Typewriter help

[sikiguya]

I found a great navy blue IBM Selectric II the other day and it powers up fine. The only issue I see with it is that the keys in the middle "G H B" stick a little and take time to bounce back to a working position. Once I press one of those buttons, it takes 5-6 seconds for it to pop back and be ready to use again.
Is this something simple to fix (like oil, etc) or will this need professional service?
I used the large size IBM Selectric to learn how to type in high school and I loved it. I even bought one to use in college. I thought this II version was great because it is so much smaller than the original version.
Thanks!

 

[kenmore58]

As someone who used to repair these machines, I can tell you that this sounds like a lubrication problem. Selectrics were notorious for freezing up or gumming up if not used on a regular basis.

By looking in the machine and into the keyboard while pressing on these keys, you'll probably see where to lubricate. WD-40 or 3 in 1 will do the trick.

Ron

 

[sikiguya]

Thanks!!!

I will try it this afternoon and see if it works. Hopefully it's as easy as you make it sound.

I love this machine and want to get it working properly.