Pedal in the grand piano

Dear RenziD, Denis,

Almost certainly the stiffness of the sustain pedal, in your case (and also in mine... which I never have time to dedicate myself to!!!!) depends on the entire mechanism having some obstruction.

Start by examining the damper lifter bar once the action has been removed. Lubricate WITH DRY TEFLON SPRAY and only with this the axis around which the bar rotates and lifts all the dampers.

Then go underneath and you will see that between the "lyre" and the soundboard there is a lever mechanism that transmits the pressure from your foot. There is a spring and a pin that passes through two small wooden blocks. Make sure the pin is straight and that it slides without obstruction. Sometimes movers are not careful and, by hitting the wooden lever, they bend the axis. This can cause the obstruction and stiffness you feel with your foot. Check everything and lubricate with TEFLON. If the stiffness still persists, disassemble the lyre and open the pedal mechanism... if these, free from the mechanism, seem stiff to you. Lubricate.

If the stiffness still persists, it could depend on the pins of the damper mechanism forks. Perhaps disassemble the last of the treble notes and check if there is any obstruction (excessive friction) in the mechanism. Keep in mind that one piece (the fork where the screw is placed) must fall gently under the weight of its own screw. In this case, the pins of the damper mechanism must be replaced, which is quite technical work (one must know how to replace the pins, how to ream the holes, have adequate equipment, such as an extractor and special cutter, and know how to perfectly reassemble all the dampers without having sound tails).

Good luck