PLEASE don't bend anything! Don't force anything! Don't even convince anything.
There's adjustment for this problem. It was discussed on the Singer Slant Yahoo group on July 1, 2013. The title of the post was "Excess Play in 301 Take Up Lever"
I won't post the text here, I'll just be censored as usual.
Paraphrasing, this is the info:
There's a set screw accessible from the back of the machine, directly behind the take up lever. Loosen it, adjust and tighten.