I've gotten word about this awesome reel repair forum at a recent San Diego Angler's meeting from our good friend Steve Carson that directed us here. We're basically trying to figure out how we can fix our spin reels that have been sanded out.
We started the first ever fishing club at UCSD just this summer and we've been fishing together ever since! However, due to our lack of experience, we surf fished at Black's beach for corbinas about a month ago and now 2 out of 4 of our Okuma Rox combos from Walmart are frozen from all the sand damage. Hopefully with the know how of most of the community here we can save some money fixing our club reels instead of getting new ones! :)
I figured since I couldn't find any reel breakdowns on youtube about these cheaper reels, I would try to post my current status of the repair and hopefully some advice can be told. I'm hoping to use some of my dad's wd-40 to blast out the sand once I get the internals open. I've spent my whole night trying to get the internals open...photos are attached >:(.
1. I've unscrewed all easily accessible screws and the handle
2. I am now stuck on loosening the final bolt to completely open up the internals
3. I've tried using my dad's bolt opener but I am afraid its teeth are damaging the bolt and its not quite loosening smoothly ;D
any advice on loosening up the reel bolt and cleaning the sand out before winter break ends would be MUCH APPRECIATED!!! thank you! - Richard
That nut is *probably* left-hand thread...so, instead of "righty-tighty, lefty-loosy"....it goes the other way. Once it's off, the "rotor" will pull off the shaft.
First get rid of the pliers & put them back in the tool box. Then get the proper wrenches & sockets for the reel work. You probably have to remove the nut to remove the yoke next. From the looks of it you are already chewing up the soft brass nut. Use proper tools for proper work. Hack tools are for hack work. And welcome to the forum. Rudy
Richard welcome from sunny Western Australia, nice to have you & your crew with us, before you start asking questions, try to do some reading, in the forum, such as " tools a lubricant, & various topics in that area, As Arlyn, ( Crow ) said if it dont turn very easy try the other way, also if you open the gear area on the reel there should be a crew or clip, near the bottom of the shaft, release it then the center shaft should come out, then you can get a socket, to fit properly, make sure you use good fitting crew drivers & other tools.
after fishing try to clean your reels out, & spray them with a good lube such as Inox MX 4 to 6, or maybe corrosion X oil, lube the bail arm as well, WD 40 is a good cleaner, but a very poor lube, good luck & leave some fish in the water for us, cheers Don.
see that tapped hole, next to the rotor nut -- was there a short, little screw in it !?!?
(prevents normal rotor operation from unscrewing the nut -- otherwise, nut must be reverse-threaded)
in a perfect world, reverse-threaded rotor nuts are notched for immediate recognition
OR
tapped hole(s) for retainer screw/cover indicate normal rotor nut
both those "rules" are frequently ignored in budget reels for cost-cutting,
but THEY wouldn't actually install & waste the screw if it's not needed
Welcome to the Forum!
I would soak the nut overnight with a penatrating solution("Liquid Wrench" or something similar). As it's soaking, like Donnyboat said, take off the gear cover and remove either screw(s) or pin(s) in the shaft that hold an ossilation unit. The shaft should then slip out. A socket wrench(probably metric size socket)might then remove the nut. If it don't turn, try heat via a hair dryer.
Saltwater is a thread/screw/nut, ball bearing and bushing killer. Do you guys rinse your reels directly after fishing? Hint. Sand is really bad. If you get it apart, a thin coating of grease on everything is invaluable(traps sand and protects against corrosion).
This one is interesting, keep us updated.
My Son went to UCSD. Seems like 1/2 the college ready population of Fremont, Ca. goes there.
Richard welcome to the forum. As Rudy has stated, first acquire some basic tools, open ended wrenches, an assortment of screw drivers, dental pick, and others as described in the Tools and Lubricants section. You will need some grease, oil and degreaser. A digital camera is also highly recommended. Take lots of pictures as you take the reels apart, keeping one unopened for reference. Once you get them apart, Dawn brand dish washing soap will help get rid of the grease and sand. There is at least one bearing that will need to be opened and thoroughly cleaned out and re greased. grease for this bearing is good as it wont affect free spool. (There is a tutorial on how to open it.) During reassembly make sure all internal parts get a LIGHT! coat of grease to stop salt water corrosion. The drag washers just need to be wiped off, not sure if they are carbon fiber or not, but if they are CF then Cal's Drag Grease can be applied.
You are jumping into the deep end with these reels, I would highly suggest you take some time and read some of the tutorials in the Spinning Reels section to get familiar with these reels, you may find one that is similar to yours. Take your time and take lots of pictures during disassembly to help you during reassembly.
If you get stuck just call out and anyone here will help you through this. Dont expect the first couple of reels to be quick, and the first will probably take a couple hours. Not sure if we have any members in the San Diego area to lend a hand, but maybe they will chime in.
Bill
Hi Richard, glad you dropped in, you're in the right place for answers.
A schematic for that particular reel can't be found to my knowledge on internet searches.. I've only serviced three Okumas and remember you have to get that nut removed and the rotor completely off for access to at least one more screw enabling you to remove the cover plate to access the gears.
Quote from: Crow on December 23, 2019, 12:50:56 PM
That nut is *probably* left-hand thread...so, instead of "righty-tighty, lefty-loosy"....it goes the other way. Once it's off, the "rotor" will pull off the shaft.
