Penn Levelwind 309 Spool

Gfish · April 21, 2021, 01:44:45 AM

This one came on a well used, but not abused, 309. I think it could be the wrong spool. There are no numbers on it.
Got it to spin well, even when tilted perpendicular, by using a delrin dot and ss washer as shims, and it's as centered in the frame as I can get it. However the way it's slightly too long for the frame might cause it to eat any loose loops of line.
Don't know how to transfer a picture from the Mystic parts site, but the 29M-309 is called a "chrome on bronze" spool, and has a band and pin right in the center of the arbor. What's this one? A 3-peice stainless? And what's it go to?

1) & 2) big gaps between the rings and flange edges
3) & 4) the spool, note it has the levelwind system gear on the tail-plate side(pic. 3), and does engage the idler gear perfectly, when assembled and spinning.

Gfish · April 21, 2021, 02:04:38 AM

This mystery levelwind spool is as wide as a 29M-66, but not as tall( the 309 uses the 30-66 stand). Also there is crack all along the arbor, even behind the flange attachment and one flange has a slight wobble when spinning. The right 29M-309 spool from Mystic is "no langer available".

Do I gotta spring for a $30 aluminium spool? I won't donate this reel unless it's right, don't gotta be perfect, just "right". For example, it came with some black fiber drag washers that don't function well, but I'll leave those in. Never seen those in a Penn before.

Does anyone have a 29M-309 for sale or trade? Looks from the picture on the Mystic site like a nice, strong, but heavy spool with those smooth areas where the arbor transitions to the flanges.

1) compared to Long Beach 66 spool, same width, but different height and diffrent arbor thickness
2,3&4) the crack, look close.

alantani · April 21, 2021, 05:34:53 AM

i think that it's the original spool, but it's blown out. $:-\$

Gfish · April 21, 2021, 02:56:24 PM

Ok. Sounds logical. The LW assembly at some point was removed, maybe damaged too?. Prolly wrong about it not being abused. Blown out spool, a first for me!

mo65 · April 21, 2021, 04:38:48 PM

I agree with you G about not spending much on this one. Another option is parting it out. That old boy may have a steel main gear...and steel Jiggy gears are getting harder to find.

Mic · April 21, 2021, 07:23:02 PM

Gfish,
I have a 309. I don't really want to sale or trade, but I'll be happy to take the spool out of mine and measure it, if it would help you ?

Mic

Gfish · April 23, 2021, 06:54:57 AM

Ok, cool. Don't know how many other reels have the 29M-309 spool, but my guess would be zero, so Allen's prolly right. Why no numbers? Iszat a stainlees-steel spool only thing?

thorhammer · April 23, 2021, 01:46:30 PM

Greg, you want a spool if i have one?

Gfish · April 23, 2021, 02:55:43 PM

Oh yeah! But please don't deconstruct a functional reel for it. I'mina donate this reel, so it'll be where I can see it and get on the spool thing when I get bored. So far, I only checked da bay for parts. Thanks for checkin buddy!

thorhammer · April 23, 2021, 03:01:21 PM

Checked, didn't have one

Gfish · April 27, 2021, 07:44:39 PM

Thanks for checking John!

Ok, #2, Slight variation of the same issue. Got a full spool of 30lb. mono off another 309 spool and found a too big gap again between the side-plates and the spool flanges. No stress fractures when I de-lined and removed it. Again, one flange with a slight wobble.
So, the flange on the gear side spins on it's own with a bit of friction. The revolving flange will move as a single piece. Also that 1/2 as big in diameter inner flange on the spool shaft side will also turn by itself, with, or independent of the main flange(check pictures).

Gfish · April 27, 2021, 07:59:31 PM

You can see that this one has #'s; 29-309, unlike the first one. These 309' s came out in 1966, wonder why they all don't have numbers? Love to find one of the old, heavy, one-piece chromed brass ones.

*What type of Penn spool is this called? I'm guessing; "Stainless steel-3 piece"?
*are they pressure fitted/peened together? If not, can they be unscrewed?
*can they be fixed?

Maybe the 309 isn't conducive to this type of spool. I think with both of mine, they got wound-up too tight with the mono.

Wompus Cat · April 27, 2021, 08:47:24 PM

Quote from: alantani on April 21, 2021, 05:34:53 AM
i think that it's the original spool, but it's blown out. $:-\$

Good point .
In that case you might be able to
Drill a hole in piece of 1/4 thick Sheet metal where it clears the Gear /gears and slap it in a Press and press it out then the other side

Re-Flare it .
Don't know why you are having to shim it though blow or no blow would not change the shaft length me thinks.

Gfish · April 27, 2021, 09:12:01 PM

Thanks WC. The edge of both of the arbors to the inner plates area has too big a gap, i.e., the abor edges are to far inside the frame. The main deal with shimming it, is to get the line to "levelwind" onto the spool---no glaring build-up or depression areas. I shim the levelwinder worm and the spool.

Ok, godda think about those; flaring it or pressing it. Got no experience with either method or much patience, but I'mina try...This is FUN!

Wompus Cat · April 27, 2021, 09:57:07 PM

Quote from: Gfish on April 27, 2021, 09:12:01 PM
Thanks WC. The edge of both of the arbors to the inner plates area has too big a gap, i.e., the abor edges are to far inside the frame. The main deal with shimming it, is to get the line to "levelwind" onto the spool---no glaring build-up or depression areas. I shim the levelwinder worm and the spool.

Ok, godda think about those; flaring it or pressing it. Got no experience with either method or much patience, but I'mina try...This is FUN!

Trial and Error ,thats how they did it at
KITTY HAWK !