Shimano Curado Full Reel Cleaning - Part 3 - Spool cleaning (also a quick cleaning)

Shimano makes awesome reels, but every reel needs a cleaning once in a while. I fully take apart the reel once a year and clean it before putting it up for the season if I only fish fresh water with it. However when I fish saltwater, it needs to be done more often. This also should be done if the reel gets dunked in water, especially saltwater.
This part also incorporates a quick cleaning where you just clean the spool and casting breaks.
Warning: This is just an example on how I fix my reels, please proceed at your own caution. I am not responsible for you breaking your reel or shimano voiding you’re warranty. Also, do not attempt to take apart DC “digital cast control” reels. Only get a licensed and certified repair person to take those reels apart.
If you like this reel and want to buy one, here is a link for it. amzn.to/2ovC7kg
Here is a list of things you will need and links to where you can purchase them...
Reel oil - amzn.to/2o901GO
Reel Grease - amzn.to/2pIDyQV
Micro Screwdriver Kit - amzn.to/2o9cvOL
Qtips - amzn.to/2yv7bI7

[@AlexBegg1]

These three videos seriously saved me so much stress. My curado completely crapped itself while on a fishing trip and I was anticipating a pretty serious fee to get it serviced and repaired but following through these last three parts solved my problem completely. Thank you so much man. Turns out the inner spool pressure bearing had corroded completely and was stuck onto the spool cog/shaft. Back in action now all thanks to you. Legend!!

[@McFlyAngler]

Glad to help my friend! :)

[@manuelalba6871]

I've just finished cleaning my Curado following part i, ii and iii; extremely helpful, and huge difference after finishing. Thanks a lot.

[@McFlyAngler]

Glad it helped!

[@jefffitzpatrick2829]

Awesome vid - followed step by step on my Curado and I can't even believe the improvement. Thanks so much for sharing!

[@McFlyAngler]

Thank you for letting me know! Glad it helped.

[@marcratelle5368]

Mannnnn! Thank you so much for that video!!!! You litteraly saved my fishing trip. I was so depressed cuz I was unable To put it all back together. Thanks again !!!!!!

[@McFlyAngler]

Glad to help! :)

[@starview00]

Thanks for the videos! I followed along and cleaned up a curado I dunked in Galv East Bay.

[@McFlyAngler]

Oh that’s a salty bay! Glad to help!

[@pichipom]

very nice video man, thanks so much for the magistral class

[@McFlyAngler]

Glad you enjoyed it thanks

[@gregwalker9225]

Great detail...I learned a lot, thanks for sharing.

[@McFlyAngler]

Glad to help! :)

[@dance4u850]

Your video really helped me fix my anti reverse problem. Duh! Just reverse it and it worked.

[@McFlyAngler]

Lol glad to help

[@hopester0217]

thank you, I was almost going to have to bring reel to have a shop put the thing back together.....now I can fish at sun-up.

[@McFlyAngler]

+Frank L glad I could help

[@canvasback71]

Thanks so much for this👍🏻👍🏻

[@McFlyAngler]

No problem 👍

[@stevesmith5313]

Great video! Can you do another one on cleaning the worm gear?

[@McFlyAngler]

+Steve Smith at one point sure.

[@rlucas120]

thanks very much! after walking through it two times finally got it right haha I think your voice and instructions sound a little like Les Stroud the Survivorman, who is awesome for what it is worth. Tight lines! (smooth drag)

[@McFlyAngler]

Lol thanks! Hope it wasn’t too difficult. Actually my fishing show is kinda like Survivorman in a way. Except I’m not surviving. But it’s just me, no one else (usually). I film fish and edit it all. One man show type of thing.

[@fernandomiron7557]

gracias por el vídeo un abrazo desdé España 👏👏👏👍

[@McFlyAngler]

De nada, espero que te haya gustado. Sorry if that translation is wrong, I am not the best with spanish.

