Van Staal Reels are built tough to give saltwater anglers the ability to fish with No Limitations. However like all fishing reels routine maintenance is required. This article details Van Staal Reel service information and highlights proper maintenance.

If you have questions or concerns about your Van Staal Reel contact us. Here at Fisherman’s Headquarters we are New Jersey’s Exclusive Factory Authorized Service & Warranty Center. It’s our goal to ensure your Van Staal Reels are running in tip top shape. Include this for when sending in a reel for service, repair or warranty… Van Staal Product Return Form

Maintenance Matters – Care For & Protect Your Van Staal Reels

What can I do to keep my Van Staal fishing reel in best shape?

Van Staal fishing reels are built strong but that doesn’t mean they should be misused or neglected. There are a few key areas to check up on. Here are a few simple tips to help protect your investment.

First & Foremost Keep It Clean

A light fresh water wash after each fishing trip goes a long way! It’s good practice to look over reels regularly and lookout for any signs of salt, rust or oxidation. We suggest frequently (every trip or every other if fishing consecutive days) washing the reel with mild soap (not a degreaser) and a rag to remove salt deposits and grim. Be sure to remove the spool to wash the rotor cup where salt and sand commonly hide. Go the extra step, dry the reel and whip down with some WD40 on a rag. A little goes a long way to polish and protect.

Remove The Handle

Periodically remove the reel’s handle by holding rotor and turning the handle arm backwards. Once off, clean the male (stainless steel threaded gear stud) and female (aluminum handle hub). This connection need to be clean and lubricated with grease.

Inspect & Keep All Seals Wet

Inspect all seals to be sure they are clean and wet with Van Staal Reel Oil. Dry seals will make the reel feel tight and lead to premature failure.

• Quad Seal At Main Shaft: Always keep the spool shaft clean and lubricated. The quad seal is one of the most important seals because it seals the main shaft and keep water out of the internal gear case. When the quad seal is dry, the reel becomes hard to turn.
  • How To Lubricate The Quad Seal? First, Remove the drag cap and then the spool from the main shaft. Second, Clean the shaft with an oil moisten lint free rag. Also clean the center of the rotor, the area around the shaft where the four screw heads are. Next, turn the rotor to fully extend the shaft. Then apply oil at the base of the shaft (point where it enters the body cavity) and rotate the rotor. The shaft will oscillate down and wet the quad seal inside the body cavity. Wipe off excess oil overflow and repeat a couple more times.
• Spool Seal At Drag: The main spool seal found on the top of the spool should be kept clean and wet with oil. It’s good practice to inspect for rust. Rust will be present if the steel clad is exposed. This is a tell tale sign the seal needs to be replaced.
• Gear Stud Seal At Handle: This area is addressed in the previous part listed above, “Remove The Handle”.

Clean Drag Cap

The drag knob is a well know area where sand and salt can hide. It’s best to clean the female portion of the knob with a q-tip. Then lubricate with a small amount of grease. Grease grabs and holds sand so use a minimal amount.

Inspect Line Roller

Line rollers take a ton of abuse! They are always wet with saltwater and sandy when on the beach. They also get beat on jetties and in boulder fields. On top of that, braided line is very abrasive and can groove a line roller. It’s very important to check the line roller often and oil.

• Is the line roller turning free and smooth? Sometimes all that is needed is some oil; however in some cases, the seal could have failed and the bearing could be compromised.
• Is the line roller showing any signs of wear? If grooved, replace the line roller assembly in order to prevent damage to the fishing line.

Van Staal Lubricants

As per Van Staal factory specifications, Use Only 85w-90 hypoid gear oil (Buy Van Staal Reel Oil Here) and Nye Rheolube Grease (Buy Van Staal Reel Grease Here) for lubrication purposes. Rheolube is the right viscosity and also has anti-wear, anti-oxidation and anti-corrosion additives. In a pinch a good quality marine grease such as Penn Reel’s Blue Marine Reel Grease is a ok substitute.

As per the Van Staal factory specifications, Do Not Use synthetic lubricants such as Royal Purple or Super Lube PTFE Oil. It’s not necessary and can cause problems because the butyl seals on Van Staal reels are not compatible with teflon and synthetic based lubricants.

Van Staal Complete Service Maintenance Schedule

Everyone’s maintenance schedule can be different. Depending on the number of hours fish and the style of fishing we recommended the following Complete Service Maintenance Schedule….

• Hard Use – Fished hard (more than 30 days a season) and/or submerged frequently, regularly splashed during the season. An Annual Complete Service By A Van Staal Service Center Is A Must!
• Common Use: Fished Occasionally (10-30 days a season) and/or commonly splashed but rarely submerged. A Complete Service Should Be Done Once A Year Or Every Other Year.
• Lightly Used Reels: Fished infrequently (<12 trips a season) a few times a year. Rarely splashed. A Complete Service Should Be Done Every Other Year.

In certain cases the complete service intervals can be stretched out however it is very important to promptly address any water intrusion. The worst thing an owner can do is put a reel away for storage with saltwater inside. For this reason it is suggested to service reels at the end of the season.

Van Staal Service & Repair Center

To ensure a complete and proper job, Van Staal suggests reel owners use only factory authorized service locations. Fisherman’s Headquarters is NJ’s Exclusive Factory Authorized Service & Warranty Center serving all Van Staal reel owners worldwide with VS, VSX, VM and VR reels as well as VS Pliers.

A Van Staal Reel Complete Service is $49.95 plus the price of required parts. The Van Staal technician carefully inspects and reviews the reel, completely disassembles, degreases, cleans, internal inspection, lubrication and reassembles. All seals are replaced. Wear items (such as bushings, drag washers, line roller, among others) are replaced if worn. All reels pass a multi point check list before completion.

Reels can be shipped in or dropped off. On the spot service is by appointment only. To send in your Van Staal Reel for service… First, the Van Staal Product Return Form and be sure to include with your reel. Be sure to pack your reel appropriately to ensure safe transit. Also ship using a service with tracking and insurance via UPS or FedEx.