SB9a Powerfeed Lever Will not Move Into Detent Positions

I am having a very difficult time getting my powerfeed lever to move out of neutral position. I have cleaned and inspected it and still cannot get it to function as it should. The halfnut lever is disengaged. I even try to move the halfnut lever slightly while moving the powerfeed lever to find the "sweet spot" where the locking pin goes in place, but no luck so far. I AM NOT SAYING I WOULD DO THIS FOR A PERMANENT FIX,but I would like opinions, especially if you really know what happens if you do what I am asking about. If you remove the pin that keeps you from engaging the halfnut lever and the crossfeed lever at the same time what could or would happen? I know it has got to be there for a very good reason, but I am curious. I am going to remove my pin to make sure my lever and crossfeed will work as it should and then wait for my replacement parts to get here. Thanks for any help and or thoughts.

If they both engage at the same time something is going to Break..
Unless you get lucky and it locks up both feeds and the motor drive
belts slip..
I guess it depends on inertia of what is turning in the spindle..

Good Luck

Sauerkraut said:

If they both engage at the same time something is going to Break..
Unless you get lucky and it locks up both feeds and the motor drive
belts slip..
I guess it depends on inertia of what is turning in the spindle..

Good Luck

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PRAISE THE LORD! I was doing some more reading this morning and found an article which stated that there were travel stops on the housing and on the halfnut levers. I installed a reworked set of halfnuts on my lathe not long ago. I thought they were all the same, but not so. I looked a little more closely and saw the bottom lever was not allowing the pin to move when I moved the lever. I took the bottom halfnut lever off and filed the stop area just enough for the clearance I needed. The housing also has a stop, but I would rather file the lever instead of the housing just in case that wasn't the problem. It now works as it should. Just another happy SB owner!