Reel Repair by Alan Tani

General Maintenance Tips => Tools and Lubricants => Topic started by: Squidder Bidder on December 06, 2023, 12:54:07 PM

Title: Ultra Tef-Gel
Post by: Squidder Bidder on December 06, 2023, 12:54:07 PM
Does anyone have experience with this product? It is very expensive, but is supposed to be specially formulated to prevent galvanic corrosion in marine environments.

I was wondering whether it would be a good prophylactic to be used in my higher value reels where steel (screws, etc.) meet aluminum (plates).

Thanks.
Title: Re: Ultra Tef-Gel
Post by: JasonGotaProblem on December 06, 2023, 03:30:43 PM
I'm not sure there are greases that are bad for preventing galvanic corrosion. That's what they do.

Any PTFE grease is teflon based. This sounds like marketing BS.
Title: Re: Ultra Tef-Gel
Post by: BradH on December 11, 2023, 08:25:40 PM
Tef-Gel is an excellent product and I've used it for 20+ years on boats.  It really does prevent galling on stainless fasteners and isolates stainless, aluminum, and other metals from each other to prevent corrosion.  It keeps water from wicking in between surfaces.  Every stainless nut/bolt combination I touch gets it without question.  It's great when stainless threads into aluminum, or when stainless fastener is countersunk in aluminum and places you can't fit a plastic washer (even then I use Tef-Gel!).  It's the real deal. 

I would have no problem using it on reels and it's so sticky/tacky that it would last much longer than grease.  Especially under reel seats and other problem areas involving surface contact.  But on a reel that gets serviced frequently, I'm not sure it would be that much better than a good grease job.  A while ago I remember one of the Truth/Release/Seigler builders using Tef-Gel extensively in their reels.

It cleans with mineral spirits and WD40/CRC 656.  A $20 small tube seemingly lasts forever.  Try it and see- I see no downside.