Finally completed a Penn 109,complete disassembly. Only issue I'm having is the line guide is getting hung up on the right side,when i loosen the Lt side bearing the guide moves freely as it should, but there is so much wiggle with the worm and the left.side worm.bearing is protruding out so far(see photo) off from the reel, just doesn't seem righ or is it?(tried 3 different pawls,line guide is new,used orginal worm after good cleaning ) I attached some photos of the reel.. I also included a photo of the even before it's overhaul
Best
Ed
Eddie —
Sometimes the worm isn't seating within the spring bearing adjuster properly — or on either side.
But you need a new worm.
That is why it hangs up on one side.
Check your email — and we will get you squared away.
Best,
Fred
Installed new worm, the guide still gets hung up in the right side :-\. I have made sure the worm is sitting where it should. I guess the worm is meant to be adjusted that loosely. So frustrsting!!!! Will never touch a 109 again!!
You should have a very small amount of thrust (side to side movement), too much and you wear out bearings and the worm shaft. Clean out the track in the worm and replace the pawl.
Yeah, I rebuilt a 109 recently and spent alot of time adjusting the pawl & line guide/worm & bearing system. I gave up when I got it to function with about 1mm clearence on the tail plate side and just a slight "bump" on the head plate side, that didn't seem to impair reeling function.
The build quality of these, is typical Penn - solid & functional IMO, but not the best for me with no free spool, only the anti-reverse function that leaves it as a knuckle buster. So, I won't continue to play around with it, as long as it works.
Yours came out real nice lookin😮, and probably deserves some TLC to get it workin right.
Gfish
My guess is this: The line guide for the 9 and 109 are not exactly the same. They look **almost** the same, and you can install either in a 109 (or 9) but the line guide will get hung up on one side if you have the wrong line guide.
I never owned a 109 but have the 9, 209, and 309. Those pawls, worm gears, and level winds can be a pain. I usually assemble the line guide, pawl, pawl cover, and worm gear outside the reel first and give it a trial run to see if everything is ok. Sometimes the worm shield may be slightly bent and cause problems.
I have a tip here...and I don't know if it is "accepted practice"...but it works. I've had many of these levelwind guides get hung up on one side or the other. You check everything and can't seem to get it right. I looked at that top post, the slotted one, and wondered if I rolled it back and forth, could I find a sweet spot that helped the worm stay on track? Absolutely! Now don't move it too far, one direction will let the line guide fall out of the top post's groove. The other direction will put tension on the line guide if moved too far. Just tweak it. Most times just snugging up the fitment here will do it, although I had one once that was too tight already and causing the trouble. Just noodle around with it. It's easy to do...requires no disassembly! 8)
Quote from: akfish on February 11, 2018, 04:10:33 PM
My guess is this: The line guide for the 9 and 109 are not exactly the same. They look **almost** the same, and you can install either in a 109 (or 9) but the line guide will get hung up on one side if you have the wrong line guide.
I think you guessed right!!! I ordered a 109 line assembly!!! fingers crossed..should arrive midweek will keep you posted!!
Quote from: mo65 on February 11, 2018, 05:27:17 PM
I have a tip here...and I don't know if it is "accepted practice"...but it works. I've had many of these levelwind guides get hung up on one side or the other. You check everything and can't seem to get it right. I looked at that top post, the slotted one, and wondered if I rolled it back and forth, could I find a sweet spot that helped the worm stay on track? Absolutely! Now don't move it too far, one direction will let the line guide fall out of the top post's groove. The other direction will put tension on the line guide if moved too far. Just tweak it. Most times just snugging up the fitment here will do it, although I had one once that was too tight already and causing the trouble. Just noodle around with it. It's easy to do...requires no disassembly! 8)
I have about 53 total 9's, 209, 210, 10, 309's as best i can recollect. If that's not "accepted practice", by me i don't know what is. Sometimes that all it takes to get freespool.
Quote from: mo65 on February 11, 2018, 05:27:17 PM
I have a tip here...and I don't know if it is "accepted practice"...but it works. I've had many of these levelwind guides get hung up on one side or the other. You check everything and can't seem to get it right. I looked at that top post, the slotted one, and wondered if I rolled it back and forth, could I find a sweet spot that helped the worm stay on track? Absolutely! Now don't move it too far, one direction will let the line guide fall out of the top post's groove. The other direction will put tension on the line guide if moved too far. Just tweak it. Most times just snugging up the fitment here will do it, although I had one once that was too tight already and causing the trouble. Just noodle around with it. It's easy to do...requires no disassembly! 8)
That's a great tip. Thanks.
Mike
Quote from: mo65 on February 11, 2018, 05:27:17 PM
I have a tip here...and I don't know if it is "accepted practice"...but it works. I've had many of these levelwind guides get hung up on one side or the other. You check everything and can't seem to get it right. I looked at that top post, the slotted one, and wondered if I rolled it back and forth, could I find a sweet spot that helped the worm stay on track? Absolutely! Now don't move it too far, one direction will let the line guide fall out of the top post's groove. The other direction will put tension on the line guide if moved too far. Just tweak it. Most times just snugging up the fitment here will do it, although I had one once that was too tight already and causing the trouble. Just noodle around with it. It's easy to do...requires no disassembly! 8)
Yes Mike your are 100% correct with this approach as i have worked on 4 penn 9 reels this year and this approach did the trick!! But it did not work with the 109 reel, I spent countless hours trying to figure this out with no success.
Hope you get it with the new line guide assembly, keep us posted.
According to an old post I remember by So-Cal, lots a saltwater guys'll remove the levelwind system on their favorite reels 'cause they can be so troublesome. I'd assume it has to do load stress dammage and having this type of gear system exposed to debris build-up and needing lots a maintenance attention.
Gfish
Eddie did I ever send you those parts??
Keith
Quote from: mo65 on February 11, 2018, 05:27:17 PM
I have a tip here...and I don't know if it is "accepted practice"...but it works. I've had many of these levelwind guides get hung up on one side or the other. You check everything and can't seem to get it right. I looked at that top post, the slotted one, and wondered if I rolled it back and forth, could I find a sweet spot that helped the worm stay on track? Absolutely! Now don't move it too far, one direction will let the line guide fall out of the top post's groove. The other direction will put tension on the line guide if moved too far. Just tweak it. Most times just snugging up the fitment here will do it, although I had one once that was too tight already and causing the trouble. Just noodle around with it. It's easy to do...requires no disassembly! 8)
Came across the same issue. First thing I check now.
Quote from: handi2 on February 13, 2018, 12:39:17 AM
Eddie did I ever send you those parts??
no Keith it never worked out..maybe next time..
Keith
Quote from: akfish on February 11, 2018, 04:10:33 PM
My guess is this: The line guide for the 9 and 109 are not exactly the same. They look **almost** the same, and you can install either in a 109 (or 9) but the line guide will get hung up on one side if you have the wrong line guide.
Akfish you were right!! I installed a new penn 109 line guide and it works like a charm!!!!!! I was sent a 9 penn guide...thank you!!!
That's great! I won't tell you how long it took me to figure that out on the first 9 I rebuilt a decade ago...
Wow. Good call.
-steve
New one on me Bill, I could tell you that no matter what I tried, I could not get that 9 to work last week. Can't really force them, then you need to deal with the gear as well.
I have 3 new ones of these little guys and 3 use and really like them, after what I went through I was going to sell all of them.
Now, telling which line guide could also be a challenge, unless you have some tricks up your sleeves.
The only way I could tell was to face the wider part of the slats up and count. The 9 has 9 sections and the 109 has 8.
Thanks Bill, great tip!
Sal