[@lesrinehart933]

Thank you nice presentation

[@McFlyAngler]

Thanks

[@crossover5836]

just a thought when you clean with the q tip it might be better to use alcohol rather than grease because it cleans then dries and is gone. I used your video to replace the bearing under the spool release mech.F Y I if you reel starts sounding like a coffee grinder that is the problem. the part number on the offical shimano breakdown is BNT-3927 HOWEVER I used part number BNT-5386 THEY ARE BOTH 8X12X3.5 and works just as good and is about 2.00 cheaper. REALLY GOOD VIDEO. THANKS

[@McFlyAngler]

Glad you like it thanks, yes you can clean with alcohol. But people go overboard and then don’t replace the grease so....

[@alvaromontoya7529]

Wow! Thank you sir!

[@McFlyAngler]

+Alvaro Montoya your welcome, glad to help

[@hnabas]

Thanks great video

[@McFlyAngler]

Thank you

[@joshkendrick9468]

Do you clean reels for people? I'd love to have mine cleaned...

[@McFlyAngler]

+Josh Kendrick I used to for a fly shop, then I started doing it on my own, but no i don't anymore. Not enough money for the effort. When local fly shops all charge $25... no one is gonna pay me more than that, and for the time and effort and paying for shipping, just not worth it to me you know?

[@romanvenancio]

Gracias man :)

[@McFlyAngler]

+roberto rikelme de nada

[@rrrival9527]

when did you clean the worm drive for the level wind?

[@McFlyAngler]

I didn’t on this video.

[@israelfloressilva3723]

Is this similitudes big gear of abu garcia black max to shimano curado 50 e?

[@israelfloressilva3723]

I am from to Linares Nuevo Leon Mexico

[@McFlyAngler]

I don’t know what your asking sorry

[@somthegreat7430]

How do you clean the worm gear?

[@McFlyAngler]

You can clean it right in the reel, by taking a Q-tip and wiping it down. However, for a deeper cleaning, you have to take it out of the reel. That can be done with removing a side C-clip. But its hard to do. I rarely do it unless its really gross and dirty.

[@phardiman84]

Would a can of compressed air help with cleaning out the worm gear? I feel like that gear can get pretty dirty where it's exposed to the elements. Yay/nay? I'm new to taking my Chronarch 51e apart - in fact I only did it last night for the first time while watching your tutorials (super helpful!). To my surprise, my reel was still very clean inside, thankfully. And once the worm gear is cleaned, are you putting a drop or 2 of oil in there? Not grease? I read it's a bad place to put grease because it'll get gummed up from being exposed water, dirt, air. Thanks in advance.

[@henryschmidt636]

Even though I don't fly fish I've always enjoyed your tying and fishing videos. These Curado videos also are helpful but I don't understand why for a yearly cleaning you didn't flush all the bb's including the one under the brass shaft that you couldn't figure out how to access. Shimano only uses Abec 3 bb's and they are not very tight toleranced. The last two models of Curado and like you discovered your Chronarch CI4 are famous for water intrusion. You didn't even oil them after the intrusion and visible salt around the levelwinds worm gear. I'm also surprised you didn't access the pawl and levelwind with the evidence of the salt next to it.

[@McFlyAngler]

I didn’t need to this time around... they were working fine. I find that if you clean your reels regularly, you rarely have to do it. If you oil the bearings too often they will gather more dirt and therefor needs to be flushed more often. Hope that makes sense? Again, this wasn’t really a video for fully completely cleaning a reel. It’s more for those who never did it before, and therefor I didn’t want to confuse people or make things difficult for them when doing things like flushing bearings. Also a few other things like taking off the snake guides aren’t mandatory. It’s important to do sometimes, but not every time you go. For the super deep cleaning and fill restoration of reels, people who are new into this cleaning of reels, probably shouldn’t do it themselves, and take the reels to a professional service. However simple taking apart and cleaning like I did should be easier for the individual like I described above. :)

[@jeremyprichard1]

How do you remove the left side plate completely? (One without the handle)

[@McFlyAngler]

It’s not made to come off. You can do it but I believe it takes several steps I don’t have the ability to explain here. I’ve only done it once, it’s not necessary to do almost ever. I don’t recommend doing that even if you find out how to. You can clean the entire reel without taking that off

[@jeremyprichard1]

McFly Angler the only reason I ask is because mine has some good paint peeling from palming it. I found another from Shimano I’d like to replace it with. But if it’s more headache than it’s worth Ill probably just skip out on it

[@McFlyAngler]

Oh Ok. It’s complicated from what I remember and I don’t have the reel in front of me. I don’t wanna tell you wrong

[@McFlyAngler]

I’d check with shimano on how to do it. They might give more imput; I’m sorry I’m not more helpful

[@jeremyprichard1]

McFly Angler I gotcha. I appreciate the help anyways.