I think I went righty-tighty too many of a time last night!! ;D thank you Crow, am definitely trying to get the rotor off..
Quote from: RowdyW on December 23, 2019, 12:56:01 PM
First get rid of the pliers & put them back in the tool box. Then get the proper wrenches & sockets for the reel work. You probably have to remove the nut to remove the yoke next. From the looks of it you are already chewing up the soft brass nut. Use proper tools for proper work. Hack tools are for hack work. And welcome to the forum. Rudy
Hi Rudy!! i've definitely been using the wrong tools and i realized it when the nut started warping LOL. i'll take a look at the tools and lubricant page yourself and Donnyboat have recommended me so i can find better tools :)
Quote from: Donnyboat on December 23, 2019, 01:35:40 PM
Richard welcome from sunny Western Australia, nice to have you & your crew with us, before you start asking questions, try to do some reading, in the forum, such as " tools a lubricant, & various topics in that area, As Arlyn, ( Crow ) said if it dont turn very easy try the other way, also if you open the gear area on the reel there should be a crew or clip, near the bottom of the shaft, release it then the center shaft should come out, then you can get a socket, to fit properly, make sure you use good fitting crew drivers & other tools.
after fishing try to clean your reels out, & spray them with a good lube such as Inox MX 4 to 6, or maybe corrosion X oil, lube the bail arm as well, WD 40 is a good cleaner, but a very poor lube, good luck & leave some fish in the water for us, cheers Don.
Hi Donnyboat from sunny Western Australia!! My crew is very happy we can potentially stash a few extra bucks for our next twilight trip if i can get these reels fixed haha. Yes, i'll be looking at the tools and lubricant page as soon as i'm done replying to all the helpful comments. i didn't know how responsive this forum was LOL.
The nut was definitely loosening going left but it was going very inch by inch so i was scared something was going wrong. i'm pretty sure its because i used my dad's car pliers so i'll definitely look for the right socket to open it up.
Donnyboat, can you please clarify what gear area you're referring to? i'm kinda confused ???
So no WD-40? and thank you i'll definitely research the reel lube you've suggested (Inox MX4-6 and corrosionX) never dealt with lubing until now, its gon be good ;D
Tightlines to you!
When you pay thirty bucks for a rod and reel combo you cannot expect too much. Two to three outings in saltwater is probably about the average life expectancy. Servicing the reel before the first use will help. You will learn how it goes together before the corrosion starts to set in and you can grease all the screws. I can't help on the particulars but hope you have the best of luck with them. WD-40 is a decent solvent and cleaner but you need a proper reel oil.
-steve
Quote from: philaroman on December 23, 2019, 02:43:23 PM
see that tapped hole, next to the rotor nut -- was there a short, little screw in it !?!?
(prevents normal rotor operation from unscrewing the nut -- otherwise, nut must be reverse-threaded)
in a perfect world, reverse-threaded rotor nuts are notched for immediate recognition
OR
tapped hole(s) for retainer screw/cover indicate normal rotor nut
both those "rules" are frequently ignored in budget reels for cost-cutting,
but THEY wouldn't actually install & waste the screw if it's not needed
Hey Philaroman!! YES! there was a short screw, tiny little screw in the hole so they didn't skip out atleast on this one haha. i unscrewed it first before i attempted to open the brass nut last night. i should also probably not being doing this on the kitchen table but anyways ;D
Actually, the nut is not reverse threaded. however there are two holes (picture attached) so is there a proper one to screw it back onto? as to prevent regular reeling in unscrewing the actual nut? THANK YOU
That Okuma is *similar to* (but not identical), to the reels I use on the beach. It's still "spitting rain", today, but, tomorrow, I'll try to shake loose enough time to do a "short" break-down on one, and post some pix ( I have to work outside, as my wife would go ballistic if I tore it down in the RV !!). They really are "bone simple" reels.....no frills, at all, and quite simple to work on. As Steve mentioned, they are "designed" to be a "limited use', or, "throw away" reel, but, with a bit of care , they will hang in there, quite a while. rinsing / blowing the sand and salt off after each use is very important to ANY reel, but even more so on a "cheap" one.
Quote from: Gfish on December 23, 2019, 05:11:42 PM
Welcome to the Forum!
I would soak the nut overnight with a penatrating solution("Liquid Wrench" or something similar). As it's soaking, like Donnyboat said, take off the gear cover and remove either screw(s) or pin(s) in the shaft that hold an ossilation unit. The shaft should then slip out. A socket wrench(probably metric size socket)might then remove the nut. If it don't turn, try heat via a hair dryer.
Saltwater is a thread/screw/nut, ball bearing and bushing killer. Do you guys rinse your reels directly after fishing? Hint. Sand is really bad. If you get it apart, a thin coating of grease on everything is invaluable(traps sand and protects against corrosion).
This one is interesting, keep us updated.
My Son went to UCSD. Seems like 1/2 the college ready population of Fremont, Ca. goes there.
HI GFISH!! wow what a small world!! i'm from LA and you're so right haha i've met many of my friends in discussion and they all come from Fremont or SJ ;D
I hope your son is doing well and also on this forum haha
Interesting tip, would i just smear on whatever reel solvent i get directly onto the brass nut? As i've been replying, a good socket and lube are musts.
Unfortunately, i don't believe we rinsed them directly after we came back :(. i did try to rinse them a couple of weeks ago but thats when i realized they were frozen! also i heard that maybe rinsing would drive the salt and sand deeper into the gears? is that true? Thank you and I HOPE TO SEE YOU AND YOUR SON OUT ON THE WATERS!!
