Question about spool assembly on penn peer 209/309

[zward]

Hello all, my first post but I've been reading the tuturials for some time now and they're fantastic! I'm farely new to this but just recently brought a bunch of my grandpas old reels back to MN fro FL to repair and refurbish. Normally I wouldn't go through this much trouble to fix these but suprisingly with as much abuse they've recieved the last 20+ years all but one still work fine (for pulling grouper off the bottom). My grandpa had also dremeled his name into the sides similar to everything else he owned so there's some sentimental value.

Either way, its a pair of penn peer 209's and 309's, they are in pretty tough shape but all but one 309 still 'work'. Going trough the standard cleaning, drag upgrade and such, but I notice on the 309 spool's, on one the levelwind geer has some play (rotates a few degrees back and fourth) and the clicker gear is solid, the other the levelwind gear is solid but the clicker gear has some play (a little side to side play). Any idea on how these to gears are supposed to sit on the spool shaft? Hoping I don't have to replace the whole spool assembly.

Thanks a bunch for any advice,
Zane

[Irish Jigger]

Hi zward and welcome to the Forum. You will get plenty of good advice here whatever make or type of reel you have.

Re your 209/309.  The steel clicker is part of the spool assembly and play here is not a problem. The smaller brass level wind gear is retained on the spool spindle by a lock spring which can be made from a small stainless steel split ring if you are stuck. Again a little play here is nothing to worry about.

The older Peers are great little reels with nice stainless steel spools and a 3:1 gear ratio. I modified some for a friend who runs a charter boat business.  Removed the level winds and clicker.  He just loves them and doesn't have a headache any more.

[zward]

Thanks for the reply, thats kind of what I was thinking but figured if they do need replacing nows the time. Yeah they are cool reels, very simple and dependable. I couldnt believe for the shape they were in inside that they were still working. I know what you're saying about levelwinds, I have a couple saltists 40's w/o lw's that I love, but I can't for the life of me get my dad or uncles to thumb the line back on. Seems like everytime one of those rods go off and they grab it it manages to get piled up on one side or the other... Trying to teach old dogs new tricks I guess