Re: [Leica] M3 rangefinder cleaning advice

[P2CON@aol.com]

Hi Gregoire'

Don't be too put-off by the responses you get to your question from the LUG. Most Luggers are afraid to get a screwdriver anywhere near their M's.

Here is a URL to a clasic camera repair forum on the net. You can join in and ask your question there and expect to get a knowledgeable answer.  

http://www.kyphoto.com/classics/forum/

I would think if you have Romney's booklet on the Leicas you could probably get pretty well into it. He, (Romney) does not mention anything about left-hand threads on the rewind knob removal, but ask someone who knows for sure.

Regards, Paul Connet

Gregoire writes:

> What can I do? In other words, I can dismantle the advance lever by
> friction, the speed knob (easy), the two flash synch knobs and the
> viewfinder eyepiece (easy too), and the screw in the bayonet, but cannot
> dismantle the rewind knob, because of the badly worn screw in the middle of
> it. Is there someone who already encountered this problem, and how to solve
> it? (I have to block the rotation of the film canister holder in the body I
> suppose, while trying to unscrew this, but is it in the anticlockwise sense
> I have to turn (I promise, It's not me who damage the screw ;-) or is it
> like in some Asahi Pentax where some screws are in the non-usual turning
> sense (this would be nonesense as one has to turn the rewind knob clockwise
> in order to rewind film, so tightening the screw).
> 
> I know that the M3 rangefinder is not the same as the latter ones. So, If
> you have some advices on cleaning it and adjusting it, I will be very
> pleased to hear it (pay attention to this, the vertical adjusting system is
> that one, turn this sense to lower, use preferentially this type of fluid to
> clean dust or do not use any fluid etc.
> 
> I never worked on M, but I'm quite usual with rolleiflexes (early ones and
> 3.5F with the awful differential system, for the ones who know what I mean),
> so I'm quite confident with my repair skills and hability, but would like to
> have some advice for the inner of the M3, mostly the rangefinder parts.
> 
> In the worst case, I would drill the screw and replace all the rewind mech
> by another one, but have no replace parts now, so this 
> would be the last
> resort.
> 
> Thank you in advance
> 
> Gregoire Vandenschrick
- --
To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html