I was going through the adjustments on my '58 executive (had the tto doors open during adjustments and then would close and tighten to see if anything changed) and realized nothing was happening. It previously adjusted fine but this time nothing changed. It is like it got stuck somehow. I currently have it soaking in really hot water with Dawn detergent thinking some grime or something may have gotten stuck and not letting it move freely. Any other suggestions on getting it going again?
If the hot water and detergent doesn't do it, put a couple squirts of penetrating oil (like PB Blaster or WD-40) down the hole at the top of the handle and let it sit for a day. Then see if it's free. If not, give it another couple squirts. That should get it moving again, then you can do another hot water and detergent soak to get the oil and gunk out.
Water and detergent did not help. Put some mineral oil on it and down the hole before I left for work to see if it would loosen things up while I was gone. If not, I will resoak, then try the WD-40. Not sure why I did not think of that to begin with. It or duct tape fix everything (and duct tape is definitely not what is needed now)!
I'm not clear on what isn't working. Is it the knob that isn't rotating or the tray isn't moving up and down properly? If it's the tray, the fix is a thorough cleaning. The knob could be more complicated than that if that black flat spring has been damaged under there.
The knob turns and clicks into place at each number. The tray is not moving up or down. So far have tried one round of the hot water and dawn. Now it has mineral oil in it and on it to see if that will loosen things up. Next will be another good cleaning and soak in hot water and dawn. Hopefully the combination will get things unstuck so the tray can move freely.
I've had a couple adjustables that had the tray stuck like that and sometimes they can be a little stubborn. If it's still not moving easily after a couple days of penetrating oil, you'll probably be able to force it to start moving by pushing the tray up and down. Pushing up on the bottom of the tray is pretty easy. Push down on the prongs that go up through the baseplate to force the tray down. Just be careful not to bend anything. Once you get it moving a little, some more penetrating oil and soaking will get it moving freely like it's supposed to again.
The WD-40 should work I use it a lot for my razors but if it doesn't work try Super Tech Lubricant, it's a little stronger than WD as it will not only lub but free sticky mechanisms, I use it to free up moving parts on many other metal items. I get it at walmart.
Yep...that. It's gunked up with crusties. If you know anyone with a sonic cleaner, give that a spin too.
It's good to have a '58 Executive with problems and then friends with solutions. Hope it unsticks soon.
Thanks and I completely agree. It was my best antique store find. Definitely hoping I can get it working again.
This thread has been great. I picked up a 59 Fatty ($7) that looks good, but the adjuster, and the tray, are gunked up and frozen. Gonna get some WD-40 working. If all else fails Razor Emporium will fix it for $20.
What works for me is Kroil. I use it on sticking razors. I use it normally on rusty car bolts and nuts to loosen them up. Greg W.
Yeah, if you've got WD-40 sitting around it'll probably work but if you need to go buy some penetrating oil, go for Kroil or PB Blaster. They work a lot better on whatever you're using them on than WD-40.
I picked up another Fat Boy in an trade at an antique store. Stuck adjuster, but this is my 4th or 6th time finding one in the wild. I took a chance. Several days of hot water and Dawn, followed by WD40 & penetrating oil didn't free up the adjuster. Using THIS GUIDE I got daring and did a partial disassembly. (Hint; I saved that guide webpage in case it disappears) I only purchase functional post bottom crimp units, or those with the slotted bottom retaining nuts. With the bottom retaining nut off, the rod and silo doors can be removed. At this point I did give it a chance to sit in baking soda and vinegar. Might have loosened up gunk, but the adjuster was still stuck at setting five. The next trick I read about did free the mechanism. I wrapped the adjuster and handle with rubber tubing, grabbed each with a pair of pliers, and gently freed the stuck bits. If this had been my first Fat Boy, or a gold plated heirloom I'd have sent it off for a professional tune up. Shade Tree Mechanic + Google Fu = FTW!
Good advice above. Hopefully it will work for you. Looks like you may have to send this one into the shop for repairs. Razor a Emporium does a great job. The can get it up on the hoist and work wonders.
I actually had to send mine off to Razor Emporium and got their tune up performed on it. I just could not get it unstuck after I got it. It came back good as new and I have loved using it the last year!
