I'm not intimately familiar with Ericas, but the type bar linkages all operate the universal bar underneath, that does common functions like advance the ribbon spool, raise the vibrator and trip the escapement to advance the carriage. Having the vibrator hang up, and the keys hard to press, suggests the vibrator itself, or its linkage, are the problem.

On most all other machines I'm familiar with, the vibrator should easily fall back down under its own weight. I'd suggest thoroughly degreasing the tracks that the vibrator rides up and down on with alcohol and naphtha (zippo lighter fluid or smokeless lamp oil). Use cotton buds, be sure to clean out all the old gunk from ink buildup and hardened lubricants. Also check the linkage that  raises the vibrator that it is free to be moved by the universal bar.

There is a chance that sometime in the past the vibrator got bent when someone was trying to change the ribbon.

So I gig in there with some denatured alcohol but nothing seemed to improve. It feels more
Ike it's getting hung up on something. As if it's path is obstructed, but I host cannot see where...