Newbie Shimarno 16 Aldebaran BFS - Quick Questions

[ultralight]

I'm basically a total Newbie to baitcasting reels.

Have had my Aldebaran Aldebaran 16 BFS for a year along with an Avail 16ALD15R spool and finally getting around to taking it out of the box and trying to install the spool etc. (I also have the XG model with 8.0 ratio but decided to stay with this 6.5 ratio unit instead.)

A few questions for you pros....

1. The reel comes with a green and a blue bottle of oil. What are each of the color oil for? And how often do I use them

2. I see that only 3 magnets a side is installed. To use the Avail, I need to install a 4th magnet. I see that the SHIMANO magnet has one side with a "N" imprinted on it. All the other three Shimano magnets do not show the "N' facing out. However, when I install it, the magnet wants to have the 'N' side facing out. I try to put it in with the "N" downwards but it will eventually flip around. Is that a problem?

3. For those of you with the Avail spool, do I need to also replace the palm plate bearing or any bearing? The Avail people list a bearing also.

4. The spool has noticeably more play than the original stock bearing which has almost zero play. Is this due to my need to also have a replaced bearing or is this normal?

Thanks in advance for any help.

UL

[antonv]

1. The green and blue bottled oils are Shimano's BFS (light) oil and regular oil (I think they call it the Bantam oil?) respectively. I don't use them, I prefer the Hedgehog Alchemy Ultra Light or TSI 321. It makes a huge difference casting lures weighing <2 grams.

2.The magnet with an 'N' is an option you have if you need more braking power while using the stock spool. If you are using the Avail spool, you'll need to add a second layer of magnets to brake effectively. On the bottom layer, I installed 8 just because I didn't want to separate the extra magnet from the rest. And I have 6 on the top layer. If I need more brakes, I take out one of the 'N' magnets from the bottom layer and put it on top of the other one. This gives me a total of 7 magnets on the top layer.

3. I've replaced mine with a BFS Air bearing. It also made a difference casting lures less than 2 grams.

4. I don't notice any spool play on mine. Maybe you just need to tighten the cast control a bit?

Note: If you are casting heavier lures (like 1/4 oz and above), the oils and stock bearing should be sufficient

[ultralight]

Thank you much!!

[antonv]

Also, If you are planning to change the bearing on the Avail spool, please note that it has a different sized bearing than the one on the stock spool. I didn't change mine. The measurements can be found on the product page of the spool on the hedgehog studio site.

Enjoy!

[ultralight]

Thanks Antonv.

I just installed the Avail spool. Without line, the stock freespools around 7.5 to 8.0 seconds.

With the Avail, I am only getting 1.8 seconds. It is an even gradual stop but it stops very fast. All settings at minimum and done correctly. Does this sound right to you or do you think there's a problem? Thanks.

[antonv]

That sounds like it braked too soon. Could your cast control be too tight? Or could there be grease in the spool bearings? I kinda remember that the stock Shimano spool bearings had grease in them, but am not totally sure. I wouldn't be surprised if the stock spool spun longer because it is heavier. It would be a different case when you cast though. It is easier to pull line off a lighter spool thus making you cast further and able to cast lighter lures.

[prybis]

3. I've replaced mine with a BFS Air bearing. It also made a difference casting lures less than 2 grams.
Note: If you are casting heavier lures (like 1/4 oz and above), the oils and stock bearing should be sufficient

Which bearings did you use? Where they Hedge Hog? Looking to upgrade my bearings in my Aldebaran. Also, is there a grease you recommend using when cleaning and tuning the reel? Thanks.

[antonv]

Yes, it's the HH BFS Air. But I replaced only the one in the sideplate. I am using an avail spool that already came with a HH bearing. For grease, I use Cal's in the drags and just Superlube in the gears. If you clean/inspect your reels regularly (like at least every couple of months) I don't think the gear grease would matter too much. Other anglers also keep their drags dry.