Reel Repair by Alan Tani

General Maintenance Tips => Tools and Lubricants => Topic started by: zerofish on March 09, 2015, 05:21:37 PM

Title: Quicksilver grease
Post by: zerofish on March 09, 2015, 05:21:37 PM
So i went to the local marine service/store to buy a Yamaha grease but it was out of stock. Next best thing was the Quicksilver one so i got this instead.

I have opened a 4000 size shimano reel (European Catana) an tried it on the main gear. MAN this thing is sticky!!! I mean...will it lube or it will cause more "friction"?

Is it ok to use it or i just lost a good 12 euro?

For the record it's lithium based 2-4-C with PTFE.
Title: Re: Quicksilver grease
Post by: Bryan Young on March 09, 2015, 05:26:15 PM
You may need to thin it with something like CorrosionX. 

The grease is perfectly fine for coating parts but for packing bearings, probably not a good idea.  Maybe good on gears with a thin coat but cranking would be based on preference.
Title: Re: Quicksilver grease
Post by: zerofish on March 09, 2015, 07:07:38 PM
I use only oil on bearings Bryan. Don't have the courage to open them and grease them. I mainly want the grease for the drive/pinion/worm gear. I'm a bit skeptical on using it on the main shaft though...

Unfortunately can't find Corrosion X in Greece...
Title: Re: Quicksilver grease
Post by: Bryan Young on March 09, 2015, 08:02:31 PM
It shouldn't be a problem if you put a very light coat...like brush it on with a toothbrush.  The toothbrush would pull off the excess as well.
Title: Re: Quicksilver grease
Post by: Slazmo on March 09, 2015, 10:07:22 PM
Are you talking about the Quicksilver Mercury 2-4-C.

If so this is the grease that I solely use on gears and bearings as I have a friend that has been using it since day dot - and he has been servicing for a loooong time before me...

You can thin it down NLGI wise with some Inox MX3 or MX5 or similar lightweight oil of your choice. However quantity on gears is the main issue, less is more within regards to this grease as the tackifiers resist flinging off when used sparingly. Applying too much will get a "doughy" feeling however I havent experienced this feeling as yet even with our finess reels in 1000 size (Spinners).

Its a very good clingy grease, great corrosion resistance, teflon impregnated and everything I need as a main gear grease for spinning and overhead baitcast reels.

Fantastic stuff in my honest opinion.
Title: Re: Quicksilver grease
Post by: foakes on March 09, 2015, 11:10:23 PM
Part of the issue, at least for me -- is finding a good functioning grease for saltwater applications -- and also a grease that will clean off easily with a solvent, degreaser, and/or ultrasonic cleaner -- without making a giant mess of my equipment.  And it must be time efficient -- can't spend too much effort on getting it off.

Most experienced reel repair mechanics will recommend servicing your reels once a year after normal usage.  Or at least every two years at the most.  I need a grease that will stay on in the salt -- and only come off the gears when I am servicing the reel completely -- and then come off completely and quickly.

I have tried a LOT of greases over the years -- and many work fine.

For my use, the best combination is Yamaha "MARINE" grade blue grease.  $10 for 14 ounces.

Only the Marine grade is saltwater resistant. 

For drag grease, I only use Cal's.

Cal Sheets came by during the Fred Hall show -- to say hi, and check out Randy's inventory of golden reels.

He had a show special going -- if you bought 2 pounds of drag grease for $28 each -- you would receive a third free.  So I bought two, and for my free one -- tried a pound of the purple drag grease.  It is somewhat newer, and is designed for the cold climates such as Canada, Alaska, and Northern Europe in the Winter.  A little thinner, I think.  Anyway, I will give it a try for my clients up North, or on the Eastern side of the Sierra's.

I just stick with what works for my style of servicing.

I also have and do use the Penn Blue grease -- and it is very good also.

