Reel Repair by Alan Tani

I've browsed here previously, but never made an account, figured it was time. I got this Mitchell 408 in today, pretty good shape too! It came with the original paperwork and 4 spools in plastic cases. Looking forward to cleaning it up and getting it back on the water. I've worked on some old bait casters before but this will be my first spinning reel! Thanks for letting me come hang out

Welcome aboard!

The Mitchell 408/409's are excellent ultralight high speed spinning reels.

Easy to work on, and you have the schematic right there in the owners manual.

The only two things to know are —-

There is a hidden tiny outer screw that holds the pinion bearing assembly in place that must be removed.

And #2, never unscrew the pinion bearing assembly —- just drop it in some lacquer thinner, or similar for awhile —- then blow it out and apply a few drops of ReelX or a similar synthetic oil.

If you unscrew the pinion assembly —- 28 TINY ball bearings will decide to go off on their own.  They can be reinstalled —- but the way they initially were broken in will not be possible to replicate.

One of my favorite trout reels.

Best Regards, Fred

Thanks Fred! I found (literally for free) a Wright and McGill trailmaster. I'm going to toss this on it and take it out!

Should be a great combo balance-wise and looks-wise!

Best, Fred

That is a nice 408!

There appears to be some corrosion on the bail wire.  That should be smoothed out or the bail replaced to prevent a line separation.

Best, Fred

That's a nice-looking 408. When you get around to servicing the reel, be sure to check the main and pinion gears closely for wear.

I picked one up a few years back that appeared to be in working order, but once I opened it up, I noticed several brass teeth on the main gear were worn down. They would engage with the pinion gear under no-load conditions, but they'd slip or fail under pressure. I ended up having to replace the main gear, though the pinion was still fine.

Also, as Fred noted, make sure the bail wire is smooth; if not, it will need to be replaced.

Yea, the main gear on those reels was always suspect. The 408 is faster than the 308 which meant it had gears with more and finer teeth. Fishing too heavy line and too tight drag is something to avoid. But other than that, the 408 is a great reel.

Greetings, from Minnesota.  That 408 looks like a winner.

Frank

I was thinking the same thing on the bail wire. It's almost like there is a coating that is flaking off? I will see if I can find a replacement for it

Quote from: xRangerx on April 28, 2026, 09:54:19 PMI was thinking the same thing on the bail wire. It's almost like there is a coating that is flaking off? I will see if I can find a replacement for it

The chromed over bail is corroded, and the chrome is flaking off.

If you don't have one, or haven't found one —- here is a new one with a new line guide, and a new line guide screw, for $10.

Best Regards,  Fred

Beautiful reel!

My experience with a couple of these mirrors what's already been stated here:
Great vintage ultralight reels without the low retrieve speed penalty of the Mitchell 308.

Inspect the main gear carefully, it can fail over time. Mine failed spectacularly.

Don't disassemble the pinion gear.

Fred can confirm this, but in my experience with these Mitchell ultralight reels I've sometimes had to tighten the pre-load on the pinion bearing by adjusting the nut just enough that there's no free play. I believe staying on top of this can prevent premature main gear wear.

Quote from: slosh on April 29, 2026, 10:54:58 AMFred can confirm this, but in my experience with these Mitchell ultralight reels I've sometimes had to tighten the pre-load on the pinion bearing by adjusting the nut just enough that there's no free play. I believe staying on top of this can prevent premature main gear wear.

Slosh is exactly right, a clean bearing assembly, a couple of drops of oil, and finger-tighten the preset on the bearing assembly so it is just snug —- not loose or over-tightened.

I think the Mitchell 408 is one of the most beautiful ultralight reels ever produced —- great lines, good feel, excellent balance, good line capacity in either a deep or a shallow spool.

However, my personal opinion is that of all of the reel manufacturers —- the French (particularly Mitchell) tend to over-complicate their engineering to a degree that is just over-thinking where there might be a simpler solution.

But the 408/409 is a fantastic little reel!  And don't sell the 308/309 short either.  Also an exceptional ultralight reels.

Best, Fred

Tons of great info here! Thanks gents! I got it taken apart and cleaned. Other than old grease it looks pretty good! I'm going to spool up one of the shallow spools and let it rip!

I've been fishing a 308 since 1974, still running great - 2 bail springs, replaced the whole bail arm to get a modern rotating line guide, that's it for over fifty years..
My 408 runs fine on the bench, but a couple of the main gear teeth are slightly bent and that shows up when fishing, sufficiently that I don't fish it much. Maybe need to try replacing the main gear..