Help! Penn 80TW. The drag lever won't go into free spool position.

[Nasty Wendy]

OK so I looked into this thing and it all seemed just fine.  I cleaned and re-greased and reassembled and this is what is happening.  The drag lever will move freely throughout its range when the cover is not screwed to the body of the reel.  As I'm screwing the cover down I stop and check the drag lever and even though it is in the free spool position the reel won't free spool.  If I move the lever out of free spool position the drag works as it should all the way to full.  The reel will free spool with the drag lever nearly all the way back but if I push it over the little free spool position button the spool no longer free spools.  It is extremely difficult to get it all the way back into free spool too.  I have the drag adjustment all the way out/loose.  I can feel the spring working as I'm trying to get it into free spool positon.  If I push on the spool away from the drag lever it helps the lever go into free spool.  Basically manually compressing the spring but it only helps it doesn't make it easy at all.  The reel fishes like a champ.  I am respooling it and so I figured this is a great time to go through the reel and give it all that it needs.  Help guys I am all eyes and ears.  Thanks in advance for your assistance.  This problem didn't just start after my cleaning but it has been this way since I acquired it.  I've been freespooling it with the drag lever pulled back against the freespool button not across the button and in actual freespool position.

[Dominick]

I haven't had one apart in years.  The parts need to be lined up exactly as it is in the schematic.  Without having the reel in my hand I cannot be of more help.  Pull the schematic from mysticparts.com and follow the line through the opening where the drag goes.  I'm just guessing but line up parts 4-19-141-143.  Something may be out of line the way you presently have it.  Dominick


"Edited as per Moderators to correct Scott's Bait & Tackle over to their new store name Mystic Reel Parts / www.mysticparts.com"

[Tightlines667]

Make sure the cam is installed correctly (i.e.. when the lever is pulled all the way back to the freespool position the pins drop into the recesses fully).  If not, flip it 180 degrees.  Also, it sounds like things are too tight along the spool shaft.  Ensure your Bellevilles are in the correct orientation, and that the overall stack height is near that of stock.  If you replaced them, you may have thinker washers taking up too much space.  You may consider removing any shims that are present.  The next thing to check is that there are no obvious burrs, marring, or rough spots on the spool shaft, or any of the cam parts.

I agree with Dominick.  Having the reel 'in hand' would make it easier to diagnose the problem.

[josa1]

I think that's good info tightlines!

josa1

[Nasty Wendy]

Well guys thanks for the direction of travel you've provided.  I will disassemble again and check out everything that ya'll suggested.  The reel will make its way to Cal for the two speed conversion and blueprinting service but I would like to get it working as it should before that.  I'll be fishing it until I send it off.  It fishes like a champ but that free spool deal lets me know something isn't exactly right.  I haven't changed anything out but maybe I'll need to.  I'll report back with results in a few days.  Thanks again.

[Nasty Wendy]

OK so I disassembled it again and closely followed the schematics putting it back together.  It turns out that the drag lever doesn't go ALL the way back behind the free spool button.  It only covers the button when in free spool.  I had to confirm this with other TW owners and they all seem to be the same.  So that mystery is solved.