Here's a few suggestions, Ken.

1. Clear a large work area and lay down a towel on the table of workbench.
Why: small parts have a way of leaping off the reel as you disassemble
it. Less clutter means a greater chance of finding it, and the towel keeps
the little springs and clips from bouncing away.

2. Keep a digital camera handy and take photos as you dismantle the reel.
Why: better than relying on memory. Also, easier to replace the small
parts you will end up losing because you didn't believe me on rule 1.

3. Lay out the parts you remove in order.
Why: When you're finished, you will see a logical progression for
assembly.

4. Don't use chemical strippers. Warm water and a little dish detergent, old
tooth brush, tooth pick, and a shop rag are all that's needed to clean the
components of gum, grease, dirt, and grit. Don't use soap at all on the
leather (or whatever it is) drag washer.
Why: Strippers are unnecessarily harsh. I left a palm plate and other
parts in a bowl with Purple-X degreaser for a half hour or so. When I
returned, the paint had dissolved. Non-painted surfaces weren't affected,
but I realize none of the parts ever needed more than warm water, dish
detergent, and some mild scrubbing. (2) Degreasers are tough on your hide,
too.

5. Rinse all the parts carefully in clear water. Put a wire mesh sink
strainer in place if you rinse them in the kitchen sink.
Why: (1) Grit and dust adhere to soap film.. (2) Detergent film
interferes with lubricating properties of oil and grease. (3) Garbage
disposals aren't kind to reel components.

6. Lay the parts out on the towel to air dry, in the order they were when
you dismantled the reel.
Why: Ease of assembly. This helps you keep the sequence straight in your
mind.

7. As you reassemble the reel, use as little lubricant as possible to make
the parts slide freely. Don't use WD-40 as a lubricant, and don't squirt
everything in sight. More is not better. The only place I put a little
silicone grease is on gear teeth. Every other point requiring lubricant gets
oil.
Why: WD-40 solvent, oil and grease become gunky with dust and grit.

8. Reassemble the reel in reverse order, referring to your digital
photographs when in doubt.

Tools:
Jewelers screwdriver set
Small screwdrivers.
Nylon bristle brush
bowl for rinsing and washing components
paper towels, shop rags
Silicone grease
Oil or some super-lubricant

Reel diagrams, including Shimano, can be found at
http://www.nutterrodandreel.com/Reel_Diagrams.cfm

Joe
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"Ken Blevins" wrote in message
...
I've decided to try my hand at cleaning my bait casting reels this winter.
I tried one about 5 yrs ago [el cheappo] and it was never any good after I
got finished. It wasn't any good before but my cleaning did no good.
Most of my more heavily used reels are Shimane 201's -201SF-200 ,
Chronarchs 101and a couple of Garcia C-4's[cat fish].I guess what I need
to ask is what kind of tools ,oils etc I will need to have on hand. What
web site do you use to order replacement parts for shimano--diagrams -
exploded pictures. ? And just some general helpful tips on what to look
for

Thanks in advance

Ken Blevins