Line roller bearings - oil or grease?

[jg125]

Teflon based grease seems to hold up the best but it is all about how you take care of your equipment.

[Ruffy]

Here is a photo of the roller sleeve I was talking about, it is part #10420 in the attached snip of the schematic. On the right is the new one, on the left is the one I took out of my wifes Stradic 5000FI which gets oiled after every trip. In the most recent reel I've had apart (a Saros 4000F I recently purchased), this piece of metal had completed corroded to a white powder and the whole assembly was frozen together. I ended up having to take the bail off, put the screw back into part #10429 and then place it on a vice and tap the screw to push part #10429 out through the bearing and assembly. Everything was knackered and I was up for about 5 new parts.

[philaroman]

keep an eye out for older parts:

1) my favorite "hoardable" Shimano part is the solid SiC ceramic roller RD 3305 from early 90's Stradic/Symetre

• never corrodes
• smoother than any plain metal roller & doesn't chip/flake like a coated roller
• no modern PowerRoller twist-reducing groove gimmick (wouldn't be structurally sound in solid ceramic, I guess?)
• fits either bearing or bushing w/ correct thin/thick liner

2) should be plenty compatible older lube-marinated brass bushings to replace the steel one

[Midway Tommy]

Whatever--keep it to the bare minimum.  On some older reels, the so-called roller doesn't really roll, it just inches it's way around over time to hopefully keep a groove from forming.  I might rarely use the smallest amount of oil, but usually go bare, as oil or grease both attract too much dust & defeat the purpose of the lube.

Anybody ever had any luck with any of the so-called "dry" lubes--just thinking about ways to not attract dirt.

Frank

Not dry lube but I prefer Armor All to oil or grease. It doesn't attract dirt or grit near as bad, isn't messy and is simple to add a squirt or two at any given time. I have a small pump bottle stashed between my batteries in my boat for just those cases. Not sure how well it will last in salt water use, though.

[Gfish]

The #10420 on my Stratic fj(8000, used in salt alla time) looks a-little better'n yours, but it's gettin there. Got mine in 2012, and replaced that part 3 yrs. ago. Bad material. I believe, if I remember right, Shimano sent it for free. Good business practices.
Gfish