Best,

Fred

(http://i748.photobucket.com/albums/xx130/foakes1/469A8B07-A016-4FB5-9C48-FA37E377C832_zpskusjkymn.jpg) (http://s748.photobucket.com/user/foakes1/media/469A8B07-A016-4FB5-9C48-FA37E377C832_zpskusjkymn.jpg.html)

(http://i748.photobucket.com/albums/xx130/foakes1/27644443-E465-4A77-BFF9-FF35E2ED542B_zps26agm82i.jpg) (http://s748.photobucket.com/user/foakes1/media/27644443-E465-4A77-BFF9-FF35E2ED542B_zps26agm82i.jpg.html)

(http://i748.photobucket.com/albums/xx130/foakes1/101B6E5A-91D2-495B-843B-FF8A68F2742D_zpsk0uywlbv.jpg) (http://s748.photobucket.com/user/foakes1/media/101B6E5A-91D2-495B-843B-FF8A68F2742D_zpsk0uywlbv.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Quicksilver grease
Post by: Nuvole on March 10, 2015, 12:44:53 AM
I've been using Quicksilver Mercury 2-4-C before I get hold of Yamaha marine.
They are very tacky which if s good for sideplate. Issue I have with them is that it smell very strong.
Title: Re: Quicksilver grease
Post by: johndtuttle on March 10, 2015, 03:10:09 AM
Quote from: zerofish on March 09, 2015, 05:21:37 PM
So i went to the local marine service/store to buy a Yamaha grease but it was out of stock. Next best thing was the Quicksilver one so i got this instead.

I have opened a 4000 size shimano reel (European Catana) an tried it on the main gear. MAN this thing is sticky!!! I mean...will it lube or it will cause more "friction"?

Is it ok to use it or i just lost a good 12 euro?

For the record it's lithium based 2-4-C with PTFE.

With grease you are not looking for "lube" in the sense of making things faster or turn quicker. You are looking at it as protection of the surfaces from wear and corrosion. Depending on the size of the spinner you sometimes go lighter to make it more free spinning (thing the grease with oil), but you are always compromising the degree of protection from wear and how long it stays on there (durability) the lighter you go.

If it is a Marine Grease then it is going to provide awesome protection and stick on there well, you just have to balance that out with your desire for how the reel feels.
Title: Re: Quicksilver grease
Post by: zerofish on March 10, 2015, 08:41:32 AM
Free running of a spinning reel has nothing to do with overall performance like in the casting reels so I'm focused on protection and durability.

It mainly has to do with the feeling of the reel because we are used on this "light" feeling that we have when we use a brand new reel with the stock lubricants.

Up till now I had one rule: Grease for the teethy and dull metal parts and oil for the bearings and those shiny metal parts such as the main shaft witch worked fine but demanded a more recent visit to the operating room...

Bryan I think you are right about the light coat. I think I I'll have to wipe some of the excess. 

Slazmo I'm talking about the 2-4-C Marine grease.

Weird thing. I found a Material Safety Data Sheet witch states that the lube has green color but mine is very light brown like Cal's grease.

The grease is this:

(http://i59.tinypic.com/2u41zia.jpg)

The data sheet states a viscosity of 113 cSt  (113 mm²/sec) at 40 C [Base oil]

Any info about the viscosity of Yamaha marine grease?
Title: Re: Quicksilver grease
Post by: Slazmo on March 10, 2015, 09:46:14 PM
That's the one however different package label possibly due to being different countries market.

I just use the 2-4-C on teeth and uinv drive bearings never in fast spinning bearings, also on actions and slides. A very long lasting grease!

Stays put till next service.
Title: Re: Quicksilver grease
Post by: alantani on March 10, 2015, 10:04:27 PM
for an all purpose grease, it matters less what you use, just as long as you use something!
Title: Re: Quicksilver grease
Post by: zerofish on March 17, 2015, 08:27:19 AM
So i mixed a small amount of Quicksilver with a drop of Quantum Hot Sauce reel oil (the only decent oil i have at the time).

Waited 2 days and nothing bad happened.

Do you think i should give it a go or it might affect the grease?
Title: Re: Quicksilver grease
Post by: johndtuttle on April 16, 2015, 11:27:53 PM
Quote from: zerofish on March 17, 2015, 08:27:19 AM
So i mixed a small amount of Quicksilver with a drop of Quantum Hot Sauce reel oil (the only decent oil i have at the time).

Waited 2 days and nothing bad happened.

Do you think i should give it a go or it might affect the grease?

