Who are we?  Featured Cameras  Articles  Instruction Manuals  Repair Manuals  The Classic Camera Repair Forum  Books  View/Sign Guestbook

Olympus PEN FT mirror box coupling Log in | Log Out | Topics | Search
Moderators | Register | Edit Profile

Classic Camera Repair » Maintenance & Repair » Olympus PEN FT mirror box coupling « Previous Next »

Author Message
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Nico
Tinkerer
Username: Nico

Post Number: 51
Registered: 07-2010

Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!)

Posted on Saturday, August 27, 2011 - 04:17 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Hi! I need help with the PEN FT mirror box assembly to the body. I've read several different approaches to how to do that but some of them are contradictory or I don't quite understand well some terms because my domain of English is not that perfect.

For example, the rick's notes I have say that you have to unscrew the brass gear with holes and align the keyed hole with a shaft. Then screw it again. I don't know what shaft is that and can't figure out which one is the keyed hole. As far as I can see, there are some differences between F model (which rick's notes are based on) and FT.

In the other hand, the german site I posted in a previous thread says (as google translate it):

For the assembly:

"Once again the mirror motor bolted to the casing, used the cap back and fastened, the mirror must be re-used box diagonally from above. (Goes back a bit notchy but it works, but never pressure or force) using the mirror box completely to lift gear and mirror motor gear mesh then the mirror box un ca move 1 mm upwards so that the gears are again disconnected. In order to properly couple the spring needs to get an engine level of pretension. First, a thin screwdriver in the hole, the gear wheel of the motor mirror rotated by 12 to 14 teeth left. You notice how the pressure builds. This position must be maintained and the Spiegekasten be coupled. Now the camera can be raised and released to the remaining short portion of the trip rod. If the clutch is done correctly mirror the book now open and close. Incorrect clutch remains open to the mirror. The experimental coupling must then be performed again. Then, if all goes well, the bottom center screw screw so that the clutch can not accidentally coming off.

The assembly of the camera is now in reverse order and should make no problems."

All clear but it doesn't say if it must be unscrewed or if I must turn it CW or CCW. I don't want to force any spring without being sure.

Sorry, I feel bad asking a question after any step I make, but I'm very newbe at this and I'm afraid of everything.

Once again, lots of thanks to all of you.
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Olympfix
Tinkerer
Username: Olympfix

Post Number: 47
Registered: 05-2009

Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!)

Posted on Sunday, August 28, 2011 - 06:42 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Oh my golly!!!! The translation makes no sense whatever. I have worked on Pen FTs for twenty years, and they are not easy. I'm sorry to say if it's already apart and you haven't made very accurate notes of docking timings, it's going to be a lot of trial and error. Or, if you can get another same body, use it as a model.
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Nico
Tinkerer
Username: Nico

Post Number: 52
Registered: 07-2010

Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!)

Posted on Sunday, August 28, 2011 - 08:31 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Unfortunately, the possibility to get another body is far away from reality. I didn't made accurate timings either so yes, it's gonna be trial and error and I assume that. What I don't quite understand is what I have to try, hahaha! As I said before, I want to be sure about all the information I gathered. I thought I could follow that directions knowing the translation is grammatically far beyond comprehension but I now realize I shouldn't mess up with that nonsense word soup.
I've complicated my self in vain.

So what I have to do is (on the base of rick's notes which are the simplest and clearer to me):
1)Mount the mirror box in the body meshing both mirror motor and shutter gears in released position .
2)Unscrew the holed disk (LH in FT?)
3)Turn the disk with a spanner 1 1/2 turns CW.
4)(and this is what I don't get completely right) "Align keyed hole with shaft" I don't recognize a "keyed hole" or what shaft is it referring to neither.

Sorry for all this translation mess.
Best regards
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Nico
Tinkerer
Username: Nico

Post Number: 53
Registered: 07-2010

Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!)

Posted on Wednesday, September 07, 2011 - 01:17 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

I'm gonna insist here because it is not all clear to me. Some one can point out how to align the disc with the holes?

Best regards
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Msiegel
Tinkerer
Username: Msiegel

Post Number: 257
Registered: 03-2008

Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!)

