruined. Ceramic hybrids should be wiped with a thin coat of oil on the outside and then a small drop on the inside, that will be just enough to coat the steel parts and prevent corrosion. You will still need to do frequent maintenance if used in salt water. Te only bearing that could be run dry with no problem would be a full ceramic. Full ceramic bearings have all of the parts made from ceramic. They are very expensive and not readily available in many sizes. The cheapest I have found started at $70.00 each. Also, if you switch to ceramic hybrid bearings, do not use TSI 301. TSI 301 impregnates metal parts but it seems to stick to the ceramic balls and gums them up. The best oil I have found for hybrids is TG'S rocket fuel tournament formula. The tournament formula oil has a viscosity rating of 4 Compare that to the viscosity of quantum hot sauce oil which is a 39.