What tool is needed to open this reel up? Five screw heads on the left side; they look like hex heads but they are cut very shallow...or are they torx heads? I stand at risk at stripping these darned things, and I need to get inside this reel. It's stiff as a board after I hung it up after last season, followed by a winter of neglect.

Advice appreciated.

pretty sure they are torx head Alan. I had one but sold it but that is what I seem to remember. Glad I'm not the only one that hasn't cleaned his stuff since last year.

I can double check mine tomorrow, but if I remember correctly, a standard Allen wrench fits. But, they are metric (2.5mm again, if I remember correctly). The pain in the azz is the fact that Daiwa used thread locker on the screws. You need to be sure the wrench is completely in the screw head. Lightly tap it in.

Cleaned my gear yesterday,toggin setup was really snotty.

Just to follow up on this, my Saltist 4500H requires a regular hex Allen wrench, 2.5mm to remove the side cover. Not torx.
Make sure the wrench is seated fully and break them free slowly so as not to strip the heads.

It's stiff as a board after I hung it up after last season, followed by a winter of neglect.
.

You talking about yourself or the reel?

shows how crappy my memory is.

Jim at Eastman's turned down the Diawa for repari because he couldn't open it. I'll go back to the Hdwe Store again and see if I can hammer in a 2.5 mm metric Allen wrench. It seemed too big, and the 2.0 too small.

I soaked the reel body in a pool of WD 40, and it loosened up enough--maybe even back to WNL. I don't like this situation. The reel was a gift; I want to know what's goin' on inside so I don't find myself sitting on some beach with a dead reel and watching Numbskull catching all my fish I engineered.

I recently did my 4500. I had no problems opening the side and have the tool. Its a round head allen wrench...pm on the way

You PM appreciated. Let me know how I can borrow-- whatever tool that is that opens up that side plate. Thanks, SK.