[@jeremys8360]

Do you know the dimensions of the bearings?

[@McFlyAngler]

+Jeremy Sharpe no... do you need to replace them? If so, boca bearings is a good source for them, they have charts on what exact bearing you need.

[@soloqbanter1377]

my reel still feels kind of sandy, and that there is dirt inside

[@McFlyAngler]

After cleaning it? Did you take a look at the snake gear for the line guide? I don’t think I cleaned that in this video. It’s a pain in the but however that can effect the reel as well. As for grinding in the gears still, if you fully take it apart, clean it, oil it, grease it, and put it together properly, then you should not get the grinding. Maybe you missed cleaning a part. Or maybe the reel itself needs a part replaced. Without holding your specific reel I couldn’t tell ya...

[@kappy0405]

I have a very thin 3/8" or 5/16" size black square left over. Appears to be like a spacer or something & is made of the same material that a thin synthetic washer is.. Wtf???

[@McFlyAngler]

It’s in the handle construction I believe. What model reel do you have?

[@kappy0405]

@@McFlyAngler Curado K 200HG (CU200HGK) .. I didn't even notice it until I was finished reassembling.

[@McFlyAngler]

From what it sounds like it’s part of the handle assembly. On shimano’s website they show the schematics for each reel. Check there to make sure, it will show each part and where it goes.

[@kappy0405]

@@McFlyAngler It was part of the cast control knob. Fits right inside the cap. Also, do you know what causes the line to spool unevenly (more on one side of the spool) & how to fix it?

[@McFlyAngler]

That’s probably the gears on the front where the spool winder is. Check to make sure they aren’t gummed up, or that they aren’t stripped in spots.

[@vincefranco89]

You need a new anti reverse bearing hence the reason why you muted the video every time you spun the handle, it was obviously cringing and you tried to hide that

[@McFlyAngler]

Oh glad you know everything! Lol! I have not replaced that, and it still works just fine. 3 years after this video was made.

[@riccardocarbo2479]

As a reel-nerd/repair guy, I watched all three of your videos. I'll give you points for the take apart and re-assembly. But I had to cringe in awe when I saw you brush the gear with the dirty brush and cringed again with the shockingly tiny amount of grease (not even a very good kind) applied to he main gear. It just rubs around whatever grit and salt you have. Had you put grease or oil on the back side of the main gear, you'd not have that tarnishing either. You'd be much better off brushing grease on all the teeth and then brushing half of it off. And the slip-stop your feeling is likely your drag, but if it's your gears (doubting that) it's because of inadequately greasing them. Being afraid of "gumming it up" means you are using the wrong stuff and therefore starving your reel of a lubrication. And you never did clean/lube the worm gear or the pawl. Also, you should have about 4 or 5 different types of oils/lubes/greases when lubricating parts. There are a dozen other things I'd mention, too, but I won't. You're handy-work was too far off-center, unfocused and not well-lit, I gotta say. Well, you succeeded in the reassembly, but for your cleaning and lubricating, I need a shot of brandy.

[@McFlyAngler]

Your wrong on many accounts here but cool man.

[@hcastro68]

Man I really tried hard to not criticize because it’s not in my nature but the biggest mistake out all the others was when you spun the handle WITHOUT THE SPOOL in the reel. The spool shaft when inserted, keeps the pinion gear and main gear aligned . Spinning the handle with out the spool inserted causes damage to those soft brass teeth. Shimano makes the absolute most precise gears so ANY damage no matter how small will be felt. I’m sorry for the criticism but as a reel technician of 8 years with well over 5000 reels under my belt it was hard seeing this without yelling at my phone. It’s not your fault, you just haven’t been taught correctly.

[@McFlyAngler]

Cool bro!!!! Sounds awesome.