Howdy gang! I just found this site today.
For my first post I would like to ask about repairing and/or tuning up old reels. I would like to do it myself.
What do you guys do to clean up your reels after saltwater fishing? I've heard all kinds of things like soaking them in a mixture of vinegar and water.
Also, I have a couple of locked up reels that had been sitting in a storage shed that I want to bring back to life. One is an Abu Garcia Black Max and the other is a Quantum baitcast. The Quantum has some corrosion and it will not spool out the line. I want to break it down and completely clean it up. It will be my guinea pig!!
Any ideas/suggestions?
Also, do reel manufacturers have any type of program where you can learn to repair thier products?

Thanks!!

I'm not sure about manufacturers and programs. Just break those reels down and give em' some TLC...

Simple as that eh?? LOL
Well, tomorrow after work I will crack one open and see. Any suggestions on what to use to remove corrosion and get a "stuck" reel back in working order?

Can you post some pics, to see how bad they are???

www.fishingreelrepair.com
If you need parts or you want them done right.

A buddy of mine uses WD40 to clean his reels and checked on it with an authority. They said it's ok, but to make sure that it's as dry as possible with no WD40 standing anywhere.

Also, if you can't get them together, you can find a shop contact on here of someone who can.

Good luck.

Ok, thanks for the info fellas!
Now, for an update.
One of the reels in question is an Abu Garcia Black Max 4500. I took it completely apart yesterday and it had less corrosion on the inside than I thought. I had an old can of,(3in1 oil I think), laying around so I put some of that on a paper towel and wiped the parts down. It took me a bit to figure out how to put it together, (I eventually got the schematic from the AG site), but I finally got it. I can now press the spool release and then turn the handle to engage it again so it does appear to be working.
When turning the handle it seems to reel a little tight and I hear some slight rubbing inside. Tonight I will break it down again and spray some WD40 and give it a good wipe again. That should fix it!
Last night was just a practice run to see IF I could actually tear it apart and put it back together!! LOL

WD40 is a no no for reels. It destroys bearings on high dollar reels. I attended a "free reel cleaning" by a shimano rep. He said that over and over.

There are several good lubes. It takes very little to make it work. There is a lady named Connie on Lake Fork. I think she goes by Reellady and has great tips on doing just this.

One tip. Take digital photos as you diassemble. Every part looks the same when laid out.

thanks Oltom, that's me! for sure pass up the WD 40. good luck on your reel maintenance. holler if we can help.

BREAK IT DOWN,POUR HOPPS #9 SOLVENT OVER THEM AND INSIDE THE REEL.USE A TOOTHBRUSH TO CLEAN THEM.THEN AFTER THAT DRIES I SPRAY WITH REEL MAGIC.

UPDATE:

Ok, I broke it down again and used some Q-tips coated with a little 3in1 oil. Got underneath everything, wiped it down real good and put it back together. Thankfully I printed the schematic from Abu Garcia's website.
That thing spins just like brand new! Best thing about this whole deal is that the reel was just tossed down in a storage room left to rot! I got a $50 for free and now it works like a champ. There were some other old spinning reels and a couple of big reels, (Penn's I think), that I am going to snag next weekend when I go down. They have all been discarded and are covered in webs, dust and corrosion. A little TLC and I will have me some nice reels to play with!