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HomeHomeSurf Fishing Fl...Surf Fishing Fl...General Discusi...General Discusi...Penn 525mag maintenance questionPenn 525mag maintenance question
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7/6/2010 8:27 PM
 

Howdy!

I've got two 525mags... they're about 3 yrs old.  I maintain them myself... lube them periodically with Red Rocket Fuel according to guidance/photos that I got off this or similar web site.  (Basically, soak bearings in lighter fluid a bit, then dry thoroughly, then lube with couple drops of Red Rocket Fuel on top of a paper towel so any excess is absorbed.  Then re-install.

Anyway, I usually lube them when they start to "scream" when I cast.  (If you have one, I'm guessing you've heard your reel make that kinda loud "scream" occasionally?)  So soon thereafter I lube them, and so far the "scream" disappears until next time (maybe 4-5 months later when I need to re-lube again).

However, this last time I re-lubed but the scream did not go away (on either reel)..... so I re-lubed again.... one still screams almost every cast, the other maybe every 3rd cast.

So, any ideas how I can get them to be quiet and smooth again????   Maybe the bearings are just worn after 3 years of use and I should get another set from either Penn or Boca Bearings (since they're local to me)?

Thanks for your help!  :-)


gatorjwade ( Jeff )
 
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7/6/2010 11:44 PM
 

Jeff, I have Boca ceramics in two of four 525's  - I highly recommend these Abec 5 hybrid bearings. They are smooth and quiet. The other two reels are stock and work well, but are not as smooth. I only had one screamer and got rid of that one. The oldest is seven and the youngest about three.

I fish the ceramics dry and the stainless bearings with yellow rocket oil. I burnish the shaft with quad zero steel wool and then coat it with a light film of bearing oil The reels are tuned up in August and February to be ready for the Pompano run.

I think maybe you have subjected your reels to way too much Permit abuse.

 
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7/7/2010 8:09 AM
 

Thanks for the input, Jeff!

Altho the spool tension knob is adjusted to the recommended "barely perceptable play in freespool", next outing I'll try fiddling just a bit with it to see if that makes any difference.

Otherwise, maybe I'll try a set of those Boca Bearings.

....or maybe I'll just wait for those new 525's coming out...  


gatorjwade ( Jeff )
 
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7/7/2010 8:55 AM
 

You could try the bearing upgrade. Not a bad idea at all.

I would at least try loosening the tension knob first though. Also, if you don't fit the pieces back just so after cleaning, that may cause some of this. Also, sand and grit find their way inside- some how.

I see no advantage to using ceramics without oil. The hybrids are ceramic balls within a stainless steel chase. Yes it works, but what are you accomplishing ?

You end up trying to achieve a balance by adjusting something else- elsewhere. The idea with these reels is to find the best overall setup possible.

There are several ways to tune these reels. Line diameter, spool fill, oil, and magnets. Change any one, and the others may need changing to meet the new setup.

Control is needed during the early stages of flight. Here things are eratic and chaotic and you may not get off a good swing. The line is flipping around, flapping and even pulling at differing speeds. This causes the spool to spin fast, then slower, then fast again really quickly. These changes in rotational speeds cause birdsnests. So the best control, will be the one that changes to meet the needs of the spool during all phases of the cast.

Oil is that excellent control. It is thick and heavy and slows the spool early on, then it thins out and releases the spool to spin faster later into the cast. Hard to beat that. Red Rocket does this very well. Yellow Rocket not bad either. There are also many other oils that will give the same performance, maybe even better. But heavy at first, thin later is an excellent way to control varying spool rpms.

Line diameter and spool fill can be used to tame or loosen a spools speed. Overfill the spool it spins faster, thin down the line diameter it spins faster. Thicken the line diameter or underfill the spool, you will slow the rpms- naturally. Of course, line balance when filling the spool and your ability to wind the line back on evenly also enter into this because they too can cause the spool to spin at differing speeds = birdsnesting.

If you go with the hybrids, keep the oil, and look to gain speed elsewhere. The oil will act like a stabilizer and you may be able to simply slide the magnets off a bit to get the extra speed you need. Skip the oil and this basic control is also gone, and you may start putting on more magnets to avoid mishaps. The oil will not impede your ability to gain distance- trust me. Only you can do that. LOL

Tournament casters get advantages from no oil, but then again, they don't mind birdsnesting. They do it all the time. They are looking to ride the raged edge. You on the other hand have just spent an hour getting into your spot, and maybe the fish are biting fast and furious- can you afford to foul the reel ?

BTW- have you cleaned and lubed the other bearings ? There are actually four inside there. Try that also.

 
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7/7/2010 11:30 AM
 

Jeff, I had the same problem after a relube on one of my 525's about a month ago and was considering the possibility of bearing replacement.  But I opened the reel up one more time and carefully cleaned, lubed and reinstalled all 4 bearings.  Afterwards, the reel would "sing" not "scream" when cast.  So, I advise you to reinstall the bearings again.  I suspect that I did not quite seat one of the bearings properly and that caused the noise.  I know my original problem was some sand in the bearings because I could see it clearly in the lighter fluid when I washed them the first time..

It's probably not a good idea to try and service 3 reels at the same time.  Next time I will know better.  Do one and when it's closed up and field tested, then move on to the next one.

 


so many fish...so little time
 
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