Remove rubber shields?

[wpc]

Hello all,
I was wondering if everyone here was removing their shields on their spool bearings and if so, would you remove the rubber shields as well? I just purchased these and wondering if I should leave the rubber shields off or not.
http://www.bocabearings.com/bearing-inventory/16981/fishing-reel-bearings/ceramic-orange-seal-abec-7/accurate-boss-spool-single-and-2-speed

Thanks

[Bryan Young]

Depends. If you are packing with grease, then I leave them in. If they are spool bearings, then I leave them open. I take them out with a dental pick or sharp hook.

[bluefish69]

Bryan

If you use his link & read the cut sheet in it it say leave dry. That's what the LD in the Bearing Part Number means.

Mike

[Keta]

For a trolling or bottom fishing reel I pack them with grease and put the shields back on, for flylining  small live bait and casting I remove the inter shields and oil the bearings.

[wpc]

Thanks all. I will be fly lining so I will leave the shields off and put some tsi on them. What does everyone do with all their leftover bearing shields? Maybe we can make something out of them.

[bluefish69]

Thanks all. I will be fly lining so I will leave the shields off and put some tsi on them. What does everyone do with all their leftover bearing shields? Maybe we can make something out of them.

Instead of a Charm Bracelet for the wife we can hang the Bearing Shieds.

[wpc]

Bryan

If you use his link & read the cut sheet in it it say leave dry. That's what the LD in the Bearing Part Number means.

Mike

I think it means that it is dry but does that mean you're suppose to leave it dry? I put them with some TSI on them in my reels tonight and they work pretty well.

this is what the link says
"LD = Lube Dry Bearings have been clean and are free of all grease and Oils"

[Jim]

Thoes bearings are shipped with "non-contact bearing shields". They don't rub on the inner race, after a scant drop of oil has been applied put it back in. Doesn't hurt anything friction wise but provides some minimal protection short of saltwater immersion.

[wpc]

Thoes bearings are shipped with "non-contact bearing shields". They don't rub on the inner race, after a scant drop of oil has been applied put it back in. Doesn't hurt anything friction wise but provides some minimal protection short of saltwater immersion.

cool, Maybe I'll wait till the end of the season since I already re-opened all my reels to remove the shields. thanks

[SoCalAngler]

Thoes bearings are shipped with "non-contact bearing shields". They don't rub on the inner race, after a scant drop of oil has been applied put it back in. Doesn't hurt anything friction wise but provides some minimal protection short of saltwater immersion.

Correct, but what if even a little saltwater gets into those bearings? With the sheilds left on it will make it harder for the water to get out of the inside of the bearing. The salt has a much better chance to crystallize inside the bearing apon evaporation with the shields left on if water does get inside. This is why we makes sure all non spool bearings are packed fully with grease so no water can get inside of them and with the open spool bearings saltwater can get out much more easily before it has a chance to crystallize or rust the bearing.

[wpc]

Thoes bearings are shipped with "non-contact bearing shields". They don't rub on the inner race, after a scant drop of oil has been applied put it back in. Doesn't hurt anything friction wise but provides some minimal protection short of saltwater immersion.

Correct, but what if even a little saltwater gets into those bearings? With the sheilds left on it will make it harder for the water to get out of the inside of the bearing. The salt has a much better chance to crystallize inside the bearing apon evaporation with the shields left on if water does get inside. This is why we makes sure all non spool bearings are packed fully with grease so no water can get inside of them and with the open spool bearings saltwater can get out much more easily before it has a chance to crystallize or rust the bearing.

aieeee, now I'm all worried. Ok I'll have to take those reels apart again to add those shields.

thanks

[SoCalAngler]

wpc,

What I was saying was to leave the sheilds off the spool bearings. I only open one side of the bearings that way if some water does get into the spool bearings it has a way to get back out.

You may want to reread what I wrote.

[Mandelstam]

I think it means that it is dry but does that mean you're suppose to leave it dry? I put them with some TSI on them in my reels tonight and they work pretty well.

this is what the link says
"LD = Lube Dry Bearings have been clean and are free of all grease and Oils"

A little Q&A from Boca Bearings: (http://www.bocabearings.com/faq.aspx#help-f3)

Q: How should the Orange Seal bearings be handled before being used?
A: All Orange Seal bearings with an LD (lube dry) in the part number are supplied dry, without grease or oil. AF2 in the part number means light oil and NB2 in the part number means a heavy duty grease. If your bearings are already dry they will not require any further handling. They can be run completely dry or you can add a light drop of oil to the outside seal and work the oil into the bearing. Dry bearings can be more noisy but a light drop of oil will quiet them right down. If your bearings came packed in grease or oil land you would like to clean out your bearings, you can remove the seals and soak the bearings in our Clean Touch over night. Blow the bearings dry the next day or let them air dry.

