# Reel repair basics



## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

Here's something I posted over on another forum and thught I'd pass it along...

Here's the routine I was taught all those years ago... Before you ever work on any reel it's very helpful to have the schematic for that exact model in hand as a ready reference... These days most manufacturers (but not all) have them on their website...

Next, it's very helpful to have a small tray of some kind to keep that reel in as you break it down. Can't remember how many times I've needed a part to replace some small spring or screw that bounced off of my bench - never to be seen again... The last thing I do with any reel needing repair is to work it a bit in my hands before I tear it down - to see what's working and what's not... Open and close the bail, test the anti-reverse, turn the handle a few times to feel it there's any bad bearings, etc. I won't even talk about reels that have been neglected until they've frozen up - and you might need a hot wrench (a torch..) to even take them apart...

Each part that comes away is dropped into a shallow bath of mineral spirits (it will be labeled paint thinner in most stores these days...) which will remove any grease or oil. And I use an old tooth brush to scrub away any residues - as needed... Be careful about exterior casings with decals on them since the mineral spirits will dissolve the adhesive that holds them in place (if you care about such stuff....). Once each part is clean it's removed from the de-greaser (just a small tub big enough to hold most of the parts with about an inch of spirits in it). The part is set on either newspaper or paper towel to dry out. Some of the best repairs on any reel is simply removing old grease and oil that have dried out and turned into glue.... I learned the hard way many years ago not to use "3 in 1" oil for that very reason - it turns into varnish over the years...

Once the parts are cleaned and you've identified any parts needing to be replaced.. and have them in hand it's time to put that reel back together... These days finding the parts to repair a reel are a hassle (there's some really nice reels around that you can hardly get a part to repair... and that reel is out of commission- no matter how much it cost....). The only grease I use on any reel is pretty cheap - go to any auto parts store and look for a tub of high temp grease (I've been using Kendall for years but any brand will do. The stuff I use is bright blue in color. One tub has lasted me more than 30 years now (and I've repaired hundreds of reels...). Only use just enough grease to lightly coat any metal parts that rub together (or slide against each other. Avoid the temptation that "more is better" since over time grease will harden up and slow down moving parts (and you'll be needing to tear down that reel again. One other pointer about grease... if water gets into your reel casing (particularly saltwater) you'll know since that nice blue grease will turn monkey s.... brown. Any sign the grease has been compromised by water intrusion means you really need to to a complete teardown and re-assembly with new lube.... Fail to do it and your reel's life will be greatly shortened... As for oil I've learned to only trust good quality gun oils in my reels - and everyone else's that I repair - and only a drop or two where it's needed (spool shafts, the shafts on main gears, reel handles (where the plastic knob mounts on the metal...) etc. My choice is something like Break Free,Gunslik, etc...

A personal note - I still have reels in hard service that are more than 30 years old now - and they work just fine - if I can still get parts for them. I've pretty much quit repairing reels for customers since I can no longer get the parts I need at wholesale.... These days most manufacturers and the shops they sell to - don't repair anything - and warranty service consists of sending out a replacement reel if they have to... Wish it weren't so. A sign of the times is that most shops you visit don't have a reel repairman at all...


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## bryson (Jun 22, 2015)

Great (and timely) advice, thanks for sharing!

I don't have as many Penn reels anymore, but one thing I do love about them is they seem to have pretty good part availability when you do need to make repairs.


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## krash (Jan 9, 2007)

Good post ... thx.


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## Bonesonthebrain (Jan 2, 2020)

Great advice, only change I would make is to use a citrus based degreaser to be a little more ‘green’ and save a few brain cells.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Bonesonthebrain said:


> Great advice, only change I would make is to use a citrus based degreaser to be a little more ‘green’ and save a few brain cells.


Oh Lord


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## Redtail (May 25, 2021)

Well written, thanks.


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## iMacattack (Dec 11, 2006)

Great post as always!


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

Remember... these are just the basics - I learned them in the early seventies working at the old Reef Tackle on 79th St down in Miami... It's long gone of course - just like most of the old timers that were kind enough to teach a newbie a thing or two...


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## Tom Ilg (Jun 13, 2018)

Great post, just very helpful with bits of common sense!


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## spc7669 (Apr 15, 2015)

Alan Tani’s website has a ton of tutorials on reel service and repair. I built a souped up Penn 4/0 using stuff I found there.


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

Alan Tani is first rate and his tutorials are the best... Me, I'm more of a light tackle guy...


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## Rayreds (Oct 24, 2016)

lemaymiami said:


> Alan Tani is first rate and his tutorials are the best... Me, I'm more of a light tackle guy...


Great post and you right on the tray to hold parts. I use a muffin pan. You can kind of organize as you go.


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## The Fin (Sep 28, 2021)

lemaymiami said:


> Remember... these are just the basics - I learned them in the early seventies working at the old Reef Tackle on 79th St down in Miami... It's long gone of course - just like most of the old timers that were kind enough to teach a newbie a thing or two...


Great post! Just think, we are now the “old timers” sharing wisdom and knowledge!


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## Micro Thinfisher (Jan 27, 2018)

Bonesonthebrain said:


> Great advice, only change I would make is to use a citrus based degreaser to be a little more ‘green’ and save a few brain cells.


While drinking yourself a chamomile tea while doing the repair I’ll bet!


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

One of the things about getting older (and hope that process continues.. .consider the alternative..) is that I can remember when things were not only simpler... As a kid I can remember my Dad using gasoline as a solvent -but then he was a mechanic and job boss with native crews building airstrips for Pan Am in the late thirties in the jungles of South America and Africa... so he was used to primitive conditions as a young man. Wish he were still around... When WW II came along and he volunteered for the draft like every other young man - he was exactly what the Corps of Engineers were looking for...


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## DBStoots (Jul 9, 2011)

lemaymiami said:


> One of the things about getting older (and hope that process continues.. .consider the alternative..) is that I can remember when things were not only simpler... As a kid I can remember my Dad using gasoline as a solvent -but then he was a mechanic and job boss with native crews building airstrips for Pan Am in the late thirties in the jungles of South America and Africa... so he was used to primitive conditions as a young man. Wish he were still around... When WW II came along and he volunteered for the draft like every other young man - he was exactly what the Corps of Engineers were looking for...


That's one reason I'm looking at an '86 Ford Bronco!


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