4 replies to this topic

[radtech]

Well I stumbled upon these bearings wanting to try some abec 7 against the factory bearings. I really wasnt wanting to pay the high price that boca wanted for their bearings so for 22 bucks I thought I would give these a try.

Dislikes: They are very noisy at first but seem to be getting quieter with use. The bearings are not shielded.
Likes: They are much smoother than the factory bearings. They will cast farther than the factory bearings and take alot less effort to get the bait out there.

I've only had these for about a week. Been out fishing 3 times so far. I have to make sure I have the reel adjusted for the bait and use good thumb control or I wind up with some overrun. I've had a couple nasty backlashes that I contribute to a learning curve with them! All in all I'm really happy with the purchase for the money I spent. The biggest drawback to me is that the bearings are not shielded. This may not make any difference in the performance of the bearings. However I'm sure they will require more attention and cleaning care than normal. That's ok with me because I like to take my reels apart and clean them more than I probably should anyways.

edit: I did this upgrade on a 4 year old revo sx

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

I routinely run open bearings with no ill effect. They are actually easier to clean without the shields and ceramics do not require much if any lube. If you want Bocas in the future I extend a 10% discount to members here which would make the pair about $2 more than what you paid. The Revos come with pretty good bearings. Did you flush and and oil the stock ones prior to swapping?

[radtech]

really good to know on the boca's. What i see on their site was extremely expensive! and no I couldn't manage to get the old shields off to flush them first.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

Leave the shields and soak them in an acetone bath. Rinse and repeat until the solvent stays clear. Let them dry on a paper towel and spin test them. I think you'll be amazed at the improvement.

[radtech]

Cool. I have several other revo reels. Will definately give this a try before I order anymore bearings. Thanks for the advice!