Gillette Super Adjustable "under-clocked"

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3,268
Location
Cambridgeshire, UK
So I received a new Black Beauty in the post today and started giving it a thorough clean because the "last 1/4 turn" was locked. The TTO mechanism was very stiff and creaky with 20+ years of scum and buildup.
Gave it a soak in boiled water from the kettle for about 15 min and the TTO was looser but you could tell the spring was still locked.
Put a few drops of detergent in the mug and refilled from the boiled kettle for a 30 min soak (water was cool when I pulled it out).
No change.
So then I flushed it with rubbing alcohol and sprayed a generous helping of WD-40 down the barrel, in the hole at the bottom, and in the adjustment barrel. This freed up a lot of the mechanism and got rid of the squeak but it also loosened the collet under the adjustment dial so this happened:
_20140318_162230.JPG


Turns out the TTO spring was "locked" because the adjustment dial was "under-clocked", meaning someone in the past had dialed the adjustment beyond the "1" into the nether-region. I figured this out when I saw the silo-doors touching the safety bar on the '1' setting.
So I used these instructions:
1. Lay the razor down so the spring is facing up. (the black/red thing in the rectangle.)

2. Turn the dial to 9.

3. Using a straightened paperclip, press in on the spring above the number nine.

4. While still holding the spring in, now try to turn it past the stop at 9 towards 1.

5. Once the dial is between 9 an 1 you can release the spring and then it should start clicking again once you reach 1.

Now the adjustment dial & TTO operates smoothly and the spring engages for the "last 1/4 turn" movement.

Yes! Results!
_20140318_161946.JPG
 
Many thanks for the helpful advice. I had bought a 1977 Superadjustable with the adjustment dial jammed. I had freed up the dial but whatever setting I chose the shave stayed the same! Also I didn't have the 1/4 turn to tighten. Chucked the razor in the back of the cupboard but after reading this article I found a paper clip and reset the dial and it works perfectly! Even regained the 1/4 turn to lock. So happy now.
 
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