TIL a drop of isopropyl alcohol can fix a sticky film advance lever

Had a Canon AE-1 come in last week with a lever that felt gritty and wouldn't return all the way. I was about to start a full teardown to get at the spring, but on a hunch I put one tiny drop of 99% isopropyl on the lever's pivot point and worked it back and forth. The old grease dissolved and it's been smooth for three days now. Has anyone else tried this trick on other models, or is it a bad idea long term?

2 comments

2 Comments

brooked4028d ago

My buddy Mark had a Pentax K1000 with the same gritty lever problem. He used a drop of 91% isopropyl on the pivot, just like you said, and it freed up right away. That was over a year ago and he's shot maybe twenty rolls since with no issues. It seems like a solid fix for old grease that's just gummed up, not for actual broken parts. I'd be careful with anything plastic though, the alcohol could cloud it.

vera_adams28d ago

My old Minolta SRT-101 had a shutter speed dial that was totally locked up. I was ready to soak the whole top plate, but a local repair guy just dabbed some lighter fluid on a q-tip and ran it around the base of the dial. It broke up the old oil and it clicks perfectly now. He said for old metal cameras, sometimes you just need to flush the old lubricant out and let it run dry.