Quote from: Bill B (Tarfu) on December 23, 2019, 07:44:29 PM
Richard welcome to the forum. As Rudy has stated, first acquire some basic tools, open ended wrenches, an assortment of screw drivers, dental pick, and others as described in the Tools and Lubricants section. You will need some grease, oil and degreaser. A digital camera is also highly recommended. Take lots of pictures as you take the reels apart, keeping one unopened for reference. Once you get them apart, Dawn brand dish washing soap will help get rid of the grease and sand. There is at least one bearing that will need to be opened and thoroughly cleaned out and re greased. grease for this bearing is good as it wont affect free spool. (There is a tutorial on how to open it.) During reassembly make sure all internal parts get a LIGHT! coat of grease to stop salt water corrosion. The drag washers just need to be wiped off, not sure if they are carbon fiber or not, but if they are CF then Cal's Drag Grease can be applied.
You are jumping into the deep end with these reels, I would highly suggest you take some time and read some of the tutorials in the Spinning Reels section to get familiar with these reels, you may find one that is similar to yours. Take your time and take lots of pictures during disassembly to help you during reassembly.
If you get stuck just call out and anyone here will help you through this. Dont expect the first couple of reels to be quick, and the first will probably take a couple hours. Not sure if we have any members in the San Diego area to lend a hand, but maybe they will chime in.
Bill
Hi Bill!! Yes, all the basic tools you've suggested me such as the open-ended wrenches and assortment of screw drivers i think are going to be invaluable for our club and its future!! also what would i use the dental picks for?? are they the regular tooth picks or are they some type of specialized tool? thank you!
Yes, i kinda made a mistake when i didn't take any pictures with my phone before i started dismantling everything ;D i was saved by the fact that all the screws were the same size LOL
Hmm interesting, i knew Dawn was strong but not THAT strong haha, i'll look and see if i have any for the sand :)
Got you! only ONE bearing needs to get taken out for clean and regreasing, my reel is only rated for 2 bearings (photo attached) so i'll try to be extra careful
LIGHT does it, thank you! and entirely not sure i've seen the drags on this reel but i'll let you know. If i get stuck...our next twilight trip will have to be an overnight trip to help me fix these reels ;D ;D ;D Thank you Bill! and i will try my best to be patient with these things
Quote from: festus on December 23, 2019, 08:01:29 PM
Hi Richard, glad you dropped in, you're in the right place for answers.
A schematic for that particular reel can't be found to my knowledge on internet searches.. I've only serviced three Okumas and remember you have to get that nut removed and the rotor completely off for access to at least one more screw enabling you to remove the cover plate to access the gears.
Hi Festus!! thank you for your helpful words haha i'm slowly starting to realize what a treasure trove this place is.
YES OMG! i couldn't find a schematic for this thing for the life of me haha, i appreciate you doublechecking for me Festus!! This screw if it kills me is gonna get off this reel... i just gotta get the right tools for it >:( >:(
Mhmm, so there is one more screw after this main brass one? thanks for the experience haha
Quote from: oc1 on December 23, 2019, 08:37:40 PM
When you pay thirty bucks for a rod and reel combo you cannot expect too much. Two to three outings in saltwater is probably about the average life expectancy. Servicing the reel before the first use will help. You will learn how it goes together before the corrosion starts to set in and you can grease all the screws. I can't help on the particulars but hope you have the best of luck with them. WD-40 is a decent solvent and cleaner but you need a proper reel oil.
-steve
HI STEVE!!! i'm so lucky to have you on my first post! i've seen your advice on all the top posts i've read ;D
Sigh, hopefully i can bring some life to these reels as they were what I invested into to last us for a couple of YEARS :(. well... i'm hoping Mr. Alan Tani can do some of his secret magic on these haha.
I should've opened up these things to double check before we went straight to the salt, but you know the anxiousness of college fishermans haha. Yes, so in that case, i'll just spare my dad's WD-40 for another day and get some real reel oil as you and others have recommended :)
i'll keep you updated!!
Quote from: Crow on December 23, 2019, 08:49:03 PM
That Okuma is *similar to* (but not identical), to the reels I use on the beach. It's still "spitting rain", today, but, tomorrow, I'll try to shake loose enough time to do a "short" break-down on one, and post some pix ( I have to work outside, as my wife would go ballistic if I tore it down in the RV !!). They really are "bone simple" reels.....no frills, at all, and quite simple to work on. As Steve mentioned, they are "designed" to be a "limited use', or, "throw away" reel, but, with a bit of care , they will hang in there, quite a while. rinsing / blowing the sand and salt off after each use is very important to ANY reel, but even more so on a "cheap" one.
Thank you so much Mr. Arlyn!!! i honestly would appreciate that so much if you could PLEASE post a short break down on of your similar Okumas!! I think all of us or especially my UCSD club members would steadily enjoy reading it :) :)
I hope your wife understands the stakes though!! haha jk nothing but respect to Mrs. Crow.