Q: If I leave my ceramic hybrids dry will they wear faster?
A: Yes, while ceramic hybrid bearings do not need any lubrication to operate the steel races will have a longer life if they have a slight amount of lube on a regular basis.

Q: Do full ceramic bearings need lubrication?
A: No, full ceramic bearings can be run completely dry. They do not need lubrication to run. Ceramic is non-porous, unlike steel, as a result it is virtually frictionless. Ceramic also dissipates heat very quickly, which is the same reason they use it on the underside of the space shuttle. Because there is no heat buildup and virtually no friction, full ceramic bearings can be run completely dry. They can be cleaned out with regular tap water or any cleaner, they are impervious to corrosion and can operate in a vacuum environment.

--------------

/Karl

[wpc]

wpc,

What I was saying was to leave the sheilds off the spool bearings. I only open one side of the bearings that way if some water does get into the spool bearings it has a way to get back out.

You may want to reread what I wrote.

got it... I will just leave the reels as is this season (rubber shields off) and see if the bearings survive. thanks

[JGB]

Been away for a while and saw the thread.
Lets see if a little explanation on open shields for spool bearings can shed some light.

The philosophy of opening the shields is:
Opening the shields allows air to circulate through the spool bearings and the spool shaft bore to help reduce or eliminate the condensation or collection of moisture or possibly salt water (in extreme cases). Removing the shields also  allows a place for the ejection of particles ( salt crystals) away from the bearing race. Opening the shields does may allow water better gain access to the bearing race but it also better allows water to be ejected from the race. Open bearings need to be lubed with a high quality lubricant that repels water and at the same time does not collect particle. TSI works very well for this. regular oils and corrosionX will collect salt dust and carbon dust from the drags over time causing the bearings to slow down.

scenarios:

Open only one side - outside open - similar results as both sides open but with less air circulation and stagnation of moist air in the spool bore. Inside open about the same as leaving the shields on.

Both side closed or outside closed with non contact shields - Better resistance to particle collection in the bearing race with low air circulation. Capillary action will draw water into the bearing and hold it there. If the bearings are packed with grease this is not a issue. If bearings are well protected then the non contact shields should work better as dust will not collect in the bearing.

Contact seals left on (Avet style bearings) - work well as long as water 'never' gets past the seal. We all know water will find it's way anywhere under severe conditions. Once water gets in it stays there and eventually causes corrosion even if well lubricated.

Sounds like we are suggesting open bearings are the final solution. Well yes and no

For non flyline spooling (no super free spool) packing with a light water proof grease or heavy CorrosionX with 10% TSI is what I will use especially for heavy usage applications like charter boat reels.

For Flyline and super free spool I open the bearing and lube with TSI. I also make darn sure that the drags are greased to prevent drag dust from fouling the bearings. For heavy users it is recommended that open bearings be serviced once a year.

Open spools bearings can and do have glitches and here are a few:
The majority of SS bearings have ball guides that will rust ( #1 failure mode for SS bearings). Plastic ball guides resist rust but have more friction.
Salt water in the bearings that are set aside for long periods will form salt crystals in the gap where the ball contacts the race and will cause the bearing to stick. Using the reels will typically break the salt free and eventually eject it out of the race. If yoy wet the bearings in extreme cases the salt will dissolve and every thing will be good if you use the reels continuously while the water and salt work their way out of the bearing. This is less of an issue in very humid conditions as the salt will attract water out of the air and keep things going.
TSI does not work for ceramic bearings and salt will adhere strongly to the balls. Warm water rinsing is the best quick fix here.

The good news is even extreme salting cases can be corrected with a hot water rinse under the faucet and a few drops of TSI. Here is a pic of a  Saltist 2 months after servicing that was repaired this way. Don't see a way to attach a pic.  60% of the right side plate volume was filled with salt crystals and the reel totally froze up. This was only possible because the reels received the full service with open bearings and TSI treatment.


Everything we do is a trade off we just need to find the right one for each application,
Jim N.