So I just ordered my first set of Boca Bearings for my Abu Garcia 6601 C4. (15% off banner at the bottom of bass resource forums!)  It says on the web site that they are shipped dry with no lube.  I'm wondering what lube would be recommended for the orange seal ABEC 7 bearings?  I don't want to pull it apart and lube the bearings after every outing, but I'm willing to pull it apart every other week during fishing season.  Any recommendations? 

1 drop boca lightening will work well 

A lot of guys run them dry, which puts the RPMs of the spool into the stratosphere. It does, however, add a significant amount of audible noise, and reduces the lifetime of the bearings. Any good oil will work, but go very conservative when applying oil.

Just a very SMALL drop will work just fine. You can use the the oil that might have came with your reel or something like rocket fuel or Boca lightning as noted above that is thinner and this will run the bearings faster. I have tried several and have decided the reel oil provided by shimano gives me the results I want with a decent life span.

1 drop boca lightening will work well 

X2 on this.  If you want them to last do not run them dry or without the seals.  While running them dry and without seals will make them spin much faster it also cuts their life span drastically.

 

By the way you will those ABEC 7 Ceramic bearings. They only get better.

Tried them dry and the noise was just too annoying. I added a drop of Shimano Oil

which is probably thicker than some would prefer. I may have given up "maximum

performance", but I like silence.

 

 

 

Shimano Bantam Oil is one of the better all around bearing oil. A good blend of speed and durability.

Or you can pick up Hoppe's 9 gun oil with a nice needle applicator :-)

So purely out of curiosity, I changed the bearings on one of my 1 yr old Revo SX gen 2 from stock to the ABEC 7 Orange seals. The  Boca lightning oil didn't ship with bearings, so I added 1 drop of the oil that came with the reel (albeit a large drop due to dispenser). Per Boca, I put the seals back on to keep the oil contained.

 

My observation after 3 outings are:

-Lost casting distance, by roughly 20%.

-A bit noisy, scratching/friction sound

-Doesn't feel as smooth, but may be just the friction "sound".

 

I've read it can take a little time to break them in. Maybe the Abu oil was too thick? I now have the Boca Lightning oil.

 

Anyone have similar experience?

 

Also, getting that pin out for the spool bearing was a PAIN with standard tools! For that reason I'd hate to have to take it apart again. Maybe it's worth buying their tool.

 

Thanks,

Bill

 

So purely out of curiosity, I changed the bearings on one of my 1 yr old Revo SX gen 2 from stock to the ABEC 7 Orange seals. The  Boca lightning oil didn't ship with bearings, so I added 1 drop of the oil that came with the reel (albeit a large drop due to dispenser). Per Boca, I put the seals back on to keep the oil contained.

 

My observation after 3 outings are:

-Lost casting distance, by roughly 20%.

-A bit noisy, scratching/friction sound

-Doesn't feel as smooth, but may be just the friction "sound".

 

I've read it can take a little time to break them in. Maybe the Abu oil was too thick? I now have the Boca Lightning oil.

 

Anyone have similar experience?

 

Also, getting that pin out for the spool bearing was a PAIN with standard tools! For that reason I'd hate to have to take it apart again. Maybe it's worth buying their tool.

 

Thanks,

Bill

 

I'd flush them again and add the Boca oil. And if you're thinking of buying the tool, consider the fact that the tool will last for a long time, and is around half the cost of a OEM spool, should you nick the spool or bend the shaft while removing the spool pin. 

I personally have found the oil packaged with the revos too thick for bearings with the same experience you got. I bought a brand new reel. Cast it a few times to get a feel. Then flushed the bearings and relubed with the abu oil and the casting distance dropped quite a bit. Reflushed them and lubed them with a lighter oil and all was well. I just use it to oil the levelwind gearing.

I personally have found the oil packaged with the revos too thick for bearings with the same experience you got. I bought a brand new reel. Cast it a few times to get a feel. Then flushed the bearings and relubed with the abu oil and the casting distance dropped quite a bit. Reflushed them and lubed them with a lighter oil and all was well. I just use it to oil the levelwind gearing.

 My experiences line up with yours. For as much as a reel costs, the $10-$12 for a bottle of oil that will last for a while is pretty reasonable. 

Ceramic bearings are a hot rod upgrade, so I run them open and dry for max performance. Lifespan (which has not been a problem) is a secondary concern, or should be if running hi-performance parts. Running an open bearing will not shorten life if anything close to regular maintenance is done. The seals are supposed to be non-contact but rarely are, especially after removing and replacing. When lubing an open bearing, use an even smaller drop of oil than usual since there are no shields to block penetration. I'm a Boca dealer and like the folks over there but don't necessarily agree with every recommendation like replacing seals to keep oil in. If the bearing balls are in a bath of oil they won't spin nearly as fast. You might as well leave the stock bearings with factory grease in them for life.    

Thanks for the replies, glad I wasn't just imagining things.

What's the best thing to use for flushing the Abu oil from the bearings?

I like acetone- straight, not nail polish remover. Naptha (lighter fluid) works too but has more fumes.

Acetone in a baby food jar for an occasional flush.

 

1 drop of Shimano oil. They don't need much. I used to overdo it.

X2 on this.  If you want them to last do not run them dry or without the seals.  While running them dry and without seals will make them spin much faster it also cuts their life span drastically.

 

By the way you will those ABEC 7 Ceramic bearings. They only get better.

 

Are you sure about this? I do not believe this is the case