If you buy a baitcaster, sooner or later you will be faced with the question of how you can keep the beloved part in good condition. Depending on how often you fish and how many baitcasters you have in your arsenal, the maintenance intervals can vary greatly.
At least once a year it makes sense to at least take a close look at a baitcaster to see if something should be done. I have baitcasters in my arsenal that I don't use more than ten times a year, so they aren't serviced every year. Other baitcasters get a little attention every two to three months. There are different levels. Quite often I just do a quick maintenance on the throw bearings.
Fast maintenance of the throwing bearings
When it comes to quick maintenance on the casting bearings, I really only care about the ball bearings which are responsible for the throw. These are the two ball bearings that are in contact with the axle. One of these is always in the non-handle sideplate. Depending on the manufacturer, the second ball bearing is located either on the axis of the spool or under the button for the spool tension. Some call the button an axle squeeze...
For very quick maintenance there are one or two tiny drops thin oilon each of the ball bearings. When throwing and cranking, the oil independently creeps into the ball bearings, even if they are closed.
The lighter the casting weight of the baitcaster is, the thinner the oil needs to be, so that the ball bearings remain extremely smooth. The disadvantage is that such thin oils also disappear more quickly than more viscous oils. It's no trick to notice when the next quick maintenance is due. You'll notice this immediately when the ball bearings get loud, but otherwise run smoothly. Depending on how frequently it is used, a BFS baitcaster needs to be re-oiled with one or two drops every few weeks. Baitcasters for heavier weights with thicker oil for the ball bearings can easily go through a season without new oil.
Thorough maintenance of the throwing bearings
When thoroughly servicing the throw bearings, they must be removed. But that's not real art either.
The ball bearings that are not on the axle are usually held in place with a spring steel clasp. To remove the brace you need a bit of sensitivity and tweezers or a fine flathead screwdriver.
You have to be extremely careful so that the clasp doesn't get lost. The tensioned clasp can fly really far. If you are unsure, I recommend doing this operation in a transparent plastic bag, then the braces cannot fly far and you can still see everything. The first few times I did it this way, after I had to search for half an hour.
If the bearing is on the spool, I definitely recommend a Pin Remover. This is a special tool for removing such pins. With pure muscle strength or a pair of pliers you can damage the edge of the coil or the axle and then the damage is often irreparable. This is annoying because a new coil is usually extremely expensive.
The pin usually has a thicker and a thinner end. The pressure must be applied to the thinner end of the pin, as the thicker end does not fit through the hole in the axle. A little force is okay, but force shouldn't be necessary!
When the ball bearings are removed, they go into a bath of isopropanol. You only need enough to cover the ball bearings. To thoroughly remove the oil, I shake the jar with the isopropanol and the ball bearings from time to time. After a few hours I lay the ball bearings out on a kitchen paper to dry so that they can dry. As soon as the ball bearings are dry, each one gets between one and two drops of oil.
I put the ball bearings on a Chinese chopstick or a Bearing Check Tool and turn the ball bearing a bit. The oil then disappears very quickly inside the ball bearing. If I have the feeling that there is still too little, a third drop is added.
Then everything is simply reassembled. The working time - if you don't have to access the ball bearing under the spool tension from the inside - is not significantly longer than with quick maintenance, but the waiting time until everything is nicely bathed does require a little patience.
Thorough baitcaster maintenance
To get a Baitcaster to maintain thoroughly you need a few Stuff.- a cloth and/or kitchen roll
- Phillips or slotted screwdriver (depending on model)
- a Lock Nut key for the handle nut
- a pin remover (depending on model)
- Bearing check tool or Chinese chopsticks
- cotton swab
- cheap toothbrush
- one or two small bristle brushes
- Isopropanol
- a grease for lubricating the gearbox and brake discs
- Oil for the ball bearings and other smooth-running parts
Basic cleaning
First I clean the outside of the baitcaster. I remove the non-handle sideplate, take the spool out of the baitcaster and remove all the dirt that I can reach from the outside. For this I use the cloth or kitchen roll and the cotton swabs. A clean bristle brush or toothbrush can also be a big help. Especially at the reel foot and in the area of the Level Wind (the wave that moves the line guide lint and other rubbish collect.
Dismantling the baitcaster
The Non-Handle Sideplate has already been removed. I now remove the ball bearing and place it in the isopropanol bath. It is important not to lose the clasp that holds the ball bearing in place during removal or maintenance. Everything up to this point is easy, but the rest won't be much harder. I have two left hands and I can do it, so you can too!
Order helps
Now it's the turn of the Handle Sideplate. Since it gets a little more complicated here, I prepare a paper base and put all the parts - in the exact order in the I expanded it - onto the paper. I also pay attention to where is down and where is up, as that can make a big difference.
If you want to be on the safe side, take a photo every now and then before disassembling something that looks complicated. Then, even if something happens to your order at the table, you still have a lifeline.
The harder part
To loosen the handle, first remove the screw that fixes the retainer to the handle nut (the hexagon nut on the handle). Then you remove the retainer and loosen the handle groove. Now you can simply remove the handle.
Then unscrew the star of the battle brake. Underneath there is usually a spring, a square nut, various washers and often a clicker. It is particularly important for the washers that they are positioned correctly, as they are partially curved. If the curvature later points in the wrong direction, you will have to tinker around as usual until the baitcaster works perfectly again.
If the Handle < /strong>and everything underneath is removed, the screws that hold the handle sideplate are attached. Usually these are three small screws. As soon as the screws are loosened, the handle sideplate can be easily removed.
By the way, in the handle sideplate under the spool tension knob you will find a roller bearing. If you feel that it needs to be cleaned, you can also put it in the isopropanol bath. All the bearings you find can be bathed to remove the old oil.
The inner workings of the baitcaster
It is also important to keep things tidy inside. Please take a photo or two between steps if you're not sure! When disassembling, make sure that all parts are the same side up as the baitcaster was. If a part is installed upside down it causes a lot of trouble.
As soon as all parts that can be easily removed, such as the gearbox, the brake discs, the Pinion Gear (the small gear tube that interacts with the large gear wheel) and other small parts are removed, it's time to clean.
Some of the baitcasters are completely dry inside and some are extremely caked with grease. First I remove all the old grease I can find. I only degrease the brake discs if they have already caused problems or look dirty, otherwise I leave them alone.
Then comes newgrease on all the gears I can find. You don't have to save too much, but too much isn't good either. If you use too much grease, you'll end up with the stuff all over your baitcaster after a warm day of fishing. If you have degreased the brake discs, you will also need very economical greasing here, otherwise the brake will crack!
All other moving particles and feathers are oiled sparingly. The ball bearings are also carefully treated with a thin or very thin oil after they have been bathed and dried. Simply put one or two drops on the bearing and - as described in the first part - rotate the ball bearing. The oil then crawls into place on its own.
For the needle bearing, depending on your taste, you can use a rather thick oil or an s very thin fat. Then everything is simply reassembled in the same way you put it down.
Don't forget to grease or oil the cleaned Levelwind a little. The thumb button also tolerates a small drop of oil at the points where it moves in the frame.
Now your baitcaster should work like new again! Don't worry, I almost died the first time I took it apart, but after the third or fourth time you'll have it under control!
Of course you could disassemble even more than I have described. But if you go further, you should either really know your stuff, have a worn-out baitcaster on hand to practice with, or give the valuable device to aLeave it to a professional!
Author : Luitgar Summer
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