Reel maintenance

Replacing the pawl is really easy - one screw, remove pawl, replace, return screw.  I use ReelX on the pawl for lube.   It would be kind to your reel drive assembly to take the side plate off, regrease and lube everything and reassemble (once annual and fresh water non-pressurized rinse after use).

Alantani.com is a great resource!!  The AbuGarcia has a little bit of a trick to get the side plate off.  You'll want to check out a tutorial and have some hints on reassembly for this one.  The Penn pretty straight forward.

I just lightly coat all the interior metal with waterproof grease, and dab of Corrosion-X on the bearings, and Cal's drag grease on the carbon washers.  I thoroughly rinse the reel every time I get off the salt water with flowing water, not pressurized and haven't had any issues with my reels to date.  I do a reel teardown regrease once a year.

Ditto. I use some sort of Marine Trailer wheel bearing grease. This year when I opened up all my Abu 7001HS most of the innards were pristine, and just a bit of the grease needed to be wiped out and reapplied. Spray them down with a hose every time and not very careful about position. I do, however, store them with the drain hole down.

If you Google your reel, you will likely find an exploded diagram of the innards.

I just lightly coat all the interior metal with waterproof grease, and dab of Corrosion-X on the bearings, and Cal's drag grease on the carbon washers.  I thoroughly rinse the reel every time I get off the salt water with flowing water, not pressurized and haven't had any issues with my reels to date.  I do a reel teardown regrease once a year.

Ditto. I use some sort of Marine Trailer wheel bearing grease. This year when I opened up all my Abu 7001HS most of the innards were pristine, and just a bit of the grease needed to be wiped out and reapplied. Spray them down with a hose every time and not very careful about position. I do, however, store them with the drain hole down.

If you Google your reel, you will likely find an exploded diagram of the innards.

Can't remember if my waterproof grease was marine trailer bearing grease, or the stuff I had laying around for years from my brother in law.  It was a tube of high end bicycle bearing waterproof grease.  I filled an old Powerbait container with it so it fits in my reel servicing kit.  Either one will work.