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How to Change the Typing Ball on a Selectric 3

The first Selectric typewriters were introduced in 1961 and featured an impressive innovation for the time. The golf-ball sized "type head" -- as IBM refers to it -- moves from left to right across the page and pivots to produce the selected character. These type heads became very popular with users, because they allowed the typist to quickly change font style. The Selectric III, first introduced in the 1980s, was the most advanced model in many ways, and there are a countless number of them still in use today. Changing the type head on a Selectric III is a simple process.

Things You'll Need

Selectric III typewriter
Selectric III type head

Instructions

- 1
  Confirm that the Caps Lock feature is not in use, and turn off the typewriter.
- 2
  Lift the release lever located on top of the type head until it's opened all the way. Still holding the lever, pull the type head straight up off its post to lift the type head out of the typewriter.
- 3
  Lift the release lever on the replacement type head until it's open all the way, and carefully slide it into position on the post. Make sure the triangle on the type head is pointing toward the platen -- the paper-holding roller.
- 4
  Press the release lever all the way down to close it, so that the type head is secured firmly in place.

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