Some typewriter repairs appear to be fast and easy projects at the outset, but quickly turn challenging as the ailing typewriters reveal their more complicated selves. It’s just one thing after another, and soon the typewriter is taking you on a journey to an unknown destination.

A few weekends ago, I brought home a script 1969 Olympia SM9 which appeared to have fairly straightforward issues. I got it from a local collector, Michael, and at the pickup, he had thoughtfully brought along his intact 1967 SM9 so that I could take comparison photos.

The 1969 SM9 seemed to have been the victim of a spring harvester who did not appreciate 1960s-era segment-shift Olympias with script typeface. All 40-some keylever springs were missing as well as the spring for the trip link.

Michael and I compared the bottoms of the 1969 SM9 and his 1967 SM9, and I took lots of pictures.

Michael had found the SM9 at Goodwill for $14.99. He had bought replacement springs from TB Writers Plus and brought them to the typewriter pickup.

I got the SM9 home and promptly ignored it while I focused on what I thought was a more messed-up Royal Arrow.

I finished up the Royal and put the SM9 on my workbench, thinking, “This is the easy one”.  Little did I know. I kept running into issues.

I’m not complaining. I like these kinds of projects and problem typewriters are my schtick. I’m enough of a hippie to embrace the journey because I learn something new with each step, information I can tuck away and pull out in the future.

All the typebars flopped around without their keylever springs, and there was a strange grind that made me uneasy. It seemed to emanate from deep within the bowels of the SM9. I crossed my fingers and hoped that it would resolve with reattaching the springs. Could it be related to the trip link?

I have a TWDB Operation OOPRAP Olympia SM8 / SM9 / SMK parts manual. It isn’t a repair manual, but it was invaluable in this project for naming parts and understanding their placement and function.

Typewriter on bench, I began my journey.

Things I Learned on Along the Way

1. I learned about a new-to-me typewriter repair resource

I re-attached all 40-some keylever springs that Michael had gotten from TB Writers Plus.

Here’s an in-process photo. Oops. Got distracted listening to music. Mary, you missed a hook.

2. I learned how to remove the carriage from an Olympia

I got all the keylever springs reattached as well as the trip link spring and did some testing. I really couldn’t ignore the carriage grind any longer. It was especially bad when I depressed the carriage release and moved the carriage around.

I didn’t want to take off the carriage, but I couldn’t see a darn thing with the carriage on. The sound seemed to come from deep in the escapement area.

Gerron of HotRod Typewriter has a video of a 2-minute Olympia SM9 carriage removal which was very helpful to me:

I found another YouTube video with additional information on removing the carriage from an SM7:

After a careful study of online resources, I got the carriage off without a problem

My SM9 has plastic bearing retainers. The front retainer is slightly shorter and it looks like it’s missing a couple bearings. However, I studied both YouTube videos above and noted that their front retainers also have only two ball bearings.

In any case, I didn’t think that missing a couple bearings would make the carriage grind as much as it did, so I dug around in the escapement. I was thinking that the silencer spring had become dislodged and was mucking up things.

3. I learned more about silencer springs

Silencer springs are still kind of mysterious to me. Many years ago, I came across the concept and I didn’t quite understand the idea because the carriage return zzzzzzzzip seemed like an integral part of the typing experience—a feature, not a bug. I read about the Polt Silencer™, an impressive feat of aftermarket engineering, and the concept became clearer in my mind. He’s really smart with that typewriter stuff, Richard Polt:

http://writingball.blogspot.com/2012/04/mystery-revealed-polt-silencer.html

HotRod Typewriter has a video on silent return springs:

Once  I removed the carriage, I checked the escapement and silencer spring. The silencer spring on my SM9 is slightly different from older SMs, but it seemed to be in the correct place.

Down in the guts, I saw a piece flopping around and getting into the escapement. According to my parts manual, it *seemed* to be the “lock pawl”. Correct me in the comments if I am wrong here.

