How to Fix a Broken Typewriter

Look inside of the typewriter to see if there are any fork-shaped linkages that have become disconnected. Reconnect linkages that have become loose or disconnected with the use of a needle-nose pliers, as instructed by the Davis Brothers. If linkages are broken instead of merely disconnected, they must be replaced instead of reattached.

Check to see if the margin is set properly. This is investigated in order to begin to correct line-lock issues in which type bars come up part of the way but do not come up all the way to contact the ribbon. This can be corrected by ensuring that the margin-release key is fully up and not jammed down. Then move the margin set stops all the way out to the left and right.

Adjust jammed type bars. If the type bar makes contact with the print point but does not return fully to the rest position, it may mean that the type bar is bent or dirty. Examine the affected type bar. If it is bent, carefully adjust the type bar by manually bending it back to its true position. If the bar is dirty, it may move sluggishly back to its original position. Use a volatile cleaner with a fast-evaporating rate to clean the type bar. The Davis Brothers indicate that scraping the type bar may be necessary to remove dirt.

Repair the carriage if there is no tension on this mechanism. Check to see if the drawband is unwound or broken. If the drawband is broken, it must be replaced. However, if the drawband has come loose or unwound, it can be reattached by winding tension back onto the carriage main spring and threading the drawband under the left side of the carriage using a bent coat hanger and reattaching the drawband to the right side of the carriage.