So I've read that it's good to use and I've also read that you should never use it in your reels. Anyone use WD-40 to clean the inside of their reels?
It's good for cleaning, even the inside of reels. It's not good as a lubricant.
Ok cool thanks. I know that WD-40 leaves an oily residue, is that something I should clean off with soap before I grease the parts?
Yes. Otherwise WD 40 dries like lacquer. Dominick
WD-40 is good protection (that varnish it leaves behind) but only on non-moving parts. It stops lubing almost immediately after it dries.
Its primarily a degreaser and water displacer....not at all a lube.
WD-40 (the fortieth atrempt to invent a Water Displacing lubricant for the government).
It works well for spraying down and removing stray grease and oil from the exterior of a reel -- after a complete service. Spray lightly -- then wipe down well.
That is all I ever use it for.
Best,
Fred
Right on thanks everybody. I'm just trying to figure out the best way to clean all the dirty caked up grease in my reel. Trying to restore the "shine" to all the parts inside.
On my personal reels I take them apart and wipe what grease I can off. I soak them in mineral spirits and brush them good. I don't always see the need to make them shiny but a soak in vinegar normally helps. Then theres polish if you want to go that far. I need an ultrasonic cleaner and clear sideplates. ;) Bob
I use goo gone first and then put parts in ultrasonic with diluted simple green.
WD-40 is a great solvent, especially useful in a fix or when you want to blast and scrub that new 'pre-owned' reel that came in the mail. Generally when I'm blasting and scrubbing; I'll do it over a catch pan and soak any loose parts in it before scrubbing. Also as Fred said; it's very good for wiping down a reel after you've rinsed the salt water off. One of the major reel manufacturers (I don't recall which) states to do this after every use and they claim that the WD-40 has no ill affect on monofilament.
-Mike
One of our regulars recently learned it does affect mono. He was the only one on the back of the boat that could not buy a bite and everybody else was catching. On the way in he told me read WD 40 was good to clean reels so he had sprayed it down real good the day before. Apparently the fish did not like the smell.
Quote from: Newell Nut on May 24, 2016, 10:44:24 PM
One of our regulars recently learned it does affect mono. He was the only one on the back of the boat that could not buy a bite and everybody else was catching. On the way in he told me read WD 40 was good to clean reels so he had sprayed it down real good the day before. Apparently the fish did not like the smell.
Funny about that. Years back it was popular with bass fishermen as scent.
When using Brake Clean always wear rubber gloves, safety glasses, and use it outdoors. It's nasty stuff. Any household degreaser works good and can be used in the sink after wiping the heavy grease off. You can follow up with dish detergent & hot water. Rudy
Quote from: RowdyW on May 24, 2016, 11:40:21 PM
When using Brake Clean always wear rubber gloves, safety glasses, and use it outdoors. It's nasty stuff.
X2, I use electrasol too and it is just as bad.
My preferred solvent is #2 diesel but I have it around.
Quote from: Lunker Larry on May 24, 2016, 10:55:32 PM
Quote from: Newell Nut on May 24, 2016, 10:44:24 PM
One of our regulars recently learned it does affect mono. He was the only one on the back of the boat that could not buy a bite and everybody else was catching. On the way in he told me read WD 40 was good to clean reels so he had sprayed it down real good the day before. Apparently the fish did not like the smell.
Funny about that. Years back it was popular with bass fishermen as scent.
Years back up here we used it for scent for Winter Flounder
Mike
Quote from: Reel 224 on May 24, 2016, 11:13:13 PM
I would say Brake Clean.
Joe
Its magic stuff but it's such a powerful solvent that I would be worried about it getting in contact with anything rubber or plastic in the reel.
If you're spraying down some gears or whatever it would be awesome for that though. As above, do it somewhere with good ventilation.
WD 40 is not suitable for fishing reels. It will dry and turn into a sticky varnish similar to cosmoline. We used it to spray freshly surfaced cylinder heads to prevent rust.
Mike
Although it's not my first choice to clean grease from fishing reels, WD 40 is a great solvent and cleans parts very well. When I use it I go from the degreasing to a wash of water and Dawn dish soap which removes the residue, then a wash of straight water to remove the soap. Parts are usually spotless. I don't notice that WD 40 is detrimental to plastic parts or other non metallic components, but I don't leave parts in it to soak.
Good thing,,,,Home Depot sells WD 40 in a gallon can for a very good price so it's not that expensive to use. And for me, a gallon lasts a LONG time!
josa1
I have a well known Newell repairman that only uses WD 40 to clean the reels he services. I use it on Spinners, I put all the parts in a Gallon bucket & cover with WD 40. Maybe a tooth brush when removed.
Go to the Paint Isle & get paper paint strainers. Pour the WD 40 through it. You get all the dirt & MOST IMPORTANT the small parts you missed in the soak.
Mike
I have never used WD 40 so I can't give any advice on how good or bad it is, but I do use Simple Green and like it very much. It doesn't smell bad either.
Patrick
I've used WD-40 for years as a degreaser/rusty nut loosener/water displacer. I've even sprayed it on faded sideplates for some "eBay shine"...HA!!! :D ;D :P I've seen reels with a dark film on them that would wash off with hot soapy water, or, a fresh coat of WD-40. Sounds like this tacky crust could indeed be WD-40. My question is, how long does it take for WD-40 to dry to a varnish like coating?
I've used Easy-Off oven cleaner to clean brass and steel parts but you have to be careful using it around plated parts.
WD-40 does work but it just takes to long when you have a bunch to do. I do use it sometimes but not everyday.
