Communications: Voice, Radio and Data - Long shot: Any old typewriter techs here IBM Selectric

Looking for someone (anyone!) who has repair knowledge of IBM Selectric typewriters. I have an old Selectric III that is malfunctioning and don't "really" want to spend money on it, but would like to DIY fix it if I can. I am pretty mechanically inclined and have worked into the mechanism as far as I dare, it just has a problem I can't comprehend and better seek a little help before I go any further with it. If you or someone you know used to service these I sure could use a little explaination and advice.
I have tried doing a web search for help but not getting any replies from any one.
Gilly

Oh, man! I used to work right around the corner from a man that knew these things forwards, backwards and upside down. Unfortunately, I have no way of contacting him now.

Sorry.

OK so what's the problem. Unfortunately there are a couple of simple tools that are a must to do many of the adjustments, but I'll give it a try.

Bud

Thanks Bud, I did see some "crank" for sale somewhere, maybe eBay?
OK, it suddenly stopped returning the carriage. There is a cord I've now found out is the "tab cord" which ravelled around the plastic (front) spool, and the return cable has come off the rear (metal) spool. The spring behind the metal spool is disengaged but seems OK. I have fiddled with it (oops breaking the tab cord in the process, when I got it caught in the 4 gears which run the spools, my fault not the machines).
I got it to the point where I see how the spring engages no problem, how the tab cord attaches to both sides, how the return cable attaches, including the small guide rollers, OK with all that. I can't figure out what actually advances the carriage, I was thinking the tab cord but am now doubting that. I think there is some basic thing wrong that I just don't know about, is there a seperate cable that advances the carriage? The ball will type the correct letters and shift, need to figure out the advance/return system including when the spring gets installed and if that spring aids the return cable?
See what I mean? To sum it all up I know just enought to get myself in trouble. It is a Selectric III with correction and can shift from 10 point or 12 point. Date on motor is 1980.
Gilly

Hi Gilly, I think you are in trouble. I owned the business and only came up to maybe 50% as to being a sel tech. That said, I'll back up a bit. The basic problem with selectrics is they need to be lubed and services at least every year. As the typewriter business declined, machines were seeing less and less service and we were only getting calls, like this, when it finally shut down. Your failure most likely occurred due to a clutch or other lubrication problem. To simply reassemble it would still leave the problem. A typical repair with the tab and draw cords off would start by pulling the center shaft, cleaning everything up, re-lubricating and reassembling, which includes installing those cables. Without a hand crank, Bristol wrenches, some new clutch springs, even an old tech would not try it. With the tools and an IBM book AND a few weeks a good mechanic wouldn't stand a chance. IBM books were not written for the untrained, believe me, I went through it for many years where my brother was the old Boston IBM tech and like I said, maybe 50%.

Now, since my books, if I can find them will eventually be going to the dump, you are welcome to them. I might even have a box of parts left. ALL free MODS so I'm not selling anything.

The irony is, 5 years ago you could still buy a reconditioned selectric III for $200 and I would bet there are still a bunch around being used to fill in forms. But not enough to make a living doing repairs, not that I would try.

As for how that drive works, the motor turns a clutch in the center. Selecting a character or function key trips the clutch to take one cycle. That cycle operates whatever other latches dropped when the key was hit. The hand cycle tool allows you to go through each process slowly and see what is or is not functioning.

If you are interested, let me know.

Bud

That would be great Bud. I have a nice Selectric II as a backup, but would like to try this. I could also return the stuff once, well once me and this Selectric meet "the Y in the road".
Just in case others are interested I will ask this here: What actually moves the carriage to the right when typing? I see the return cable. Does the tab cord do it or something else?
I was also wondering about the clutch, as the spools (on the front and back of the set of 4 bevel gears) don't seem to spin the correct way and I can sort of see how it might do that if there was a bad clutch. The whole thing reminds me of a differential in a car.

I will contact you directly about the stuff you have.

Gilly

Gilly, I hope you don't mind if I hijack your thread for a minute.

Bud, I have a Royal Adler 601 that I haven't used in years. A couple of months ago I wanted to use it and while everything seemed okay it gave very faint impressions on the paper. I have the one-shot carbon film "ribbons" and I thought maybe that was the problem so I tried an unused ribbon I had and had the same result.

Is this a defect in the machine or do the carbon film ribbons have a shelf life? Would it be worthwhile buying a new ribbon and trying or is my typewriter a candidate for the landfill?

I may have to refresh my memory, but there are two common failures, different unite, that result in light impression. Sorry can't recall for sure the models. Both deal with not transferring enough mechanical energy to the printwheel.
1. one used a plastic impression arm with a piece of flat metal embedded in the middle. The plastic would crack where the metal was molded in. I think I still have some arms NC.

2. the other used rubber cushions to dampen the noise. But the rubber would get tacky and slow the impact process.

When I go looking for the book for Gilly I'll see if I can find some info on the 600 series.

Note for the mods, not selling anything, actually glad to find a use for the old stuff before a clean up sends it all to the dump.

Bud

Thanks, Bud. It's an older machine but it has very few hours.

furd, found the book but no parts. My book is for a TARoyal 600, but most likely the same. Called an "armature". The hammer that actually strikes the paper has one of the rubber bumpers that occasionally turns to glue, but if this is the unit I'm looking at, it is 99% the armature. Has a "C" clip at the bottom to slide it off. If adjustment is needed with new one, I can explain. If I can't find my old stock to donate one to you, they should still be available. Typically gray plastic with the metal in the middle for the magnetic unit to pull the hammer forward. Let me know if that sounds correct. If correct the machine was made by Nakajima and sold by everyone, Sears, Swintec, TARoyal, IBM, and several others and they all failed over time so I'm sure any repair shop would have one.

Ribbons do have a shelf life, but a weak hammer is more probable.

Found this search for repair shops, someone should have a part:
"Typewriter-Repair-Shops-in-the-USA"

And here is an old typewriter repair guy, if he is still around, article and link.

The Last Typewriter Repairman? - BusinessWeek (http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/sep2008/sb20080925_900705.htm)

Gramercy Typewriter Co. - Home (http://www.gramercytypewriterco.com/)

Gilly, still looking for IBM book, doubt I gave it away as others already had theirs. All retired or dead now.

There is a good side to growing old, it is better than the alternative.

Bud

I have a Selectric III at home that was given to me several years ago when the local government agency was literally hauling them by the truckload to the dump. I use it daily for forms, checks, and other things that can't easily be handled by a computer printer. It badly needs cleaning/lubricating, so I talked to the typewriter repair shop here, and he told me he could sell me a new electronic Asian built typewriter for the same money as it cost to do a routine cleaning on the IBM. He also mentioned IBM is no longer making any ribbons or other parts for these machines.....and he wasn't interested in taking my old unit in on trade either. These Selectrics were magnificant old machines, but it looks like the odds are stacked against keeping them runnng. Anybody need a boat anchor? :(

I'd probably take you up on the offer if you were closer. Shipping would be pretty pricey on an IBM boat anchor! Plus another Selectric (I have a II and this III) would be easier to hide from my wife than another jukebox!!

Thanks for the effort Bud. Who knows, maybe I'll be the last Selectric tech! I'm hoping to catch on. You really have to admire this thing, when you think about how automated it really feels (or maybe better to say how electronic it acts. When I started into the guts of it, and read a little, and you think it really IS all mechanical except for the switch and motor. I would have thought it was all controlled by many small motors and solenoids and microswitches such and would be an electrical nightmare to work on. I've laways like electro-mechanical devices (I have one jukebox now, but have owned several other in the past, might have been a good training ground for a Selectric).

Gilly