I'm getting ready to tear down ten of my 320GT reels from last season. Way time consuming but the price is right. In the past I manually scraped off the green crud off the plates and levers which never gets all the crud, especially in tight spaces. This year I'm hoping there's an easier and cleaner way of doing this. I'm seeing some posts about ultrasonic cleaning.
What is a good way to clean off the green gunk and get into all the little crevices? I'm willing to tear down ten reels and throw them all in a batch at once if that's the way to go.
Thanks,
Tom
welcome, tom! i go after it with an old greasy toothbrush. if that doesn't work, i will usually just leave it.
Thanks Alan. As always you are a great resource for fishing reel maintenance.
Simple green or clr will do the trick
coastal x 2 -clean the grease off and dunk in clr - it seems to take all the corrosion off almost anything. I had all the posts from an ancient 6/0 senator with a snapped off screw in each end. forgot them in clr for 3 days and was able to unscrew the remainder of the screws with my finger tips. this stuff woks but may take a little time. Don't know if it would harm or discolor aluminum or bakelite.
Distilled vinegar gets rid of green within one hour... no matter how much green you have. Hasn't harmed a thing that I have dunked in it, but I've never dunk side plates just in case it warps them. Works unbelievable on any metal!
Good luck,
Dom
I'm with you Dom, that distilled vinegar does a great job and I'm sure that it isn't bad for you. I think that Dominick drinks something similar to it ;D , he looks pretty healthy to me. I gave that clr a try, when I opened the container my skin started to itch, I quickly got rid of it, along with that BP blaster that almost got you out of your apartment in the past....that stuff is nasty.
Sal,
I think Dominick may drink the pb blaster on the rocks... he probably grew a tolerance to the distilled vinegar ;D Keep it up Dominick it's working for ya! ;)
I'm pretty sure CLR has an acid it in like the stuff I clean my non skid with on the boat (meguiars deck cleaner)... wicked stuff!
Dom
;D CLR shooters. The way to go. ;D
well, i can tell you for sure that a dishwasher will not work! ;D
CLR wins hands down. Soaked for a couple hours and came out clean as a whistle. Thanks everyone.
Mega,
Glad it worked for ya... give distilled vinegar a shot sometime, then add oil to the bearings, get some romaine, and enjoy! ;D
PS- if you tried distilled vinegar and the "green crud" didn't come off that would be a first.
Dom
White corrosion like this, I remove by rubbing it off with a piece of steel wool. It can be done in less than a minute.
Hey KB,
That looks like some serious salt deposits... dilute Salt Away in a container, disassemble reel, drop in everything, and watch your salt disappear before your eyes!
Does steel wool scratch the reel?
Dom
I would wash very thoroughly with soapy water and a clean water rinse when using steel wool, it can leave behind almost microscopic steel particles which will accelerate corrosion and be attracted to any magnetized parts (like bearings if you pull them with a magnet). I think a scotch brite or simiiar material abrasive pad might be a better choice. - Jimmer
Shame on me... Jimmer is 100% correct! I got a true story for ya...
In the fall I like to clean the terminals with a wire brush on the day of removal for winter storage. About 6 years ago I had a bed sheet down while I was doing work to "protect" the boat. When I was done with a long day of maintenance and the end of the season clean up I folded that sheet up that I used to "protect" the boat and went on my merry way. In the spring I received a phone call from the boat yard (they know I'm insanely meticulous with my boat) asking me to come down when I had a chance... you never want that call. ??? Upon arrival, I am greeted by the owner of the marina with a strange face on like he had bad news. He DID! The salt air (boat yard is literally 5' away from Jamaica Bay (NY) rusted all those tiny particles from the wire brush to my non skid deck. Needless to say the whole starboard side of the cockpit had rust dots and lines from the metal brush particles and fallen off wires. I am in no way involved with FSR Davis, ut their product saved my life. It removed all but a few lines and dots. It took over 10 hours to clean up! :o So, please don't use that stuff if you like your gear. ;)
Dom
Do you guys know what CLR or vinegar + water will do to the anodization? I've got a reel that is, well, stuck together and need to essentially soak the entire frame and cross members.
I have not used clr on an anodized part. I made a few calls and couldn't find anyone else that had either. I remember reading a post on here awhile back that recommended using a strong base (drano) to completely remove the anodizing, don't know if a weak acid would have the same effect. maybe try a small drop on the bottom of the reel as a test. On other metals it completely removes the corrosion without harming the base metal,if the reel is that bad it might be worth giving it a shot. Please post your findings - Thanks - Jimmer
Bryan,
I'm not sure what vinegar and water does because I use straight distilled white vinegar $4 a gallon. I pour it in a tupperware large enough to completely submerge whatever I'm trying to remove the corrosion off. Let sit in vinegar, remove, dry, spray with canned air in crevices, holes, etc, and good to go. It's never effected my anodized custom handles, however I never left it in over an hour. Parts like main gears, pinions, and other brass and chromed parts have been left overnight to totally clean off imbedded corrosion with again, no problems. good luck!
Dom
I'm sure vinegar is a weaker and safer acid than clr. Dom have you tried extra virgin olive oil on the spool bearings yet? This may be launching a new"green' as well as green crud initiative in reel repair! LOL - Jimmer
Jimmer,
Now you're talking! ;D
Dom
Dom, next time try Waiman stove top cleaner, it will pull that rust right out of that fiberglass ;). all you need is a drop on a damp rag. You know, I don't use steel wool, I use stainless steel wool to clean my chromed parts along with a drop of TSI 301.
Tried distilled vinegar for 3 hours and not even a dent in the crud. Rinsed off parts with water then dropped in a bowl of CLR and within an hour green crud was gone. So... in my case CLR wins hands down.
Thanks guys. Will check with the reel owner to see to what extent he would like me to go. Last option is to drill out screws, but that would be may last option.
Never had that happen, megabite. You must have special corrosion where you live ;)
I'll check that stove top cleaner out, Sal... always looking for a good cleaning solution.
Thanks
Dom
Quote from: coastalobsession on January 22, 2012, 04:27:22 PM
Simple green or clr will do the trick
coastalobsession, I heard you mention simple green a few times and decided to give it a shot. Thanks for your suggestion, I like it. It should also help neutralize the parts after they've been soaked in distilled vinegar. Thanks! Sal
I use limeaway.
Quote from: broadway on January 23, 2012, 03:57:40 PM
Hey KB,
That looks like some serious salt deposits... dilute Salt Away in a container, disassemble reel, drop in everything, and watch your salt disappear before your eyes!
Does steel wool scratch the reel?
Dom
Hi,
I know it looks like salt, but it's greenish/white corrosion from the galvanized brass. Steel wool does not scratch ABU frames, as it is softer than the galvanized
coating. There might be more gentle methods of removing corrosion, but steel wool is fast.
I would really recommend the stainless wool. Carbon bearing steel may transfer carbon to stainless steel also, which destroys the stainless properties of it. Ever leave a brillo pad in a stainless steel sink and see a rust spot form?
Quote from: Jimmer on February 01, 2012, 02:25:42 AM
I would really recommend the stainless wool.
X2
Iron atoms will transfer to your work and it can make it ugly when it rusts. Aluminum is effected worse than other materials but it's not good for SS too.