I use Gunk heavy duty cleaner mixed with Kerosene. The Gunk Heavy Duty must be thinned with mineral spirits or kerosine. The grease starts to come off as you gets closer to this stuff..!! It scares the grease off and removes corrosion too.
Quote from: handi2 on September 03, 2016, 11:47:29 PM
WD-40 does work but it just takes to long when you have a bunch to do. I do use it sometimes but not everyday.
I use Gunk heavy duty cleaner mixed with Kerosene. The Gunk Heavy Duty must be thinned with mineral spirits or kerosine. The grease starts to come off as you gets closer to this stuff..!! It scares the grease off and removes corrosion too.
I use the Gunk SC Super Concentrate mixed with kerosene. It stinks like no other, and you cant wash that smell off your hands. Rubber gloves are a must. But I have never used a degreaser than comes anywhere close to what this can do. I used to use it for cleaning engines, and it would cut through the grease and grime so well in the internal parts, you were left with just dry carbon deposits once the degreaser had been washed off. Even really difficult things like rotary engine rotors.
Quote from: mikeysm on July 09, 2016, 06:41:51 AM
WD 40 is not suitable for fishing reels. It will dry and turn into a sticky varnish similar to cosmoline. We used it to spray freshly surfaced cylinder heads to prevent rust.
Mike
This.
I don't use WD-40. That residue is a pain in the butt to get rid of. I made the mistake of using it on a rifle once. I was on a hunt, in the rain, and camping. I had left my cleaning kit at the house by mistake. I wanted to break down the bolt on the rifle to get it cleaned and lubed. My hunting partner had some WD-40. So, I sprayed the bolt assembly down real good. I figured it would be ok. The rain quit, and after several days I got a shot. Well, I guess the WD-40 had pooled a bit inside the bolt and got sticky. The firing pin spring wasn't strong enough to overcome the stickiness, and the firing pin wouldn't strike the primer hard enough to fire a shot. My rifle was out of commission, and the deer went on their merry way. No more WD-40 for me. Never. EVER.
I don't deer hunt, but boy that would be enough to make my blood pressure go up. I bet Yamaha grease wouldn't work either. ;D :D
Quote from: Rancanfish on September 11, 2016, 05:42:54 PM
I don't deer hunt, but boy that would be enough to make my blood pressure go up. I bet Yamaha grease wouldn't work either. ;D :D
Nope. I generally use a light machine oil, nothing heavy. I almost always have a small container of RemOil or something similar in my gun case now days. Thankfully my guns aren't exposed to salt water. So usually an oily rag wipe down and a swab down the barrel keeps them ready for the next hunt. And, like our fishing gear, they get a full service both before and after the season.
Im not sure what fish you are targeting but in the NW USA many fishermen would routinely hose down spinners, flashers and spoons when fishing for Salmon, It seemed not to hurt anything. I use it on salmon dodgers even when fishing bait. Thats all I know! ::)
Wd-40 can be used to remove sticky stuff around the house and boat as its solvent property s are mild acting.
I use WD-40 for cleaning grease all the time. It's a great solvent and will cut right through most greases and grime and it's not too toxic and the fumes aren't bad. What WD-40 is not good for is long-term lubrication as it does not leave enough residue behind...this is why it's so good for cleaning the grime off of parts.
I remembered reading this is a Shimano manual so I went back and found it. I'll quote it verbatim: "During most of the time spent in use, the reels will be exposed to salt spray, rain or hot sun, all of which are a potent combination. Although each reel is constructed of the most corrosion resistant materials...graphite, stainless steel, heavy anodized aluminum and marine bronze...the combination of heat and salt water could cause salt build up if left unattended. The best way to prevent these problems is to simply spray the reels with a water displacing lubricant such as WD-40 or CRC. These products will lift water and salt from the surface of the reel allowing you to wipe away these deposits. Simply spray the reel with the aerosol, let it "soak" for a few minutes and wipe it off. It is not necessary to wipe the reel dry. In fact leaving a slight coating on the reel will protect it and make the next clean-up even easier. Don't worry about the aerosol spray damaging your line...it won't."
Don't hate the WD-40. It works well for what it's intended to do.
-Mike
I had 4 TLD reels come in one day that looked brand new. He sprayed them with WD after each use.
The bad thing is that there was no grease anywhere in the reels. None...
I told him to lighten up on the use.
When they come in sunburned I use CorrosionX on the frame and plate while I work on the spool.
I just serviced 6 spinners that were covered in salmon egg goo and heated Crosion X was the only thing that cut it.
Quote from: Keta on December 27, 2016, 02:27:17 PM
I just serviced 6 spinners that were covered in salmon egg goo and heated Crosion X was the only thing that cut it.
That's good to know. I have to get dried Squid juice off of charter boat spinning reels. That stuff is hard to get off.
I pretty much use WD 40 religiously. I tried Ardent reel cleaner and the smell was too strong. It would go through the whole house and then had to listen to my better half telling me it was going to kill me. I think I could feel my liver reacting :D. Only use it to soak really bad parts and outside now.
WD40 isn't bad for light cleaning, when I find grease as thick as tar I use this product:
https://www.amazon.com/PASLODE-219384-12OZ-CRDLS-Cleaner/dp/B004BGBB5W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1482878109&sr=8-1&keywords=paslode+cleaner
It has never let me dowmn. This is also good on bearings, cleans them really nice.
Sal
Quote from: foakes on May 18, 2016, 10:02:39 PM
WD-40 (the fortieth atrempt to invent a Water Displacing lubricant for the government).
Fred
I always wondered what became of the 39 versions that preceded WD-40 . . . Probably "Classified" - LOL !
Tight Lines !