Editing Apple Scribe Printer General Maintenance

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[[File:Apple Scribe on display (Marcin Wichary).jpg|thumb|360px|An Apple Scribe on display, with its clear lid (photo: Marcin Wichary, CC BY 2.0)]]
Preventive maintenance and adjustments for the '''[[Apple Scribe Printer]]''', from Apple's ''Apple Scribe Printer Technical Procedures''. Unlike most of Apple's printer manuals, this one gives the manufacturer's own maintenance schedule, with cleaning and lubrication points and the oil to use.<ref name="tp-pm">Apple Computer, Inc., ''Apple Scribe Printer Technical Procedures'', Section 5, Preventive Maintenance, pp. 5.1-5.12 (rev. Aug 84), hosted as [[:File:Apple Scribe Technical Procedures.pdf]] (PDF pp. 49-57); described at [[Apple Scribe Printer Documentation]]. Source for: the manufacturer's recommended maintenance schedule; the cleaning materials (absorbent cloth or gauze, soft brush, cotton swabs, isopropyl alcohol) and the lubricant (Tellus oil #46, Apple part 970-0006); routine cleaning and lubrication steps 8 to 18; yearly maintenance of the platen and tractor sleeve bearings. Pages 5.4 and 5.5 are missing from the hosted scan.</ref><ref name="tp87">Apple Computer, Inc., ''Apple Service Technical Procedures, Volume Two'' (1987), Scribe Printer, Preventive Maintenance, p. 5.5, archive.org item [https://archive.org/details/apple-service-technical-procedures-volume-two apple-service-technical-procedures-volume-two] (OCR text read 2026-10-02). Source for: routine cleaning and lubrication at every service; wiping old oil, dust and dirt off with a cloth slightly dampened with alcohol before lubricating; steps 1-7 (power off, printer assembly out of the case, tractor and platen assemblies removed, platen cleaned with alcohol, carriage shaft cleaned and lubricated with two drops of oil each side, paper-out sensor cleaned with a soft brush or an alcohol swab).</ref> Fault-finding is on [[Apple Scribe Printer Troubleshooting Guide]].

== Safety ==
The Scribe runs from the mains through an internal line transformer, with a mains switch, fuse holder and line filter inside the case.<ref name="tp-ipl">''Apple Scribe Printer Technical Procedures'', Section 6, Illustrated Parts List, Power Supply and Main Logic Board, p. 6.11 (PDF pp. 70-71).</ref> Switch it off and disconnect the power cord before opening it. Apple's initial checks include looking for cracked or burnt power cord insulation, a missing earth pin, and burn marks on the case.<ref name="tp-ts">''Apple Scribe Printer Technical Procedures'', Section 4, Troubleshooting, Initial Checks, p. 4.3 (PDF p. 41).</ref>

== Maintenance schedule ==
Apple's table gives three intervals: work the user does once a year, work done by the dealer during any preventive or corrective service, and work done by the dealer once a year or every 500,000 lines of print.<ref name="tp-pm" />

{| class="wikitable styled-table" style="width:100%;"
|+'''Manufacturer's recommended maintenance schedule (Apple's p. 5.3)'''<ref name="tp-pm" />
! Task !! User, yearly !! Dealer, at service !! Dealer, yearly or 500,000 lines
|-
| Clean and lubricate the carriage shaft || Yes || Yes || Yes
|-
| Clean the platen || || Yes || Yes
|-
| Check the drive belt tension || || Yes || Yes
|-
| Clean the print head || || Yes || Yes
|-
| Clean the paper-out sensor || || Yes || Yes
|-
| Clean the front guide bar || || Yes || Yes
|-
| Clean and lubricate the carriage bearing stud, carriage drive motor idler gear stud, paper feed motor idler gear studs and drive belt pulley shafts || || Yes || Yes
|-
| Lubricate the platen sleeve bearings || || || Yes
|-
| Lubricate the tractor sleeve bearings || || || Yes
|}

Materials: a clean absorbent cloth or gauze, a small soft brush, cotton swabs and isopropyl alcohol for cleaning, and Tellus oil #46 (Apple part 970-0006) for lubrication. Before oiling any part, wipe off the old oil, dust and dirt with a cloth slightly dampened with alcohol.<ref name="tp-pm" /><ref name="tp87" />