No way to know for sure but to try it for a while, then crack it open in a few months and see if you like the result. :D
Title: Re: Quicksilver grease
Post by: Slazmo on April 17, 2015, 09:44:02 AM
Quote from: zerofish on March 17, 2015, 08:27:19 AMSo i mixed a small amount of Quicksilver with a drop of Quantum Hot Sauce reel oil (the only decent oil i have at the time).

Waited 2 days and nothing bad happened.

Do you think i should give it a go or it might affect the grease?

Nothing will happen per sé, you wont get smoke or fires or earth trembles ha ha.

All your doing is literally lowering the NLGI and introducing some more oil into the base oils.

I always mix Inox MX5 or the other mix I have with the Merc 2-4-C as my bearing mix. Nothing bad will come of it unless you have one of those oils that say 'Lube & clean' - that may prove a issue?

I absolutely detest Quantum Hot Sauce and the test results for it weren't that great and I hate seeing it in a reel where everything is glooped in there and red... Terrible stuff to clean out...
Title: Re: Quicksilver grease
Post by: Zimbass on April 17, 2015, 01:50:18 PM
"I absolutely detest Quantum Hot Sauce and the test results for it weren't that great and I hate seeing it in a reel where everything is glooped in there and red... Terrible stuff to clean out..."


I agree with you 100% mate ! Hate that stuff with a vengeance. Have so many customers reels with pink gears !! >:(
Title: Re: Quicksilver grease
Post by: exp2000 on June 04, 2015, 01:48:40 AM
Hi Slazmo. I tracked down your mentor and had a good yarn with him a while back. Anyone who has been servicing reels for that long is gonna be interesting to talk to. Keep meaning to get some of that 2-4-C and try it out on gears.

Some of my conclusions on Lubricants might be viewed as heresy here:
I find marine grease to be too thick for practical application on small baitcasters which are my mainstay. For a general purpose product, I use Corrosion X grease: as a compatible carrier for the CX fluid, it allows me to mix any consistency I want for various applications. Cost is over A$100 per kilo but naturally this is gonna last a while. It is available in the tiny pots though under the Reel-X label? There may be better lubricants out there but it is a very good anti-corrosive product.

I have questioned the wisdom of mixing CX fluid with TSI in the past. The purpose of the solvent in TSI is to remove trace lubricants to allow the product access to the metal substrate so it can bond to it. It occurs to me that mixing it with a lubricant would be counterproductive to this process. In the case of CX which also claims to bond to the metal, you have two lubricants fighting over the same territory. Who wins?

I hear you guys regarding QHS but my number one pet hate is the new Penn grease- the stuff that is sky blue in colour. I have seen the results in enough reels now to want to avoid it like the plague. My first encounter was a spinning reel where the spindle was locked solid inside the pinion. Others soon followed with similar results. It seems that when salt water hits it, it degrades into something resembling cement powder and it sets like concrete too, coating everything and becoming a royal pain to remove from gears etc. I cringe when I open a reel and see this stuff inside now.

Much of what I have learned came from this forum. Thanks for the great info guys and keep up the good work.




Title: Re: Quicksilver grease
Post by: Slazmo on June 05, 2015, 10:14:15 AM
Within regards to the 2-4-C its all about using the right amount, the NLGI if that said grease is somewhere between 0 and 1. Its got good sheer stability and I find that its quiet good for its intended purpose. If you want smoother greases you need to keep in mind their ability to fling off and their durability over a service period? Food for thought.

That Penn grease akin to this? Found this in a recent rebuild and it was horrid!!!
Title: Re: Quicksilver grease
Post by: exp2000 on June 05, 2015, 11:34:36 AM
Looks like the one. It's the right colour.

Here's a couple of examples of powder coating:

The clean half of the maingear was treated with a Dremel wire brush.
Title: Re: Quicksilver grease
Post by: LLCC on June 06, 2015, 07:05:25 AM
Quote from: Nuvole on March 10, 2015, 12:44:53 AM
I've been using Quicksilver Mercury 2-4-C before I get hold of Yamaha marine.
They are very tacky which if s good for sideplate. Issue I have with them is that it smell very strong.

Smells like a cockroach nest doesn't it?