I clean all of mine before I ever use them....Clean all the grease they use from the factory off and out and put oil in it....I take a Q tip to remove all the excess grease off the line guide and put a little oilon it...Then i remove the bearings from the sideplate and and from under the cast control knob and soak them in lighter fluid to remove the large amount of oil they put in them, then add one drop of oil to the bearings....I wipe off all the excess grease they cake on everything and your reel will perform better than it does straight out of the factory....If you're concerned about tearing into your reel, there are some great "how to" videos on youtube...I use strictly Shimano reels as well