== Routine cleaning and lubrication ==
Apple's procedure for every service:<ref name="tp87" /><ref name="tp-pm" />
# Switch off. Take the printer assembly out of the case.
# Remove the tractor assembly (one screw at each end; lift and wiggle it free) and the platen (prise out the two plastic tabs on each side).
# Clean the platen surface with a cloth moistened with alcohol.
# Clean the carriage shaft with alcohol, put two drops of oil on each side of it, slide the carriage from side to side to spread the oil, and wipe off the excess with a dry cloth.
# Clean the paper-out sensor with a soft brush or an alcohol swab.
# Take out the print head and clean it with an alcohol swab. Refit the rubber cap over its connector.
# Clean the front guide bar with an alcohol cloth.
# Carriage bearing stud: prise the bearing off, clean the stud, add one drop of oil, refit the bearing.
# Carriage drive motor idler gear: loosen the drive belt and slip it off the gear, remove the E-clip and pull the gear off (it takes some effort), clean the stud, add one drop of oil, and refit the gear and E-clip with the outer lip on the gear.
# Paper feed motor idler gears: move the carriage fully right, remove the two feed rollers and the two screws holding the paper pan, unplug the paper-out sensor cable from the logic board and lift out the pan. Remove the E-clip and washer from the upper bearing, clean its stud and add one drop of oil, put a small drop behind the lower bearing without removing it, and reassemble. Route the sensor cable under the square rod above the logic board, and make sure the copper earthing clip is under the left-hand paper pan screw. The smaller cylinders of the feed rollers go to the front.
# Left drive belt pulley: lift the pulley assembly out of its slot, slide the shaft out without losing the washers, clean it, add one drop of oil and reassemble.
# Right drive belt pulley: remove the two screws at its base and lift out the assembly, push the shaft down from the top and pull it out from below, clean it and add one drop of oil, then refit it with the small end on top. Leave the pulleys in the assembly; they are hard to reassemble.
# Refit the drive belt and set its tension (below).
# Refit the platen and tractor assemblies and the ribbon cassette, and run the loopback test.

== Yearly maintenance ==
Once a year or every 500,000 lines, add:<ref name="tp-pm" />
# Platen sleeve bearings: remove them from the platen assembly, clean the shaft and bearings with an alcohol cloth, put one drop of oil on each end of the shaft, wipe off the excess and refit.
# Tractor sleeve bearings: pull off the right side panel of the tractor assembly and ease the left panel off the end of the sleeve, wipe the shaft ends clean, put one drop of oil on each end and refit the panels.
# Reassemble and run the loopback test.

== Drive belt tension ==
A wrong belt tension causes horizontal registration errors (uneven vertical lines) and home position errors. A slight unevenness at the left margin, column 0, is normal and hard to remove. Before adjusting the belt for a home position error, check that the home position sensor switch is firmly fixed to the chassis.<ref name="tp-adj">''Apple Scribe Printer Technical Procedures'', Section 3, Adjustments, pp. 3.3-3.7 (PDF pp. 37-39).</ref>
# Switch off and disconnect the power cord. Remove the printer cover.
# Move the carriage fully to the right.
# Press a spring gauge (Apple 077-0014 or equivalent) down on the top run of the belt, halfway between the carriage and the left-hand pulley, until the belt is 10 mm (about 3/8 inch) above the bottom plate.
# The gauge should read 1/4 to 1/2 lb (175 g ±25 g). If it does not, adjust the belt following Apple's steps and measure again.

== Print head gap ==
If the head is too far from the platen, printing is uniformly light; if it is too close, printing is too black with a grey smear.<ref name="tp-adj" />
# Remove the ribbon cassette and pull off the clear plastic paper guide on the left of the carriage.
# Measure the gap between the print head and the platen. It should be 3.5 mm ±0.5 mm (about 1/8 inch).
# To adjust, loosen the right-hand adjustment screw without removing it, and loosen the left-hand screw just enough for the head positioning plate to move. The plate pivots at the left.
# Move the head forward or back to 3.5 mm, tighten the screws and measure again.
# Run the self-test, and refit the paper guide.

== Related pages ==
* [[Apple Scribe Printer Troubleshooting Guide]]
* [[Apple Scribe Printer]]
* [[Apple Scribe Printer Documentation]]

== References ==
<references />

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