Is WD-40 a sufficient reel lubricant?
Thanks for the help,
Chris
WD-40 mostly evaporates. It’s a good cleaner, but generally when you need a lubricant, oil does the job right.
thanks guy, thats just what it needed clarification with
Dear CJR,
WD-40 displaces water. It’s a great thing to use after you have washed a reel used in saltwater to clean out left over water.
Just be careful not to get it on the flyline. It can do some bad things to some plastics.
Also remember when you clean a reel that oil and grease are not the same things. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for lubricants.
Regards,
Tim Murphy
Put a little on your flies–the Bass fishermen buy it by the gallons.
Bill
My daddy always used to grease his reels with a little Skelly cotton picker spindle grease. Swore by it. For some reason I don’t see it around here much, tho. I do regrease my reels with it when I am at his place, tho, and it is a good lubricant, even if it is 50 years old and counting.
Dennis
CJR, Best thing is to check with the Manufacturer of the reel on lubercation specifics. The wrong lubercant can do more harm than good.
I use Phil Wood Waterproof Bicycle Grease on my CFOs. Find it at a good bicycle store. It repels water and you only need a little bit.
~ZM
You might try Quantum’s “Hot Sauce” reel lubricant. That’s what Orvis says to use on their reels.
Eric “nighthawk”
Whatever you do…do NOT put it on GUNS! It seeps into the wood, softening it and results in cracked stocks. It is a water replacement and only good for short term lubing. The best gun oil is still 3-in-One oil.
Stay away from WD-40 like the plague!!!
What most people don’t realize, is that WD-40 is a supercleaner. It is an aerosol type cleaner using pressure and solvent content to get things very clean. A lot of people think that since it leaves an oily type residue that it must be a lubricant. This is most definatly wrong!
WD-40 uses a MINIMAL amount of lubricant for the fact that it gets metal so clean that if it didn’t have any lube it would most likely start to corrode the instant it is done being sprayed. The problem is that the lubricant in WD-40 evaporates at an alarming rate.
Now many would not believe this, but ask anyone from Southern Louisiana what spraying WD-40 into your key locks will do. Most people will tell you that if left alone, the locks will be too rusted to move within a week!!
I am not sure what would be the best lubrican for fly reels, so I will not pretend to be able to answer that, but stay away from WD-40 for cleaning.
Now if you have something that needs an aerosol type cleaner, you may want to look at a product normally used for cleaning firearms. The product is called “Gun Scrubber” and is sold in most walmarts. Gun Scrubber is sort of the same thing as WD-40 but WITHOUT the lubricant. This FORCES you to use a good quality lubricant right away!! This is what gets most people with WD-40, they think the lube in it will last a while and it generally doesn’t. Gun Scrubber is a solvent degreaser, this just gets all of the old stuff off and lets you put fresh lube on.
As for what type of lubricant, well I guess that leaves a question for everyone!
This is just my thoughts, and I am sure some may disagree. I have just seen to many reels (fly and spinning,) firearms, and locks ruined by WD-40.
Sincerely,
Reg
PS Reuel, I have been told by many people familiar with WD-40 that it was originally designed for Arthritus relief, but couldn’t gain FDA approval.
Oh for the little tid bits of knowledge we all have!!!
[This message has been edited by RCaillouet3 (edited 27 March 2005).]
WD 40 is a great fish attractor. It has also been used to extract a stuck burgler from a heat duct. If you save plastic bottles for your tying supplies it is a very good label remover. It will freeze (lost a skeet shoot that way!!). I use it to flush out gun actions, stocks removed, before oiling.
P.S. How did the WD 40 nymph get it’s name??
Cactus
[This message has been edited by Jack Hise (edited 27 March 2005).]
P.P.S. If you know of any mold (die) builders in your area see if you can get some Ejector Pin grease. Temp. resistant and long lasting.
Cactus
have used it on maggots when the trout fishing has been hard, and it sure works, dunno why but then again why question it 
Work is a means for people to afford their fishing.
My favorite reel lube is Lubriplate white lithium grease. Works great as a thin film grease, doesn’t creep, and takes years to dry out. Any auto parts store will have it.
AgMD
For degreasing and cleaning I use brake cleaner…sold in auto sections of most stores…similar to Gun Scrubber…cheaper as I recall…and better than carburetor cleaner which leaves a little residue.
As far as WD 40 is concerned…besides what’s mentioned above…is that when it comes in an aerosol can it leaves a sort of lacquer like substance that will build up and freeze a gun for example and I suppose reel…I have had hunting buddies whom this happened to and I did an experiment with a duck gun…sprayed with an aerosol can of WD before and after each hunt…it took 3 ducks seasons before the automatic wouldn’t function …and then it cleaned up like new with brake cleaner.
Brake cleaner cleans completely and dry as a bone so you have to lubricate…all as said above.
WD 40 sold in the bulk and used in hand sprayers does not leave that varnish-like residue. It is a good product when used properly.
Years ago I worked as a photocopier/office machine repair tech. We tried using WD40 as a lubricant for the old manual typewriters. WD40 at that time actually said to use it as a typewriter lubricant right on the can. Yada yada yada our company agreed to an out of court settlement for damages and the WD40 can doesn’t say it can be used on typewriters anymore.
Like others have said WD40 is more of a solvent than a lubricant. It will wash away any grease or oil present and leave a rock hard varnish behind that is next to impossible to remove. I remember as a kid I found this out the hard way. I used WD40 to lubricate the brake, clutch and throttle cables on a motorcycle. They all froze up solid after a couple of weeks. I could even pull the cable out of the housing when it was clamped in a vise.
Great for loosening rusted fasteners but other than that I don’t use the stuff now.