Yes these reels are dispensable but I really hope with the proper care I learn from yourself and others, I can make these cheap reels last until the time i graduate and future gens can enjoy :D :D :D but that's wishful thinking
Here's a video that might help. Your reel is different, but probably similar enough to get an idea.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWpOaD3fbRE
And Dennis up in Jersey does another Okuma. Pardon me if you've seen them already.
https://youtu.be/SyPNHFfXpXI
Quote from: fishucsd on December 23, 2019, 08:45:43 PM
Actually, the nut is not reverse threaded. however there are two holes (picture attached) so is there a proper one to screw it back onto? as to prevent regular reeling in unscrewing the actual nut? THANK YOU
when you reassemble, hand-tighten the nut; then, add 1/4 turn w/ a tool
(if sockets, LONG ones; if monkey wrenches -- offset/bent, so you clear the raised rotor edge)then, use whichever hole lines up w/ a flat side -- the other will be on a point (see your own photo)
DO NOT OVER-TIGHTEN!!! ESPECIALLY w/ GRAPHITE!!!
Well there you go Richard, the videos, that Festus,( Chester ) have placed on here for you covers it all, just remember, reel oil, is only a light synthetic oil, you can buy it in a 500Ml container @ most auto shops for much less costs, I transfer it into a serynge as I need it, also CALS grease, it has teflon in it to handle heat much better than most greases, thats why they recommend it for Drag washers, specialy carbon fibre, washers, it keeps them cooler, & also gives the reel drag a smooth start up, it is to costly to use on gearing, I use Yamaha marine grease, you can thin it with some oil, as Alan Tani said, yamaha marine grease never dry`s out like a lot of the old type greases, now man we want to see photos of the fish, please keep us updated, & good luck, & merry Xmas to everyone, cheers Don.
Richard,
I usually just grease spinning reels. I don't use oil in spinning reels except for the handle knob.
I take them apart and clean them out with carb cleaner or mineral spirits depending on how dirty it is. If packed heavily with sand, I would rinse and then carb spray out all the oily sand.
The drags I grease with Cals drag grease or if when I can't find it, I would very lightly rub some marine grease on them (Yamalube blue).
The videos that others have posted here are a good reference for that reel you have. I couldn't find a schematic for you. Most spinning reels are very similar in configuration.
I am in SD also and fish that area you fish at all the time. If I'm around, I can always help you out on that. I like to service all my reels especially the beginner budget reels that I let people borrow when they fish with me to last a few life times, LOL. Some actually have lasted 6+ years of continued use by everybody including kids. I have a few Okuma Safinas like that.
Take care and Happy Holidays!!
The folks above have given plenty of sound advice and experience - I have learned much from them and you are in good hands on this forum. And don't get discouraged if you have to do multiple assemble/disassemble/reassemble exercises - the only people that has never happened to are ones who have never taken apart reels ;D. One other thought that may seem REALLY obvious but I wanted to throw out there - finish this first reel before you get ambitious with the others. That way if you get it back together and something doesn't seem quite right, you can take apart one of the other "untouched" reels alongside of it for comparison to make sure that every little washer, spring, etc is in the right place with the right orientation. It's not a perfect solution - as one of the Ohana pointed out above, it's not uncommon to find the same year and model of a given reel assembled slightly differently or using slightly different parts (using up the last parts of a previous model run, for example) but it is a good way to double check if things don't seem quite right. Heck, there's folks here that can have 10 reels exploded on the workbench and all 10 go back together flawlessly - but I'm not one of them! Good luck with your reels, your club, and the fishing! (Now that I think about it, my daughter is going to be looking at "school shopping" in a year or so - UCSD suddenly seems to have an edge) - john
Nice to see that a fishing club has sprung up in the UC system, you guys have it nice being so close to the ocean. It's that or UCSB with a beach right in front of campus. I can't say the same for UC Riverside, it takes me 5 hours to go to the LA coastline by bus. To add insult to injury that I can't go fishing, the food sucks here and there's not much to do. Doesn't stop me though, I'll still get up at 5 in the morning to go fishing in Balboa beach.
Knowing how broke we all are when tuition is about 30k a year, I'd just get the basics of reel maintenance, marine grease, oil, screwdriver with interchangeable tips, precision screwdriver, adjustable wrench, pliers, q tips, paper towels, wd40, dish soap, old toothbrush, and lighter fluid/ paint thinner/ white gas/ carb cleaner would be the absolute essentials. I'd say you could get all the necessary items for about $20 give or take. Use dish soap for lite cleaning, wd40 for light grease removal, and the last 4 solvents for heavy-duty cleaning(metals only for white gas and carb cleaner). You should start off disassembling in a parts tray, most new spinners are mostly the same internally and come back together fairly easily, but take pictures because sometimes there will be an extra shim somewhere and now your reel makes noise. Then start picking out as much grease as you can with a screwdriver, then to q tips and then q tips soaked in solvent. That should clean most of the reel body. The metal parts such as gears and bearing should be scraped clean then soaked in a little solvent and finished with a scrub with a toothbrush and dish soap. Bearings should be soaked in their own clean solvent and not touch water. Let all the parts dry and sort them out on a towel based on the schematic/disassembly order. Grease gears and moving parts liberally but not excessively. I use the cheapest blaster marine grease($4) and air tool oil ($4)there is at Lowe's. For these cheap reel bearings, I would prefer packing with grease and thinning with a little oil. It will be stiffer to reel if you only put grease in the bearings and it might feel weird. I do the same grease and oil thing for the main shaft. I would also try to pack the side holes where the handle goes to try and keep our as much sand/ spray there might be after you finish reassembly. That reel will probably have a felt washed drag, just wipe and oil those. These reels do not warrant a cf drag swap. If I'm not wrong these cheaper reels will have a silent ratchet anti-reverse with teeth that grab onto the rotor's inner teeth. I would just lightly wipe those parts with a greasy paper towel. The general consensus is that grease attracts dirt, but protects better than oil. Don't pack the reel with grease, it will be sluggish and a pita to clean the next time. Lightly grease the screws. Oil the line roller and handle knob, as was said, and check the bail mechanism to see if there is any sand in there. Grease that as well during a service, and oil for maintenance. A few things to watch out for, cross-threading is a PITA with graphite framed reels. Screw left until you feel a click and then screw the screw in to make sure it won't mess up the threads. Also the drag clicker, if the spring has fallen out, a lighter spring or pen spring will work. Get it oiled up if it isn't.
