don't oil line roller bearings because...?

[mike1010]

Thanks for the replies.  To my eye the line roller bearings in both an FL 4K and FM 5K look plain vanilla.  They seem to corrode quickly with or without oiling.

--Mike

[Keta]

This is another place a plain bearing would be better.

[boon]

Where does Shimano say not to oil the LRB, out of interest?

The Stradic roller is a frustrating part - it's not a magic/special outer race, it's just a regular ball bearing pressed into the roller shell. I'm sure if you were incredibly careful/skilled you could press it back out again, but I think the roller is super thin and you would be at high risk of damaging it. It's annoying to have to replace the entire unit as I'm sure the bearing itself would only be a few dollars and it's a fairly common part to fail, being exposed as it is and subject to arguably the hardest work in the reel.

[quabbin boy 62]

my surf reels are 706z penns, been using these for about 20 years. as long as i pull the line roller, rinse it, let it dry, and reassemble with a couple drops of tsi 321 i'm getting 10 years or so from my line roller bearings. if you get foamy stuff out of them just use less oil. salt water will lock up most reel parts without cleaning and light lubrication.   

[Gfish]

Well designed for "line rolling" Mike, until you don't get enough FW or lube in there and have to leave it for a day or more. IMO, too many small parts on these type a Shimano systems to be practical.
 Hmmm, maybe I should check my 3000 FJ now that we're talking about it(keep it stored in my car on a telescoping rod). If it's frozen-up it'll be a "can of worms" fer sher because of part availability issues.

[mike1010]

Where does Shimano say not to oil the LRB, out of interest?

The Stradic roller is a frustrating part - it's not a magic/special outer race, it's just a regular ball bearing pressed into the roller shell. I'm sure if you were incredibly careful/skilled you could press it back out again, but I think the roller is super thin and you would be at high risk of damaging it. It's annoying to have to replace the entire unit as I'm sure the bearing itself would only be a few dollars and it's a fairly common part to fail, being exposed as it is and subject to arguably the hardest work in the reel.

Indeed, why does Shimano say that, my primary question.

I've pressed out the bearing from the roller, and am not that skilled.  Maybe careful.  Or maybe just reckless.

[boon]

I went and found Shimano North America's spinning reel maintenance guide.

Indeed it says not to oil the waterproof line roller bearings. This is because they are a greased bearing (which I find quite surprising!), and they're presumably worried about compatibility of oils with the grease. It says to grease non-waterproof bearings, and to use a "special water-repellent grease" (whatever that means) for the waterproof ones.

Guess you learn something every day?

[jurelometer]

I went and found Shimano North America's spinning reel maintenance guide.

Indeed it says not to oil the waterproof line roller bearings. This is because they are a greased bearing (which I find quite surprising!), and they're presumably worried about compatibility of oils with the grease. It says to grease non-waterproof bearings, and to use a "special water-repellent grease" (whatever that means) for the waterproof ones.

Guess you learn something every day?

Man, I was definitely not taking the shortest route to the answer on this question 

Grease makes sense to me.  Better for corrosion resistance, and it is not like a line roller needs high RPMs.

-J

[mbg60]

My Stella 3000 FJ's line roller is very noisy. I did add some reel lube to try to solve the problem but it didn't help.  I need to change it out.  No problems with any of the FK or SWC line rollers. I did not oil these rollers.  Only rinsed with FW after each outing.  Come to think about it, my GF's Moms' Stradic CI4s, Vanfords, and Miravel all needed LRB replacement.  She fishes 2-4 days a week in SW.

[Gfish]

Thread tangent warning!
Your GF's mom fishes?! Cool! What about your GF?

The line roller bb prolly works harder than any other bb in a spinning reel. Small diameter means-more turns/line length—reeled-in. Plus the right-angle pressure of the line on the bb-roller, when reeling in against variable loads. But like Dave said, the speed and maybe radial load will not that approach something required in many applications outside of spinning reels.