I just took my baitcaster apart and cleaned my bearings for the fire time.

23 Daiwa Tatula 100 and

Daiwa 23 saltist (JDM)150 pe special

Cleaning in isopropyl 91%. Soaked in alcohol for 3 hours and spun a a few dozen times while submerged and let dry for 8 hours. After oiling properly (2-3 drop reel oil per bearing) I noticed the bearing is louder when casting than before. 
Is this normal?

I dont notice any sticking or grinding when spinning in my hand and casting performance doesn’t seem to be affected but they are considerably louder then before. 

My guess is a slightly out of spec bearing.. if the noise is bothersome, you can replace it

Likely worn bearings that were happier with more viscous lube before.  

Great opportunity to upgrade spool bearings.  

 

27 minutes ago, bulldog1935 said:

Likely worn bearings that were happier with more viscous lube before.  

Great opportunity to upgrade spool bearings.  

 

Thing is I’ve only fished these reels for a year. Can they wear that quickly. I’ve been pretty meticulous in their maintenance.

The noise is steel bearing balls clicking, where before the click was damped by more viscous lube.  

There are lower-mass, lower-inertia bearings made to run lighter oil without noise, such as hybrid ceramic and micro-bearings.  Many of the latter still have high load range, lower inertia for quicker spool start and less brake force needed for longer casts (nominal 5 % increase).  

 

No accident I showed IXA MBS bearings above, which make that reel electric-fast.  

A comparable bearing is Hedgehog Air HD with high load range.  Also full-size hybrid ceramic.  Unshielded bearings need a drop of oil every month of use, but they're also flushed by this action.  

 

Two choices with the same amount of work.  Upgrade the bearings, or remove, clean and use more-viscous bearing oil.  

It might not be wear you are hearing. Above you said you soaked bearing(s) for 3 hours in 91% isopropyl alcohol?

 

If so, then the noise you might be hearing could be from the bearings minus the factory grease that was in them, but is now dissolved out of them. Grease can quieten bearings, and when removed could be a new source of noise. Oil may help, but may not quieten as much as grease may have once done.

 

Repacking with new grease may help make them as quiet as before, but also may slow down the casting some as well.

 

 

10 minutes ago, bulldog1935 said:

The noise is steel bearing balls clicking, where before the click was damped by more viscous lube.  

There are lower-mass, lower-inertia bearings made to run lighter oil without noise, such as hybrid ceramic and micro-bearings.  Many of the latter still have high load range, lower inertia for quicker spool start and less brake force needed for longer casts (nominal 5 % increase).  

 

No accident I showed IXA MBS bearings above, which make that reel electric-fast.  

A comparable bearing is Hedgehog Air HD with high load range.  Also full-size hybrid ceramic.  

 

Two choices with the same amount of work.  Upgrade the bearings, or remove, clean and use more-viscous bearing oil.  

If I continue to use the same bearings with the lighter oil will it damage them or is it just gonna be louder?  I was looking at boca ceramic bearings since I want to use the Tatula in saltwater. I’m guessing they would also be lighter and they’re ceramic sealed for salt. 

You should do well with the orange-seal bearing upgrade.  

 

I'm 80% in the salt, and prefer unshielded spool microbearings, because they get a drop of oil before and after every trip.  Of course the bearings are salt-resistant MOC, but no place for salt to concentrate.  

 

2 hours ago, Mariner mike said:

After oiling properly (2-3 drop reel oil per bearing) I noticed the bearing is louder when casting than before. 
Is this normal?

Explain how you went about oiling the bearings.

 

1 hour ago, Mariner mike said:

Thing is I’ve only fished these reels for a year. Can they wear that quickly?

Probably not.

I put 3 drops of Abu Garcia precision reel oil after soaking in isopropyl 91% and letting completely dry for 8 hours. 

3 minutes ago, Mariner mike said:

I put 3 drops of Abu Garcia precision reel oil after soaking in isopropyl 91% and letting completely dry for 8 hours. 

Like this? Between the inner race and shield?

 

My first thought is that there is still some alcohol in them that has degraded the oil you used.

 

How'd you dry them? Just air dry? Pop them in the oven on 150 for 30 minutes would make sure they were completely dry inside before oiling.

32 minutes ago, PhishLI said:

Like this? Between the inner race and shield?

 

Wrong bearings. The main one under the pinion head. You have to take the whole side plate off. Those are just the brake and spool tension ones. 

29 minutes ago, Bazoo said:

My first thought is that there is still some alcohol in them that has degraded the oil you used.

 

How'd you dry them? Just air dry? Pop them in the oven on 150 for 30 minutes would make sure they were completely dry inside before oiling.

I air dried them for 8 hours idk

Note that ceramic bearings are a bit noisy as well.

HPR Bearings is a great seller with good prices. 

