Penn 309M Level Wind
 

I recently purchased a Penn 309M Level Wind reel from a local shop. I mounted the reel on a rod last night and started to put line on it. The level wind went across the face of the reel and then back to the left and then stopped moving. When I turn the handle on the reel the spool turns but the worm gear for the level wind doesn’t move. This is a brand new reel!! I just took it out of the box. What a piece of junk. How is the Penn 309 going to hold up with a fish on?? Good thing I only bought six of them… :(:mad:

Oh, and the local shop owner was great – He told me to send the reel to him and he would drop a replacement in the mail. Better than Bass Pro? I think so!!!! :cool:

Penn has had some quality control problems since beginning production offshore.....I believe they are now made in China......best thing you could do is disassemble them and lube then reassemble, making sure all screws are tight and drag washers are properly greased.... (beware of the little dog spring, they tend to fly out never to be seen again).

There's a big difference in the newer black face 309's and the old Made in USA red faced ones. The old red face were absolutely bulletproof whereas the newer ones are a notch below.
Still good reels but not what they once were.

If you are handy - might be a simple / quick fix.

The level wind has two parts. The worm gear ( spiral ) and the pawl - it rides in the groove.

Sometimes the pawl works loose. If you flip the reel over - under the line guide will be a screw. That holds the pawl in place.

You can remove it to inspect the pawl for damage. It might just be out of alignment / loose.

A drip or two of lube sometimes fixes the trouble as well.

Goins Fishin is right about checking all the screws and lubing the reel. Sad to say the newer Penns are not as well made.

Make sure you check your reel seat screws (penn part #31 on your schematic, they call them stand screws). I have had many new reels come in with these loose. Check them after every trip too. If they come loose with a fish on, you will end up with the reel in your hand, but not on the rod.

A little locktite on these wouldn't hurt either.

Jim

The OP states the worm isnt moving.....that usually means that it separated from the actual worm gear.....its a light press fit....so the gear is spinning but not turning the worm itself. Could probably be an easy repair but why bother.....the seller is willing to replace so make it Penn's problem.

Yep. I don't think a little lube would fix the problem. I'm not trying to repair it anyway - that's why I bought a NEW reel.

After every few trips, I flip each one of my levelwinds over and give that worm gear a quick squirt of Corrosion X (substitute your favorite lubricant). Reelsmith taught me this trick to keep these suckers working without a hitch. Keeping that set screw tight is another good suggestion, as mentioned above by Skip. I love my 309s...Don

I Have about 6 309m reels that i've had for about 10 years now without a single problem. I use the Penn lube through the grease fittings every now and then on them and wipe em down with good ole wd40 after each trip. It's a shame to see Penn products made overseas now. IT's just so hard to compete against the overseas labor rates and our goverment does nothing to help manufacturing in our own country. It will be a sad day when nothing is made here anymore. There I go going off on another topic....Sorry...Tight Lines everyone.

Although you obviously maintain and care for your equipment, after 10 years I would recommend that you completely disassemble, clean, re-grease, and lube those reels......grease breaks down over time, dust and crud accumulates, and the drag washers dry out (they should have a thin film of drag washer grease, white lithium works well).
It's not difficult to rebuild a 309, perfect winter project setting in front of the TV.....I would recommend having some extra dog lever springs and drag washers around.....I personally have 309's dating from the late 60's and early 70's that still work great.
309's will last about forever with proper care.