I binned off (well, still have them but don't use them any more) my Paterson tanks a few months ago and bought a few different sized used SS ones, because I got absolutely fed up with the auto reels jamming up mid roll despite meticulously cleaning the sodding things... Yes, I tried everything including graphite...
If you have never used a steel reel before loading one takes a bit of practice, but can become really easy to do.
Have a look on Youtube as there are several ways of loading them, but also sacrifice an old expired or camera test film to practice. The way I do it with a changing bag is to pull and curve the film from the cassette very slightly while rolling the reel, and then gently pulling and pushing it backwards and forwards every other rotation. The more film on the reel, the more it will move and if it doesn't, it may have kinked off of one of the spirals. In a darkroom with a bench, once you have it clipped on, you can literally push the film onto the reel as you roll it across the bench.
As for leaking tanks, the Nikor ones were all apparently made to have an individual matching lid mostly because of the nature of stainless steel, so no 2 tanks are exactly the same. If you put a different Nikor lid on, it may well not fit and leak. Leaks can be stopped by using electrical PVC tape around the seam. Although if you know how to metalwork, some gentle adjustments with a shoemakers anvil and copper hammer can sort this. The rubber type lids seal well when they are new, but can perish over time and start to leak.
Bent reel? Fairly easy to straighten out using long nosed pliers and a chamois leather so you don't scratch it. Measure against a good one, or use the practice film to check the spacing particularly on the outer parts of the reel.
You can also bung them in the dishwasher!