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Mike Kovacs
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, March 05, 2005 - 09:21 am: | 
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I've been working with Rick offline but I thought I would throw this one out there for comment.
I have a Contaflex IV here with the shutter out and functioning properly, i.e. the aperture is stopping down properly and the timing is now good after a few drops of lighter fluid. I've managed to avoid the most difficult problem without fouling the blades or optics.
BUT the body has become super stiff to wind, basically jammed now. Can anyone point me towards any critical parts of the body winding mechanism? I will pull the top plate, flood clean the mechanism, then lubricate as I see fit but any suggestions are welcome at this point.
This is my first Contaflex repair, trial by fire, as usual. |
Mike Kovacs
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, March 05, 2005 - 12:46 pm: |
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An addition: since I pulled the shutter out the camera released once, now it seems jammed. Is there a wind lock that needs to be defeated when firing the camera sans shutter? |
Jon Goodman
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, March 05, 2005 - 03:55 pm: |
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Not that I remember. I just cleaned and lubricated the gear train of a model I and model II last night. The train of the wheel wind models is very straightforward. Make sure you didn't get any film chips into the gears, and make sure no other foreign matter got in there, either. As you may know, there are several gears involved in this train, and they must be as clean and nice as possible for the thing to work right.
Jon |
Mike Kovacs
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, March 07, 2005 - 11:27 am: |
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When I turn the two gears (one black, one brass) on the right top side that mate with the mirror/flap/shutter charging mechanism, I can wind-up and release the mirror/flap/shutter spline.
However, the advance is still locked. I guess I will have to try and open it up to gain access to the frame advance. Nothing to lose at this point but its not obvious at the moment how to do this! |
Jon Goodman
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, March 07, 2005 - 12:43 pm: |
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Hi, Mike. To remove the top plate, you must first remove the viewfinder lens. I use a large pencil eraser and simply press down and unscrew. Once this is off, the wheel for cocking can be removed with three screws around the edge perimeter. Pay attention to the order in which the rings below it come off. Remove the shutter release button and the spring and save that so it doesn't get lost. There will be a screw under that wheel which holds the top. On the other side, the meter wheel and rewind wheel are pretty self-evident, and there is another screw under that assembly. Once you have the top off, you can remove the pentaprism (three screws, and make note of where the spacer washers were). The upper gear train is evident then, but if the problem is in the lower gear train, you can access this only by removing the entire gearbox. This can be tricky, mainly because I don't have pictures to show you. As you look above the mirror lever assy, you will see a small grubscrew horizontal to the cylindrical brass gear which operates the cocking mechanism in the shutter body. Loosen it, and then you will see a collared shaft in there which must be slid backwards (use a medium small screwdriver) about 1/2 inch. Then you will find 4 or 5 screws holding the entire top plate on (around the perimeter). You should be able to work the top plate (and gearbox) off...at least on models I and II this works. When you have it stripped down to this point, the workings of the gearbox will be easy to see and test. I'm still puzzled as to why yours would act as it is, however.
Jon |
Mike Kovacs
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, March 07, 2005 - 01:48 pm: |
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Thanks Jon, I already have the top plate off but there is enough content here to help me continue with the job. I think the meter assembly may also have to come off to get the top plate free. I'll have to see if any of those perimeter screws are underneith it.
This Contaflex is a puzzler, even compared to the complete stripdown of several Contax II's that I've done. I'm not holding much hope but I will be very pleased if I actually succeed. |
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