Posted on Thursday, September 08, 2011 - 02:07 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Nico,
I'm a native German speaker - I have already found the part you had machine translated. If needed I can try a better translation. Just drop me a line.
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Msiegel
Tinkerer
Username: Msiegel

Post Number: 258
Registered: 03-2008

Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!)

Posted on Thursday, September 08, 2011 - 09:06 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Nico,
as requested here it comes:
It starts were the German version says: Nachdem der Spiegelkasten wieder..... and goes down to the end i.e. until ....und sollte keine Probleme machen.

Translation
Screw the mirror motor back into the body and insert and fasten the shutter. Insert mirror box in an angle from the top (a bit tricky but doable, never use pressure or force). Insert the mirror box completely so that cocking gear and the gear of the mirror motor couple. Now pull (slide?) the mirror box up by approx. 1 mm so that the cocking gear and the mirror motor gear disengage. To ensure correct coupling the spring of the mirror motor needs to pre-tensioned. Turn the gear underneath the holed disk 12 - 14 teeth to the left using a small screw driver - you can feel the tension building up. Hold that position and couple the mirror box again. Cock the shutter and release it using the remaining short part of the release rod. If coupled correctly the mirror will open and close again with incorrect coupling the mirror will remain in the opened position and coupling has to be tried again. If everything works correctly insert the lower middle screw so that parts don't dis-engage again by mistake.

Further assembly of the camera is now done in reverse order and should not cause any problems.
END translation.

Please note that the translation is not 100% literal - tried to make a step by step out of the prose. I'm also not sure about the decoupling after having inserted the mirror box. German version says "1 mm nach oben ziehen" which means "pull it upwards by approx 1 mm" so I'm not sure if you should slide the mirror box to the top of the body or lift it as I don't have that camera. You will certainly see what to do when you have it in front of you.

Also note that I translated "Spiegelmotor" as mirror motor - from the pic on site I think it's a spring driven clockwork. Maybe mirror drive would be a better translation.

Hope it helps.

regards
Martin
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Nico
Tinkerer
Username: Nico

Post Number: 54
Registered: 07-2010

Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!)

Posted on Friday, September 09, 2011 - 01:24 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Great! Thank you Martin! Now it makes more sense. I think the translation is alright. If anything goes wrong, don't worry, it won't be youre fault. Tomorrow I'll try this again and gonna let you know about the results.
Thanks a lot.
The best, Nicolás
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Nico
Tinkerer
Username: Nico

Post Number: 55
Registered: 07-2010

Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!)

Posted on Friday, September 23, 2011 - 03:35 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Well, I couldn't try what you guys suggested because of some troubles I had reinstalling the shutter mechanism back on the camera after a nice clean up with lighter fluid, so can't tell you if I got it right now.
But I wanted to tell you what I learned so far regarding the shutter and winding system coupling, just in case someone could be in the same situation.

Although the Henry Taber's article "Pen F repair tips" I found in the Articles section was a great help to me, I made this same thing in a different way.
The coupling has to be done in the following manner:
1º - Cock the shutter manually turning the brass gear (1) clockwise, teeth by teeth with the help of a plain screwdriver -20 teeth aprox., until the claw (A) meet its hole in the turning shutter cam (B)-
2º - turn the release button tab (2) fully counterclockwise with some pliers and maintain that position.
3º - put the shutter mech in place while maintaining that position in order to mesh the gears (1) and (2) without backslash.
4º Screw the mechanism in that position taking care not to unmesh the gears
5º - Trigger the shutter with the trigger arm (C) and try winding normally. If the gears were meshed right, the shutter will cock with only one stroke.






Hope someone can understand what I just wrote, HA!

Now and finally, I'll try to install the mirror box again.

But before that I wanted to ask if it is normal in the Pen FT that the winding be that stiff. You can feel the gear movements teeth by teeth as you move the wind lever. Is that normal or it is sign that it needs lubrication?



Thank you a lot again.
Nicolás

Add Your Message Here
Post:
Bold text Italics Underline Create a hyperlink Insert a clipart image

Username: Posting Information:
This is a private posting area. Only registered users and moderators may post messages here.
Password:
Options: Enable HTML code in message
Automatically activate URLs in message
Action:

Topics | Last Day | Last Week | Tree View | Search | User List | Help/Instructions | Program Credits Administration