4 Jun 2013

Mystery Solved! The Frozen Facit (Starring Facit 1620)

1970s Facit 1620 P620612














Ribbon Advance: Use it just at the tip

Ribbon Advance: Apply it at the point where the pin meets the disk. It will seep through.

Escapement wheel: Remove the type guide.
Escapement wheel: Apply right in between it and the carriage rail above.

Escapement wheel: Remove the perforated bottom cover.

Escapement wheel: Apply a generous amount inside the hole in the wheel.


I'm really hoping this can become a significant contribution for the good of all Facits, especially because as I've found it might actually happen to you after you've owned one for a while.

Typed rather triumphantly on my new Facit 1620.

*Ignore that I accidentally post-dated this... haha

29 comments:

  1. Good troubleshooting!

    I haven't tried a 1620 but I'm impressed with my TP1.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was fun! And it's the best when you can say that you fixed one of your favourite typewriters.

      It would be pretty hard to beat this design, but I'm hoping that the TP1 beat it. But I really have to idea what to expect, considering this is probably an improved design and doesn't appear to have any cost-cutting.

      Delete
  2. I have the same problem. Thanks I will try this. I just found my can of PB Blaster.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Let me know if it works! I don't want to be spreading terrible lies. >.>

      Delete
  3. I'm a h7uge believer in the 80% Deep Clean Philosophy -- 80% of basic typewriter issues are resolved with a good deep clean. Goo Gone is amazing stuff, if you can get past the odor. I've also used nearly-pure alcohol from the pharmacy to de-gunk. Congrats on restoring a fine machine, and in giving me a new model to hunt for!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Pure alcohol probably would be a little better for it, but I haven't had any problems with Goo Gone in all my typewriting years.

      Thanks! And good luck! I wish I could say they were more common.

      Delete
    2. There's always EverClear, if you have any left over after making the punch.

      Delete
  4. Well done Nick. I covet thy Facit's monorail. Close-ups show a fair amount of sibling similarity with my new old Halda.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sometimes I just get the thing out and objectify it.

      I'm a bit surprised! I had thought this was a completely different design at this point.

      Delete
  5. Congratulations! Good work. The 1620 looks like a very nice typewriter. I have had one on my wish list ever since reading Robert Messenger's review of them.

    I think Goo Gone has naptha in it which leads me to believe any thin oil or perhaps kerosene may also work. I'd stay away from alcohol around lubricants. Petroleum based solvents penetrating oil (not WD-40) or thin oils would be better. Nothing wrong with Goo Gone. You may have discovered a good use for it. Time will tell.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It still works beautifully the next morning, so there's one small assurance!

      Delete
  6. Brilliant. Nice post. Clean looking typeface, though the numerals are a little angular.

    ALG

    ReplyDelete
  7. Not only was my recently-acquired Facit 1620 frozen as solid as a Swedish pond in January, but it also had a wonky space bar. Your blog post set me in the right direction to free that escapement wheel with Goo Gone and Kroil, during which I was also able to set the space bar linkage right. It took an overnight soak with the solvents, plus some gentle persuasion with a nail set and a mallet to get the wheel to move at all, then gently back and forth, and finally it freed up completely. Thanks to your help, a very fine machine is now doing just fine, and saved from the junk pile.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think, after using both of my Facits for months after unfreezing them, that an overnight soak in solvents probably would be the only real answer to a complete fix, but I'm too timid to try it out on machines I love so much! (I unfortunately have to re-apply goo gone or liquid wrench every other month or so to the points to keep it working well.)

      Delete
    2. Ah, I see now reading your post what you meant by an overnight soak. I thought you meant actually submerging the machine which certainly would be a delicate task.

      Therefore, you may have to re-apply solvents in the next few months (especially if you don't type regularly on it). I have so many typewriters that I can't get around to typing on each one ever week, haha. So things like that happen.

      Delete
  8. I found one of these last weekend, which also had an immovable carriage as you have described. It was only later that I remembered this post. I didn't buy the 1620 because it's overall condition wasn't good, but I liked what I saw enough to want to find another one in a more pristine condition. :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. I got hold of an ADDO, guess another brand of facit. The carriage wouldn't advance with key strokes, but the lever to move the carriage in reverse moves the carriage. So I guess it's a frozen escapement wheel.

    We don't get goo gone here in Sweden, you recon a bicycle degreaser would work? Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I suppose really anything that cuts through grease and residue would work!

      Delete
  10. I'm presently soaking my escapement in PB Blaster. This is my first Facit machine, so I'm pretending to pull out the hair I don't have while I wait for the stuff to free up the escapement. Fingers crossed!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hi I dont know anything about typewriters so when you say take the type guide off how do you do that exactly.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Great write-up! I had this problem with my TP1. I sprayed everything down with Lectra-Motive by way of general cleaning, including the escapement, but no luck freeing it up. I googled "Facit carriage won't move" and eventually stumbled onto your piece here. The key phrase was to spray cleaner INTO THE HOLE in the side of the escapement pinion. Once I did this, the escapement immediately freed up and the TP1 is now typing like a champ! I'm guessing there's a spring-loaded ratchet set-up inside the escapement, and the oil or grease inside turns to goo after 30-40+ years. Thanks for sharing...

    ReplyDelete
  13. Ok, I’m on my fourth day of “just be patient” on my Facit 1620. I’ve tied Deep Creep, PB Blaster, Lectra-Motive, and automotive brake pad cleaner. In the hole, around the hole, on the ribbon spindles. No escapement movement whatsoever. I’m about one day away from the nail set/mallet approach.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I just picked up a Facit with a stuck carriageand trying the the free up process thanks to this site. I'll report how I do. Does any one have a owners or instruction manual they could pdf to me? Thanks

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I freed up the escapement using denatured alcohol,PB Blaster and a heat gun to warm up the escapement being carefull just to warm it up. After getting some very slight movement I kept repeating this process.The heat softened the dried up oil/grease. My Facit 1620 is now working great. Hope this helps.

      Delete
  15. It works! I have a Facit TP2. It seemed impossible that the carriage would move again a few hours ago, but now it works great. Cleaned with Isopropal alcohol, lubricated with Blaster chain and cable lubricant around wheel and in hole, then gave wheel a little nudge from top with screwdriver/alternated with hitting backspace key until it started to move. After half an hour of typing it's running smoothly. Thank you so much for these instructions, very helpful.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Thank you for this great article! My Facit 1620 had the same issue, plus one of the pawls on the right hand ribbon advance and the margin release pivot at the back under the carriage were also seized. Easing those has turned the machine back into an amazingly good typewriter.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Ten years later and your advice on the sticky Facit carriage still works. I recently purchased a Facit TP2 at online action. It looked very nice and clean, in an excellent suitcase style case. But, the keys punched really hard and the carriage would not move. I thought something was horribly wrong mechanically. Then I found your article, went to work spraying with Simple Green and a little lacquer thinner and things started moving. A miracle! I do have a great working typewriter. Still need to do a little cleaning and lubricating but it tripled the value of my Facit TP2. THANK YOU!!

    ReplyDelete