This is mostly general practice, don't lay your reel in the sand, don't let it get dunked, always rinse rods and reels afterward with plenty of low-pressure fresh water, and oil line roller regularly. Also, wax your rods and store reels with their drag loose to prevent drags from sticking. If you treat your reels well, they can last a good while. I have a Shakespeare reel from my childhood that I still sometimes use and it was from a $30 combo that was booth more than 10 years ago. If you maintain them, even the cheapest reels will last. Pic below.
Otherwise, good luck down there. What do you catch in sd? If you need to know anything else, I've still got some tips and tricks in the back of my head behind all the breadth courses, but not as much as what some of these old-timers have. A nice site is Pier Fishing in California. Ken Jones's collection of knowledge on that site will help you out a lot. I'm on there too, and the forum and species list are very useful at times. Anyways, take care man and good luck out there.
Edit: grammar and left out info
Welcome.
Have you tried looking at https://alantani.com/index.php?topic=2675.0? It's not the same Okuma reel but should be close enough.
In fact we have a whole section for spinners with many of the brands but may or may not have tutorials depending on the popularity of the brand and time of our members to take the hours and hours to post a tutorial.
We're you able to get the rotor off?
chances are that the bearings have seized up. if that's the case, it might actually be cheaper to have the reels serviced by okuma. 800-466-5862. at the very least, the might be able to send parts. good luck!!!!
Quote from: festus on December 23, 2019, 09:57:57 PM
And Dennis up in Jersey does another Okuma. Pardon me if you've seen them already.
https://youtu.be/SyPNHFfXpXI
Hey Chester!! Happy holidays, and the first video you sent was the very first video i watched haha.
Gonna keep those vids in my backpocket once i head out to the hardware store after Christmas! Thanks for the help again ;D
Quote from: philaroman on December 23, 2019, 10:08:04 PM
Quote from: fishucsd on December 23, 2019, 08:45:43 PM
Actually, the nut is not reverse threaded. however there are two holes (picture attached) so is there a proper one to screw it back onto? as to prevent regular reeling in unscrewing the actual nut? THANK YOU
when you reassemble, hand-tighten the nut; then, add 1/4 turn w/ a tool
(if sockets, LONG ones; if monkey wrenches -- offset/bent, so you clear the raised rotor edge)
then, use whichever hole lines up w/ a flat side -- the other will be on a point (see your own photo)
DO NOT OVER-TIGHTEN!!! ESPECIALLY w/ GRAPHITE!!!
Yes indeed!! Thanks Philaroman, long sockets it is!
I'll try to line up the hole lines, but if it doesn't do i'll just unscrew it and put it in the other hole ;D
YES, i'm pretty sure these aren't CF so i'll be gentle tightening these graphite babies
Quote from: Donnyboat on December 23, 2019, 10:34:57 PM
Well there you go Richard, the videos, that Festus,( Chester ) have placed on here for you covers it all, just remember, reel oil, is only a light synthetic oil, you can buy it in a 500Ml container @ most auto shops for much less costs, I transfer it into a serynge as I need it, also CALS grease, it has teflon in it to handle heat much better than most greases, thats why they recommend it for Drag washers, specialy carbon fibre, washers, it keeps them cooler, & also gives the reel drag a smooth start up, it is to costly to use on gearing, I use Yamaha marine grease, you can thin it with some oil, as Alan Tani said, yamaha marine grease never dry`s out like a lot of the old type greases, now man we want to see photos of the fish, please keep us updated, & good luck, & merry Xmas to everyone, cheers Don.
WOW!! alright my dad is actually friends with some auto shop guys so i'll give them a holler if they have any light synthetic oil laying around. syringes can be found in my sister's old baby stuff haha
thanks Donnyboat! hope Christmas is putting you in the fishing mood up in Australia ;D ;D
Yes from above Philaroman and I have deduced these drag washers are graphite so i'll have to look into the Cals grease
Yamaha lube sounds like the one most are fond of especially in the tools&lube section. i'll have to take an even closer look! For the fish....i'm always looking for those ;D see you around Donnyboat!
Quote from: Reel_Hacker on December 24, 2019, 01:19:14 AM
Richard,
I usually just grease spinning reels. I don't use oil in spinning reels except for the handle knob.
I take them apart and clean them out with carb cleaner or mineral spirits depending on how dirty it is. If packed heavily with sand, I would rinse and then carb spray out all the oily sand.
The drags I grease with Cals drag grease or if when I can't find it, I would very lightly rub some marine grease on them (Yamalube blue).
The videos that others have posted here are a good reference for that reel you have. I couldn't find a schematic for you. Most spinning reels are very similar in configuration.
I am in SD also and fish that area you fish at all the time. If I'm around, I can always help you out on that. I like to service all my reels especially the beginner budget reels that I let people borrow when they fish with me to last a few life times, LOL. Some actually have lasted 6+ years of continued use by everybody including kids. I have a few Okuma Safinas like that.
Take care and Happy Holidays!!
HEY REEL HACKER!! i am so happy to know a fellow San Diegan on this forum, let alone one that fishes at Black's beach too!! ;D ;D
we'd love to have you come out when the weather starts acting normal again!! especially when the best thing about fishing black's is... there's alot to look at hahaha
Thank you for the kind gesture!!! i'll keep it in my back pocket in case i ever need help :)
Where do you suggest i get the mineral spirits?? seems like mineral spirits clean pretty intensely, either that or my organic chemistry senses tingling are lying to me ;D i've also lost hope in schematics but all these tips the Ohana have been telling me seem like the right things to do, guess i'll have to try!
Wow! didn't know the Cal's grease and yamaha marine lube were interchangable like that, as others have suggested both to me. but it seems like the lube is much more heavy duty LOL
Happy Holidays! and i hope you are enjoying time with family fishing or not fishing haha
Quote from: Brewcrafter on December 24, 2019, 02:59:21 AM
The folks above have given plenty of sound advice and experience - I have learned much from them and you are in good hands on this forum. And don't get discouraged if you have to do multiple assemble/disassemble/reassemble exercises - the only people that has never happened to are ones who have never taken apart reels ;D. One other thought that may seem REALLY obvious but I wanted to throw out there - finish this first reel before you get ambitious with the others. That way if you get it back together and something doesn't seem quite right, you can take apart one of the other "untouched" reels alongside of it for comparison to make sure that every little washer, spring, etc is in the right place with the right orientation. It's not a perfect solution - as one of the Ohana pointed out above, it's not uncommon to find the same year and model of a given reel assembled slightly differently or using slightly different parts (using up the last parts of a previous model run, for example) but it is a good way to double check if things don't seem quite right. Heck, there's folks here that can have 10 reels exploded on the workbench and all 10 go back together flawlessly - but I'm not one of them! Good luck with your reels, your club, and the fishing! (Now that I think about it, my daughter is going to be looking at "school shopping" in a year or so - UCSD suddenly seems to have an edge) - john
HI JOHN!! I wish you and your daughter a very merry holiday season!! i'm very happy your daughter is already looking ahead at colleges! but just letting you know now fishing is not an official major here ;D
hahahaha TOO TRUEEEEE i'm sitting here with all the parts scattered... like WHAT HAVE I DONE!!! glad to know i'm not the only one doing everything twice ;D
yes! i'm glad i have some spares to use as model pieces any time i'm confused...but i'm so scared if i touch them they'll freeze too LOL
but forreal tho i'm looking forward to actually cleaning them out(even if it takes a couple of times) and letting our new members use them. knowing that i was apart of their first fishing experience!!
Thank you John and i'll be coming back with a vengeance to these reels!!
Quote from: Reel Newbie on December 24, 2019, 04:19:44 AM
Nice to see that a fishing club has sprung up in the UC system, you guys have it nice being so close to the ocean. It's that or UCSB with a beach right in front of campus. I can't say the same for UC Riverside, it takes me 5 hours to go to the LA coastline by bus. To add insult to injury that I can't go fishing, the food sucks here and there's not much to do. Doesn't stop me though, I'll still get up at 5 in the morning to go fishing in Balboa beach.
Knowing how broke we all are when tuition is about 30k a year, I'd just get the basics of reel maintenance, marine grease, oil, screwdriver with interchangeable tips, precision screwdriver, adjustable wrench, pliers, q tips, paper towels, wd40, dish soap, old toothbrush, and lighter fluid/ paint thinner/ white gas/ carb cleaner would be the absolute essentials. I'd say you could get all the necessary items for about $20 give or take. Use dish soap for lite cleaning, wd40 for light grease removal, and the last 4 solvents for heavy-duty cleaning(metals only for white gas and carb cleaner). You should start off disassembling in a parts tray, most new spinners are mostly the same internally and come back together fairly easily, but take pictures because sometimes there will be an extra shim somewhere and now your reel makes noise. Then start picking out as much grease as you can with a screwdriver, then to q tips and then q tips soaked in solvent. That should clean most of the reel body. The metal parts such as gears and bearing should be scraped clean then soaked in a little solvent and finished with a scrub with a toothbrush and dish soap. Bearings should be soaked in their own clean solvent and not touch water. Let all the parts dry and sort them out on a towel based on the schematic/disassembly order. Grease gears and moving parts liberally but not excessively. I use the cheapest blaster marine grease($4) and air tool oil ($4)there is at Lowe's. For these cheap reel bearings, I would prefer packing with grease and thinning with a little oil. It will be stiffer to reel if you only put grease in the bearings and it might feel weird. I do the same grease and oil thing for the main shaft. I would also try to pack the side holes where the handle goes to try and keep our as much sand/ spray there might be after you finish reassembly. That reel will probably have a felt washed drag, just wipe and oil those. These reels do not warrant a cf drag swap. If I'm not wrong these cheaper reels will have a silent ratchet anti-reverse with teeth that grab onto the rotor's inner teeth. I would just lightly wipe those parts with a greasy paper towel. The general consensus is that grease attracts dirt, but protects better than oil. Don't pack the reel with grease, it will be sluggish and a pita to clean the next time. Lightly grease the screws. Oil the line roller and handle knob, as was said, and check the bail mechanism to see if there is any sand in there. Grease that as well during a service, and oil for maintenance. A few things to watch out for, cross-threading is a PITA with graphite framed reels. Screw left until you feel a click and then screw the screw in to make sure it won't mess up the threads. Also the drag clicker, if the spring has fallen out, a lighter spring or pen spring will work. Get it oiled up if it isn't.
