return to main pageIBM 1403 Restoration
October 2010
Frank King's response to Henk Stegeman" < h.j.stegeman @ hccnet . nl >
Hi Henk.
To try to answer the question.
"When restarting a 1403 after a long period, what are the do's and don't ? Hinta & tips ? What to checks etc." What we did was,
- remove the covers and filters,
- check the oil in the hydraulic unit,
- and Insured the chain was disengaged.
- We removed the cover over the hydraulic drive motor and pumps
- and checked the belt tightness and moved the unit to insure it was free.
- We turned off the ac switch in the back so we could use that switch to turn it off quickly if the phase was bad and the hydraulic unit ran backward.
- We turned on power watching which way the hydraulic unit turned. Then we checked the blowers for correct rotation.
- We assumed that if the blowers and hydraulic unit ran in the correct direction the chain motor would also be correct.
- There are no power supplies in the 1403 to worry about.
- I drained the oil in the chain reservoir and filled it with the correct oil. ( occasionally CEs may fill the chain reservoir with IBM # 6 which is a very poor oil for the chain)
- If the chain is free and easy to rotate by hand then engage it and check the pulses etc.
- We found that the rubber residuals for the print magnets had deteriorated to useless. Without a source for replacements we eventually used a product called "Kapton". A local plastic company provided us with enough at .005 inch thick to cut into 1/2 inch wide strips. We then stapled and hot glued the old ends onto the strips for a fit. They seem to work fine.
The rest is, just find what is worn out and figure out how to replace it. I did eventually find the specifications on the hydraulic oil and bought some. We replaced the oil in both printers.
I will send you the specifications for the oil so you can purchase it locally. It didn't seem to help but I normally change the oil every 40 - 50 years whether it needs it or not. :-)
Both of our printers had lots of hours printing and significant wear. Maybe yours is in better shape.
I hope this helps.
Please keep us up to date with what you do and your experiences. All of us would love to read about your progress. Pictures would also be nice. We are looking forward to your communications.
Frank King
Ed Thelen adds -
Frank didn't mention his:
- lots of "Tender Loving Care" - stethoscope (to listen to sounds better) - careful observation - one fan was wired to run backward, corrected - dried up ribbons, re-oiled by Ron Williams - ribbons from e-bay - dry after 40? years - re-oiled -