Can we talk about a weird fix for a stuck floor selector?

I was working on a 90s Otis traction unit in an office building, and the floor selector kept sticking between the 3rd and 4th floors. The usual cleaning and adjustment didn't help. Out of ideas, I tried a tiny bit of dry graphite lube on the selector arm pivot point, not the contacts. It's been three weeks now with zero callbacks. I know using lube near selectors is usually a big no, but this specific spot was just metal-on-metal binding. Has anyone else run into this and found a different safe fix?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_sean12d ago

Maybe @christopher_ross is right, but that fix still sounds a bit risky to me.

christopher_ross12d agoMost Upvoted

Metal on metal binding" is the story of my career, just ask my knees. Seriously though, that dry graphite trick is a solid last resort for that specific mechanical bind. I've had to do the same on some old Dover selectors where the pivot post was just worn rough. You're right to avoid the contacts, but sometimes you gotta hit the squeaky hinge.