I was thinking about doing like you said and soaking them in lighter fluid and re oiling them,But at first glance the bearings look to be supported differently than my lew's or Revos.By that i mean the revo has a Little C clip that pops in place over the bearing and the shimano looks to have a star looking clip does it pop out the same way .




And i have both a lew's speed spool and a revo S.The caenan feels pretty good it cast well after i adjusted the centrifugal breaks and is light weight.But to me i do not think you can beat a Lew's Even compared to the Revo S.All 3 are good reels for under $100 but it you are looking for a No frills straight forward reel i say Lew's.Plus it has magnetic breaks which is easier to set up and make adjustments with at least to me.But i do like the Eva knobs on the caenan most people do not though .