Roller arm installation

Look at the problem closely. If the arm seems “Too short”, try turning the press fully closed. If the arm seems “Too long”, open the press. You can turn the press with just one arm on there.
If the arm is too long, No matter the position, put a 2x4 lumber in the platen area, on that side, and have someone close the press on it until the arm slides on. If it is too short, wrap a long enough ratchet strap around bed and press frame, to close the gap.. be sure to oil the ends. Press should turn easily when done.

I’m not sure what you mean by “roller arm” - the arm itself or the sliding rod with a hook that holds the roller. If it’s the arm itself one way to tackle it is to remove the ink disc and turn the press until the fixed roller arm is straight up all the way, perpendicular to the roller rail in that area. Then slide the other one on the other side. Get two 2x4s long enough to reach past both arms, and two bar clamps that are long enough to clamp the two boards on to the upper and lower sides of the roller arms so that the square long sides are pulled into alignment, then pin the loose arm in place (I’m not familiar with how the arms are attached to the shaft, but I would expect something like tapered pins). If the problem is the sliding part that holds the roller, the spring may be defective.

By the pic, I assumed OP means the Side Arm.

I guess you’re right, Eric - I had not noticed the linkage arm being partly off. On that I would start by checking to be sure it is oriented right - usually those have oil holes on top, and I see no holes. Then it is possible they are not reversible - there are four possible ways it can go on and probably only one is right. It is also important to be sure it is going straight onto both bearing shafts - if it gets cocked just a very small amount it will jam. Oil both the arm bearings and the press bearings. Using a rubber or rawhide mallet to tap one side and then the other alternating as you put it on which should keep things moving. Remove it again and test one end at a time on each bearing to determine which end should be on which bearing, and do that with the oil holes up, assuming there are oil holes -that will eliminate half the possibilities for a match.

Well, even when new, the precision of the fit is not exact. This press, being old as it is has all of the “New-ness” gone. The arm was on there before, so it will go on again. I would agree that there IS a correct orientation for it. Even when new, we ran into kluge presses that the distance between the bed/back shaft and gear pin will change just by turning the press from open to closed. The arm stabilizes this variance.
The OP should get some help to turn the press while trying to fit the arm. This will probably be enough. Otherwise, “Springing” the bed, as I described above, may be required. It is not uncommon to have to do this. Marking parts for timing and/or orientation, before, disassembly, is very helpful.

Thank you so very much! I’ve just read all these replies and will try it all. I’ll let you know if I have any luck! best wishes printer friends!

Craig

I once had a similar issue with a press when trying to put the arm on, but in my case the issue WAS the precision of the fit. Instead of being loose, as some replies say, the tolerance of the press was very close, and it was very finicky to get in. Once I’d properly aligned it and got it started in the holes it slid on quite easily, but it took several attempts to get it sorted, and it had to be done with the shaft fairly accurately perpendicular to the pins…