(E bay)

1 hour ago, Mariner mike said:

Wrong bearings. The main one under the pinion head. You have to take the whole side plate off. Those are just the brake and spool tension ones. 

No, the bearings I've shown in pics above are your discreet spool bearings on Tatulas, which is what both of your reels are. The Saltist is just a Tatula with a JDM name. There's no such thing as brake and spool tension bearings. 

 

Simply oiling the pinion bearing will have zero impact during casting.

 

Try oiling your bearings as I've shown then report back.

2 hours ago, PhishLI said:

No, the bearings I've shown in pics above are your discreet spool bearings on Tatulas, which is what both of your reels are. The Saltist is just a Tatula with a JDM name. There's no such thing as brake and spool tension bearings. 

 

Simply oiling the pinion bearing will have zero impact during casting.

 

Try oiling your bearings as I've shown then report back.

Okay thanks I was probably cleaning the wrong ones lol. Hopefully there’s no salt in them

3 hours ago, Mariner mike said:

I was probably cleaning the wrong ones

If you're fishing these reels in the salt, and if you did in fact remove the clutch cam plate which retains the pinion bearing in order to remove it, clean it, then oil it, then you'd be well served to repeat the process but grease it instead this time. That bearing is susceptible to water, especially if you use braid, and proper grease will be better in this position for keeping water from seeping in between the shield and race. Remove the cir-clip retainer to pop off the bearing's shield to grease it. Do the same to the other frame bearings found on the crankshaft.

 

Also, remove the clutch cam spring and grease its anchoring hole found in the frame. It's a through hole, so suspended fines and salt can migrate in through it. Over time friction between the steel spring and aluminum frame combined with grit/salt will wallow out that through hole causing the spring to no longer seat properly. This is good practice even if you don't fish the salt and will avoid a PIA fix.

 

Before you reinstall handle-side side plate, grease its lip where it mates to the frame to create a grease gasket. Leave the weep hole(s) open though. This will keep water out of the gearbox in-use and when you rinse it.

It's normal.  You're going to get some more noise from removing the factory higher viscous oil and adding a light bearing oil.  I usually don't recommend people do this because some people have a really adverse reaction to the noise and don't realize until it is too late.  I grew up bombing centrifugal reels from the bank with little to no spool tension so I am used to the hum and vibration produced by bearings and centrifugal brakes as normal but some people expect a silent cast as normal.  You just have to know your preferences.  You can always go back to stock bearings or something similar.

Just thinking on this (provided there is saltwater in the bearings or corrosion)..... If I remember correctly, when you mix saltwater with isopropyl alcohol, it separates the water and the alcohol causing the salt to attract all the water. I think this process leaves the salt behind once the solution dissolves, making the bearings still dirty with salt. Somebody with a chemistry background needs to sanity check my thoughts on this.

 

I would try Simple Green for Water Sports and an ultra sonic cleaner for the bearings. 

 

Another crazy thought, I have the similar issue on a Daiwa Tatula BF70.  When I cast it slightly hard, it sounds like the bearings are grinding.  I sent it to Daiwa and it came back buttery smooth and with new bearings but it still makes the sound. Cast it a little easy and no noise. Also if you put tape on the spool (covering the line), turn off the brakes and spin the spool, with thumb bar engaged, as fast as you can, there is no noise. If you then turn the brakes on to about 50%, it starts to make the same noise again.  It functions fine though.  My guess is, it's the rotor on the spool hitting the magnetic brake.  Just something else to try.

@FishTank basically true - water dissolves instantly in alcohol, and salt dissolves slowly, so it concentrates to brine.  

Residual salt water doesn't dry anywhere for up to a year - it just concentrates to brine and remains liquid - why initial rinse is so important.    

Worse than salt is ferric ions from salt corrosion of steel, and cupric ions from salt corrosion of brass - the resulting salts release hydrochloric acid, and are corrosive to otherwise salt-resistant metals.  

Any sign of salt rust in a reel should be removed and replaced - yesterday.  

These magnets got replaced because corrosion was moving sideways under the cathodic coating.  4 years in the salt, and that was 4 years ago, with no other worries.  

Rinse thoroughly using DI (deionized) water to neutralize any salt residue. I was thinking the OP let dry after the alcohol  cleaning process without DI rinse, bearing are still contaminated.

Tom

 

9 minutes ago, WRB-2.0 said:

I was thinking the OP let dry after the alcohol  cleaning process without DI rinse, bearing are still contaminated.

Unless I've misread the OP's responses, he's neither cleaned nor lubed the spool bearings as he misidentified them by his own admission.

You could go acid base like vinegar then rinse with fresh water. Or DI water like @WRB-2.0 mentions. I have no clue if DI water works but, d**n, it sounds legit…  

 I fish the salt sometimes but my son only fishes the Gulf or the Keys. Would a warm or hot water rinse be better to remove the salt??