Just curious. do you remove the bearing shield when you clean your bearings or leave them in? metal or plastic. I know the metal shield would be no good if you take it out but I don't think you really need it anyway.

 

I leave shields in. Seals get tossed.

I take em off & leave off(orange seals & metal) but my reels dont get all that dirty.

I take out the seals or shields and leave them w/o it.   Easier to flush and clean. 

I leave shields in. Seals get tossed.

Why do you leave the shields yet toss the seals?

I have never removed anything from a bearing pack.

They get soaked for an hour and then blown dry w/60psi air blast, then a second/last soak of 10min.

 

Tight Lines!

The seals are a pain to replace properly. Removing shields generally permanently damages them, and possibly the bearing cage. I prefer shielded bearings.