[GreenKeys] Doing it the RIGHT way

[Geo. Hutchison]

GreenKeyers - - -

If you have never had to service a territory which was about 300 miles 
long and 200 miles wide (Southern Idaho, Eastern Oregon) you will never 
learn how to truly a service a teletype machine in a manner that will 
assure it doesn't "fall on it's ass" a day or two after your visit.

A simple test of a mainshaft consists of removing the plug on the motor 
end of the mainshaft and taking a GOOD PLEWS OILER and a shop rag as a 
gasket and trying to pump oil completely through the mainshaft and 
seeing it come out the small hole in the selector cam retaining screw, 
which is marked LEFT HAND THREAD. If nothing comes out the little hole, 
then it is automatic that the mainshaft must be removed and 
disassembled, because it is PLUGGED!!!

All the talk about the marvels of "Simple Green" or other snake oil type 
of cleaning methods will NEVER beat the systematic removal of the 
mainshaft, and inspecting and replacing felts as needed, and drilling 
out the center of the mainshaft to assure it does not have a core filled 
with fried lube oil in it that will most assuredly bite you when you 
least want or expect it.

You CANNOT see the condition of the mainshaft clutch arrangement unless 
you fully remove and disassemble the mainshaft, and inspect the clutch 
teeth and the depth of the wear groove where the driven member sits 
pushing in on the driving member.

A good simple test of a model 15 selector is where you rap the range 
finder pivot screw with the handle of a screwdriver to see if the 
machine "jumps" every time you strike it. If the machine goes through a 
selection cycle when you strike the big screw on the range finder, the 
trip latch is shot, and the two components of the trip latch must be 
replaced.

The selector is in peril if you do not physically inspect the condition 
of the selector cam lobes or the selector levers which they drive to 
position the swords, nor the condition of the sword tips or the T-levers 
which position the vanes.

Immersing a motor in some "magic stuff" will most likely see the motor 
bearing grease damaged, or the starting switch brushes possibly 
impregnated and thus fouled.

Army Tech Manual TM11-352 has a word "FITCAL", that is an acronym for:

"Feel, Inspect, Tighten, Clean, Adjust, Lubricate".  Words to live by!!

Hopefully this little dissertation will cause the reader to review his 
efforts in getting his older mechanical gear in really good condition.

I sincerely hope that Pete Lancashire's efforts at finding a source of 
felts at decent prices becomes a reality.

Selector cam felts and spacing gear drive felts should be graphite 
impregnated for longer durability.

And for the lovers of the model 26, there is a felt clutch at the bottom 
of the typewheel shaft which must be VERY CAREFULLY ADJUSTED. If that 
clutch is too tight it is quite possible that the typewheel stop arm can 
be broken as it spins the typewheel into position and is stopped by the 
latch.

73,

W7TTY