This is mostly general practice, don't lay your reel in the sand, don't let it get dunked, always rinse rods and reels afterward with plenty of low-pressure fresh water, and oil line roller regularly. Also, wax your rods and store reels with their drag loose to prevent drags from sticking. If you treat your reels well, they can last a good while. I have a Shakespeare reel from my childhood that I still sometimes use and it was from a $30 combo that was booth more than 10 years ago. If you maintain them, even the cheapest reels will last. Pic below.
Otherwise, good luck down there. What do you catch in sd? If you need to know anything else, I've still got some tips and tricks in the back of my head behind all the breadth courses, but not as much as what some of these old-timers have. A nice site is Pier Fishing in California. Ken Jones's collection of knowledge on that site will help you out a lot. I'm on there too, and the forum and species list are very useful at times. Anyways, take care man and good luck out there.
Edit: grammar and left out info
Disclaimer: i'll be reading your post word by word as after i get all the essentials and get to cleaning the heck out of my reel. you are wealthy with knowledge my guy. THANK YOU!!
bro, NICE TO MEET UUUUUUUU!!!!!!! omg didn't think i'd find another fellow in the UC system bro and i hope i'm like the likewise to you :D
honestly man that's DEDICATION, if you're ever in SD i'd be down to show you all the unmanned secret spots we been hitting up!! (reel cleaning not included LOL)
We luckily catch all types of species: Corbinas (my fav off sandcrabs mammamiaaaaa), yellowfin croakers (pics of both of them), perch, bone fish, smoothhounds, even bonito!! but thats off the yaks haha
Thank you again bro i hope to see you very soon again on this forum, and i'll check you out on Ken Jones' as well, hopefully before winter break ends!!!! TAKE CARE HAPPY HOLIDAYS TIGHT LINES!!
Quote from: Reel Newbie on December 24, 2019, 04:19:44 AM
Nice to see that a fishing club has sprung up in the UC system, you guys have it nice being so close to the ocean. It's that or UCSB with a beach right in front of campus. I can't say the same for UC Riverside, it takes me 5 hours to go to the LA coastline by bus. To add insult to injury that I can't go fishing, the food sucks here and there's not much to do. Doesn't stop me though, I'll still get up at 5 in the morning to go fishing in Balboa beach.
Knowing how broke we all are when tuition is about 30k a year, I'd just get the basics of reel maintenance, marine grease, oil, screwdriver with interchangeable tips, precision screwdriver, adjustable wrench, pliers, q tips, paper towels, wd40, dish soap, old toothbrush, and lighter fluid/ paint thinner/ white gas/ carb cleaner would be the absolute essentials. I'd say you could get all the necessary items for about $20 give or take. Use dish soap for lite cleaning, wd40 for light grease removal, and the last 4 solvents for heavy-duty cleaning(metals only for white gas and carb cleaner). You should start off disassembling in a parts tray, most new spinners are mostly the same internally and come back together fairly easily, but take pictures because sometimes there will be an extra shim somewhere and now your reel makes noise. Then start picking out as much grease as you can with a screwdriver, then to q tips and then q tips soaked in solvent. That should clean most of the reel body. The metal parts such as gears and bearing should be scraped clean then soaked in a little solvent and finished with a scrub with a toothbrush and dish soap. Bearings should be soaked in their own clean solvent and not touch water. Let all the parts dry and sort them out on a towel based on the schematic/disassembly order. Grease gears and moving parts liberally but not excessively. I use the cheapest blaster marine grease($4) and air tool oil ($4)there is at Lowe's. For these cheap reel bearings, I would prefer packing with grease and thinning with a little oil. It will be stiffer to reel if you only put grease in the bearings and it might feel weird. I do the same grease and oil thing for the main shaft. I would also try to pack the side holes where the handle goes to try and keep our as much sand/ spray there might be after you finish reassembly. That reel will probably have a felt washed drag, just wipe and oil those. These reels do not warrant a cf drag swap. If I'm not wrong these cheaper reels will have a silent ratchet anti-reverse with teeth that grab onto the rotor's inner teeth. I would just lightly wipe those parts with a greasy paper towel. The general consensus is that grease attracts dirt, but protects better than oil. Don't pack the reel with grease, it will be sluggish and a pita to clean the next time. Lightly grease the screws. Oil the line roller and handle knob, as was said, and check the bail mechanism to see if there is any sand in there. Grease that as well during a service, and oil for maintenance. A few things to watch out for, cross-threading is a PITA with graphite framed reels. Screw left until you feel a click and then screw the screw in to make sure it won't mess up the threads. Also the drag clicker, if the spring has fallen out, a lighter spring or pen spring will work. Get it oiled up if it isn't.
