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Cooltouch
Tinkerer
Username: Cooltouch
Post Number: 162
Registered: 01-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, December 11, 2011 - 10:36 am: | 
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I recently bought a pair of A-1s off of feebay. Got them for a really good price because the seller admitted that they both had the dreaded mirror box squeak. One was also pretty rough cosmetically and the other one was pretty clean.
So after I took care of the squeak on both cameras, I got it into my head that I'd like to keep one and sell the other. Only problem was I wanted to switch top covers. Now I've had the top covers off A-1s in the past -- but it's been like 20 years since the last time I have. This time, I got all the screws out -- I think. Even the one under the switch that pushes up the little cover in front of the selector dial. But I still couldn't get the top cover off, and I didn't want to force things.
I count a total of 9 screws that need to be removed -- 4 holding the front bezel around the lens mount in place, and 5 holding the top cover on (including the one hidden screw). Of course, I removed both the film wind lever and rewind crank and everything under both, so there was nothing there to prevent removal.
It's been a month or so since I tried removing the top cover(s), and I don't clearly recall if there are any additional screws hiding under the front bezel that have to be removed. If there are, and I want to say that there are two that hold down the top cover, then I removed them also.
Is it the case that the cover can just be jammed on tight and not want to come off easily, or am I missing something that is not so obvious -- that I've forgotten over the last 20 years? |
Waynemel
Tinkerer
Username: Waynemel
Post Number: 127
Registered: 08-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, December 11, 2011 - 12:28 pm: |
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Are you removing the lever for the viewfinder blind?
This is from the archives:
John, a few pointers to help.Set the switch under the battery test button so that WHITE DOT is visible.Unscrew rewind knob.Do not push shaft into camera,door catch a devil to open.Best to remove door and protect blinds with card.Unscrew shutter button using rubber bung,piece of rubber glove or flexiclamp.On removing button and switch lever + any shims, turn camera upside down and shake out switch operating rod.Set ASA to 400 and comp to Zero.Line up the set ASA with the strap lug.Remove circlip and any shim washer and lift off dial.Do not alter dial when it is off camera. To replace just line up set ASAwith lug and dial should drop into place.Remove little plastic cap in center of viewfinder shutter lever with fine needle.Remove lever screw and lever.Remove screw in the sliding aperture/shutter speed guard.Very carefully lift the assembly off camera.TAKE CARE there is a small indent ball under the slider.Normally the small amount of grease present keeps ball in place.Remove ball.You may find it easier to also remove the 2 screws that hold the ball location plate and the small plastic filler piece.These are revealed under the removed guard.Remove the lever wind retaining screw,lever, cam plate,wave washer and plastic shim/wear washers.(an easy way to make peg spanners is to place 1mm drill shanks in the holes, after first covering the face with tape and then push a cylinder of epoxy putty down over the flutes onto the tape.Let set and presto,custom spanner)Remove the circlip,shims and switch levers.Remove the lens mount cover screws and lift cover straight off.Now you can remove all the top cover screws,the front cover hides 2.Lift the cover carefully off.TAKE CARE your model has the sync socket connected by approx 60mm of wire.Also do not pull if the red LED appears stuck,sometimes when the tiny bezel comes loose a careless repair is made and adhesive bonds the LED to bezel.Put drop of naptha on joint and gently push the LED whilst holding the top.This will break bond.Eyepiece can be cleaned by removing the 2 screws and then removing the frame.The eyepiece shutter and bracket will remain attached to body by wires,but rear of prism can be cleaned easily.Also clean and relub all the mating surfaces of the removed winding mech.Blow out all dirt from the wind mech that is still attached to body, as yours has substitute plastic parts.Hope this is of help,it really reads more complicated than it is.Glenn |
Fiftyfifty
Tinkerer
Username: Fiftyfifty
Post Number: 52
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, December 12, 2011 - 01:17 am: |
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Cooltouch
You say that you removed 5 screws from the top, but there are 6 holding the top, plus the small one on the eye-piece blind and the one on the dial guard.With these removed you can easy the top up, watching outthat the LED surround is not stuck. You may have a black wire connection to the flash socket on the top, most A1`s have this some have a spring connection. |
Loosecanon
Tinkerer
Username: Loosecanon
Post Number: 23
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, December 30, 2011 - 03:30 pm: |
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This is how I get them off:
http://looscanons.com/tutorials/tutA1/
Remember: swapping A-1 tops requires desoldering/resoldering. |
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