HP 97 printhead not moving full distance

[Dave Britten]

I got the printer in my 97 up and running by borrowing the paper advance roller from an 82143A that had iffy print quality, but the 97 is still being a little bit quirky. It seems like the printhead isn't moving as far left as it ought to - when I print a program listing, the left edge is kind of ragged and unaligned, and the font looks kind of narrow. When printing short numbers (e.g. FIX DSP 0 CLX PRINTX), the printhead doesn't move the minimum required distance to advance the paper a full line when it returns to the home position.

After printing a couple program listings last night, it seemed like maybe it had warmed up a bit and was doing a proper full sweep, but it's still intermittent. Does this sound like it's just a lubrication issue? I ordered some teflon lube and silicone grease to apply to the various bars and bearings, and the main screw gear that moves the printhead. Anything else I should check?