This is mostly general practice, don't lay your reel in the sand, don't let it get dunked, always rinse rods and reels afterward with plenty of low-pressure fresh water, and oil line roller regularly. Also, wax your rods and store reels with their drag loose to prevent drags from sticking. If you treat your reels well, they can last a good while. I have a Shakespeare reel from my childhood that I still sometimes use and it was from a $30 combo that was booth more than 10 years ago. If you maintain them, even the cheapest reels will last. Pic below.
Otherwise, good luck down there. What do you catch in sd? If you need to know anything else, I've still got some tips and tricks in the back of my head behind all the breadth courses, but not as much as what some of these old-timers have. A nice site is Pier Fishing in California. Ken Jones's collection of knowledge on that site will help you out a lot. I'm on there too, and the forum and species list are very useful at times. Anyways, take care man and good luck out there.
Edit: grammar and left out info
also bro sick one with the Shakespeare!! i'd love to keep mines in mint like yours haha
Quote from: Bryan Young on December 24, 2019, 04:05:53 PM
Welcome.
Have you tried looking at https://alantani.com/index.php?topic=2675.0? It's not the same Okuma reel but should be close enough.
In fact we have a whole section for spinners with many of the brands but may or may not have tutorials depending on the popularity of the brand and time of our members to take the hours and hours to post a tutorial.
We're you able to get the rotor off?
It is an honor to have you reply me Mr. Young!!
haha, i'm gonna go closely over that old Okuma spin reel post by plastic Tiki and see the parallels once i make my photobucket account!! TYSM it would very much be a diamond in the ruff if this one helps me out since we've been talking how NO schematic can found for this reel... its okay Ohana has been too good with the help recently;D ;D
Yes!! omg making sure i have been using the right tools and screws kept me up that whole night haha i can't imagine even doing more than one at this point nonetheless a tut
And no sir, i'm waiting to get all the right sockets before i have another try at this reel. Christmas is taking too long this year!! HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND I'M LOVING THIS FORUM!!!
Quote from: alantani on December 24, 2019, 04:21:27 PM
chances are that the bearings have seized up. if that's the case, it might actually be cheaper to have the reels serviced by okuma. 800-466-5862. at the very least, the might be able to send parts. good luck!!!!
Thank you for all the good wishes Mr. Tani!! hope you're having some of santa's helpers helping you this year :D
Yes!!! at this point i'm not even sure how to diagnose this one... guess i just gotta clean and grease and follow the Ohana's orders
Thanks for the number, i'd much rather get free parts than no parts!!! but if i ever need some custom carbon fibre drag washers i'll make sure to email you! THANK YOU MR. TANI YOUR COMMUNITY IS AWESOME!!
Sounds Good Richard, one more tip, I should have told you first, if your cleaning parts with a air compresser, feel first that there is know shims next to parts, as you will blow them to the never never, with out even realizing they were ever there.
It is Xmas Day here now in West aussie, 7:40 am, yes like wise you & all the OHANA, have a merry Xmas, cheers Don.
Quote from: fishucsd on December 24, 2019, 08:14:58 PM
Quote from: Reel_Hacker on December 24, 2019, 01:19:14 AM
Richard,
I usually just grease spinning reels. I don't use oil in spinning reels except for the handle knob.
I take them apart and clean them out with carb cleaner or mineral spirits depending on how dirty it is. If packed heavily with sand, I would rinse and then carb spray out all the oily sand.
The drags I grease with Cals drag grease or if when I can't find it, I would very lightly rub some marine grease on them (Yamalube blue).
The videos that others have posted here are a good reference for that reel you have. I couldn't find a schematic for you. Most spinning reels are very similar in configuration.
I am in SD also and fish that area you fish at all the time. If I'm around, I can always help you out on that. I like to service all my reels especially the beginner budget reels that I let people borrow when they fish with me to last a few life times, LOL. Some actually have lasted 6+ years of continued use by everybody including kids. I have a few Okuma Safinas like that.
Take care and Happy Holidays!!
HEY REEL HACKER!! i am so happy to know a fellow San Diegan on this forum, let alone one that fishes at Black's beach too!! ;D ;D
we'd love to have you come out when the weather starts acting normal again!! especially when the best thing about fishing black's is... there's alot to look at hahaha
Thank you for the kind gesture!!! i'll keep it in my back pocket in case i ever need help :)
Where do you suggest i get the mineral spirits?? seems like mineral spirits clean pretty intensely, either that or my organic chemistry senses tingling are lying to me ;D i've also lost hope in schematics but all these tips the Ohana have been telling me seem like the right things to do, guess i'll have to try!
Wow! didn't know the Cal's grease and yamaha marine lube were interchangable like that, as others have suggested both to me. but it seems like the lube is much more heavy duty LOL
Happy Holidays! and i hope you are enjoying time with family fishing or not fishing haha
Richard,
For sure we'll hook it up when the weather clears up a bit.
I get my mineral spirits from Home Depot. It is pretty cheap and it breaks down the old grease and grime that is in there.
Happy Holidays!!! I got a cold this year for Christmas so I get to just lounge around the house, LOL. It really sux but I guess I can use the break.
Quote from: fishucsd on December 24, 2019, 08:48:26 PM
once i make my photobucket account!!
I can't believe I'm the first to comment on this, but while prowling around on the site, search for comments about photobucket. You'll see what I mean.
It's a bit cumbersome, but you can upload photos to your Gallery here at AT and then paste them into your posts. Also, Ted has a quick trick for inserting photos from your hard drive using the "Additional Options" button below the message window.
-steve