Penn 720 - repair notes

All repairs for the Penn 720 are listed here. Most of these repairs can be applied to the Penn 722 as well. See the Penn 720 service guide for full service procedures for the 720 / 722.

Crosswind block replacement

Project-reel history: During field testing in August 2026, the reel's crank stopped turning freely in either direction. Disassembly in the field revealed that the crosswind block had cracked into several pieces.

Original part: The crosswind block's original Penn part no. is 43-720. It is one of the very few plastic components used in Penn 720 and 722 reels. This part may be more susceptible than the metal parts to cracking and failure with normal wear, age, and field use. The original block is made of white plastic.

An epoxy repair of the original crosswind block was attempted, but when slight pressure was applied to the part - even without installing in the reel - it failed. A different adhesive may have worked better, but overall the most reliable repair was considered replacement.

Replacement part: A new, non-OEM replacement crosswind block was located and obtained for the repair. See Reel parts for details. The replacement block obtained for this repair is made of black carbon fiber and appeared virtually identical to the original part except for the color. There were some very small bits of stray material here and there which were easily removed with light tooling.

Installation observations: The replacement block fit easily into position. For a reel already serviced, this is a quick and simple repair (~ 10 minutes). Full disassembly of the reel is not required: only remove the side plate and spool, remove the old, damaged block, brush any stray bits of broken plastic from inside the reel, and insert the new block. After reassembly, bench-test the repair.

Testing: The replacement fit the reel and restored normal operation during initial bench testing. While the initial outcome was good, the reel has not yet been field-tested and long-term durability has not yet been evaluated.

Field-test record: Not yet field tested.

when field-tested, outings, period covered, and observations will be listed here - this information will be accumulated over time and consitute anecdotal evidence of the durability of the part / repair

Parts resources

For a listing of sources for parts referenced in these guides, see Vintage Reel Parts.