That piece shouldn’t flop around like that. It seemed like a spring should have been restraining it…huh, and here’s a hole and a corresponding hole on the frame. Should there be a spring in that location? Michael’s SM9 from 1967 didn’t have a spring there, but…

4. I learned that not all Olympia SM9s are the same

I went hunting for answers at Typewriter Database and I wasn’t disappointed. Members occasionally post photos of the bottoms of their typewriters, and in this case, this was very helpful to me. Starting at around serial number  383XXXX, a spring for the “lock pawl” begins to show up on the underside of the SM9.

https://typewriterdatabase.com/1969-olympia-sm9.20396.typewriter

https://typewriterdatabase.com/1969-olympia-sm9.20919.typewriter

I dug around in my parts, and added a spring to the “lock pawl” mechanism.

I reinstalled the carriage. It took me a couple tries and repeated viewings of Gerron’s video, but I finally got it. I listened for the grind. All gone.

5. I learned that sometimes very clean typebars can stick because of imperceptible bends

This Olympia was incredibly clean. There wasn’t any of the orangey-brown maple syrup goo that I often come across in Olympias. Some have theorized that this goo is ancient Olympia adhesive.

I noted a handful of typebars that stuck in the type guide and one that hit its fellows in the typebar rest.

After a thorough cleaning of the segment and sublever segment frame and a careful analysis, I determined that the offending typebars were very, very clean but just slightly bent.

I got a mini torch for Christmas. I warmed up the shaft of the bent typebars with the soldering tip and very carefully formed the typebars. I was gentle—I would kick myself if I snapped a typebar. I formed the warmed typebars so that they moved freely and didn’t stick in the type guide.

6. I re-learned that a high ribbon is most likely caused by a bent ribbon carrier (duh)

I began to get very excited. This typewriter was close to done. That’s when I noticed the ribbon carrier. It was stuck in an elevated position. It felt like it was hitting something deep in the guts. Was I missing yet another spring?

I just couldn’t figure it out. What could the ribbon carrier be hitting? I took the carriage off once again so that I could see the obstruction more clearly.

And that’s when I saw the obvious. Well, duh. The ribbon carrier was deformed and crumpled over the type guide. I flattened it and it became free to move up and down. Carriage back on. Tested. All good.

7. I remembered that sticky grease can hold little parts in place while you work on them

I knew from the beginning that the carriage lock was broken. I considered not replacing it, but finally decided that this portable Olympia needed one.

I don’t know enough about physics to calculate the shear forces acting on an engaged SM9 carriage lock, but I got the feeling that a J-B Weld epoxy repair wouldn’t last. So, I emailed TB Writers Plus and Trevor was willing to sell me an SM9 carriage lock from a parts machine:

I had a heck of a time getting the replacement lock piece inserted. I ended up using sticky lithium grease to hold the part in place while I seated the e-clip that held the part on its post.

8. I learned how to get the SM9 back into its casing

I put the SM9  back into its lower casing, but the spacebar was all hung up. I had another cup of coffee so that the obvious would become clear. You have to slip the machine into the casing from the back to get the spacebar seated properly.

9. I learned about Olympia ribbon cover lids

I just couldn’t get the lid on. It was halfway-off when I first got it. Fortunately, Phoenix Typewriter has a video on Olympia lids and in it, Duane mentions that the retaining arms often get bent.

The lid arms on my SM9 were very bent, so I carefully bent them back into position and I finally got the lid on.

So that’s the end of my string of issues. It is typing very well, and I think I have found the perfect new home for this classy typewriter. This Olympia is especially nice since it’s basket shift and can print in black and red since the typeface is more compact than some elongated script typefaces. Jean, a local typewriter enthusiast, has always wanted a script typewriter. She has fond memories of receiving letters from her aunt typed in script.

I like to think I’m a true connoisseur of the journey each messed-up typewriter takes me on. I take pleasure in the process, the discoveries, the typewriter parts and people I meet along the way. Would I have been disappointed if I hadn’t ended up with a solidly functional typewriter? Sure. But, I would still consider this project a worthwhile experience because of all the things I learned along the way.

As a 19th-century hippie once said: