Ribbon issue The ribbon will not advance on my Selectric will not advance.

make sure you are not in stencil position (lever at the front and just below ribbon cartridge on left shows S and R should be in R if it is in the right position check for broken teeth in the driver gears on the piece that swings back to change the ribbon

If this takes a selectric II ribbon the Spiked driver may be gummed up. Remove the ribbon,
find the latch that holds the ribbon mech. open, release it the ribbon drive should swing freely to the right, if not spray some WD40 on the pivot point, above and below the arm then work it back and forth it should free up.

DickyO

When the lever closes does the driver move to the right and aganist the ribbon, they get gummed up and stay opened. If this is a generig ribbon the top of the ribbon cassette will sometimes get in the way. If the ribbon isn't lifting you may be in stencil .

DickyO

The ribbon is probably not threaded to the lift of the white slacker finger just left of where it comes out of the cassette.

DickyO

First check to be sure that the ribbon is on the left of the shock wire where it comes out of the cassette, if that is OK then check the ribbon driver it should move freely and swing to the ribbon take up spool. Some WD40 will free it up. Also be sire the ribbon is winding in the direction of the arrows.

DickyO

Move the grey lever on the R. side of the carrier to the R. and remove correction tape, try the machine, if it seems to work OK install a new correction tape.

DickyO

Selectric III has two different ribbons the selectric II ribbon tha the ribbon guides are part of the macine and the "bicycle" ribbon that has the guides bilt into the ribbon. to replace the "bicycle" ribbon move pull the red lever on the right toward you, drop the ribbon in turn the knob a few times in the direction of the arrows, move the red lever back done.
The other style move the lever, drop the ribbon in, be sure the ribbon is left of the slacker finger sticking up on the left,thread it tru the guides, turn the knob inthe direction of the arrows, move red lever back,done.

DickyO

on the left far side of the ribbon there is a white vertical post. the ribbon should be on the left side of that. also make sure you turn the ribbon the direction of the arrow (on the cassete) otherwise will need professional repair

There are two different ribbons for the selectric III one has the ribbon lift guides built into the ribbon the other the guides are part of the typewriter. The first is a General Ribbon T=387 the other is a G.R. T-385.

Hope this helps;
DickyO

Make sure the ribbon cartridge lever is closed and that the ribbon is on the outside of the shock wire (where the ribbon exits the left side of the cartridge)