can lighter fuel damage bearings?

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#1 Post by **markyb** » Sat Apr 16, 2011 6:57 pm

hows things lads just wondering if over soaking bearings in lighter fuel can damage or affect the smoothness of bearings

regards
markyb

#2 Post by **StevieR** » Sat Apr 16, 2011 7:37 pm

IMO not that I'm aware of. I always soak brand new bearings in lighter fluid. However I've realised it's not a good idea to do it too often on used or older ones. If they're slighty worn out all the crap will be washed away and they will sound rough and make alot of noise and actually run worse than before you had cleaned them.
Once reels are running fine I just add 1 tiny drop to each bearing every few months or so or when the reel needs taming.

#3 Post by **stevecrow74** » Sat Apr 16, 2011 8:16 pm

Lighter fluid or any spirit/petroleum based fluid will have no effect on full metal bearings, however some bearings have plastic spacers ( the little things that keep each bearing in place) and petroleum based fluids would do serious damage!

paddyc · #4 Post by **paddyc** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 5:47 pm

stevecrow74 wrote: however some bearings have plastic spacers and petroleum based fluids would do serious damage!

Indeed,, the ones with plastic races can be ruined if left to soak for any major lenght of time...

StevieR wrote: I always soak brand new bearings in lighter fluid.

After learning the hard way in the past, i made some inquiries and got some sound advise, id advise not to do this,
once you get a "new clean" set there is no need to flush them, just pop them in the reel and wang the be-Jesus out of them, and just top them up as required..

#5 Post by **StevieR** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 5:57 pm

I've heard paddy that some come with thick protective grease in them?

paddyc · #6 Post by **paddyc** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 6:08 pm

That would prob be the only exception, but nearly all good bearing manufactures give the option of being supplied dry..

#7 Post by **Donagh** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 11:03 pm

Personnely I'd clean and oil bearings on any reel I get before I use it myself. The 525 penns were famed for coming out of the factory bone dry and causing foul ups. So when they came out with the 525 extra they made a marketing ploy of saying the bearings had red rf tuning in factory. I didn't oil the large bearing of a new sl30 and it decayed and had to be fixed with a claw hammer. It didn't get much abuse just ocasional use in fishing.

The nylon in ceramic bearings dissolves in the petrol. Neil MacKellow had a warning on his site a few yers back about this from his work with Penn

#8 Post by **MAC** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 11:49 pm

Some bearings are supplied packed, but most good suppliers should let you know. You need them dry or oiled for casting. If the are oiled you can quickly flush, dry and re-oil with you preferred blend. If they are packed with grease, no amount of flushing will totally get rid of everything..... Think about it, there is so little space for anything to run out or in. The only way to remove grease is to remove the protective shield. I sometimes do this for Pinion bearings as part of a reel service. I then pack the bearing with marine grease. This is a nice tip for the boat multipliers that tend to suffer a little water Ingres behind the handle.

Kev

Sea Angling Ireland