Penn 700 handle etc. removal

[Catching Nemo]

Hi all,

I want to make sure I disassemble this Penn 700 correctly.

This is a 700 that has the old style solid aluminum green handle. I was able to remove the handle by simply rotating the handle clockwise.

That's as far as I am able to get so far... There's some sort of hard plastic(?) black O-ring attached to the threaded shaft that is keeping the chrome ring/thimble thing in place. You can see it a bit in the pics.

How do I remove that O ring without breaking it? It's attached pretty tightly.  It seems to me that in order to eventually pull the main gear for cleaning, I would need to remove that O ring and the chrome thimble/ring first...

[philaroman]

no penn expertise here...  in general:  I would expect rubber O-ring 
for slight spring action, to prevent handle unscrewing by itself when not in use

petrified rubber can appear like hard plastic, until it's dislodged...  then it crumbles
no point trying to salvage at that stage -- just replace w/ generic rubber O-ring

[Midway Tommy]

What Phil said.

[philaroman]

if you're stopping at a tackle store or doing a mail-order, anyway 
look at the larger, plain, wacky-rigging O-rings -- not best price, 
but cheaper than separate S&H, or ga$$$ for extra trip