Fed 4b CLA

B

blacknoise

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Hey there,

A few weeks back I CLA'd my Zorki 4K following the guide on this page. I also have a Fed that could do with a CLA, how much of this guide would apply to the Fed? are there any major differences I should look out for?

Thanks

Rob
 
If you can manage a 4K then you'll find a FED 4 is similar enough that you shouldn't have any problems. Some things to point out to you:

1) The winder spring doesn't fly off like on a 4K so go ahead and remove the winder lever.

2) DO NOT be tempted to undo the screw in the middle of the light meter calculator. It has nothing to do with removing the top cover and it's a pain to refit the meter when it falls out - trust me, I learned the hard way!

3) Be careful when you remove the top, it's quite a jiggle to get it over the rewind wheel and it's pretty easy to catch the wire leading to the photocell as you do it. Remove the diopter bezel and screw the tube until you can push it as far as possible into the cover. Beware also that the tube has a washer over it, under the top cover. This will probably fall out at some point so be aware that it is there and make sure you recover it and refit it before replacing the cover.

4) To remove the RF window (the weak prism), slide the cover towards the VF window and it'll pop out. Don't lose the wavy spring that holds it in place! You don't need to do this to get the top off though.

5) When you've removed the VF bezel, frame-counter/wind-lever, rewind collar and shutter speed dial there are just the 4 screws around the top cover that hold it on. May seem like there's something else but there isn't!

Oh, and good luck!
 
blacknoise said:
hey

Thanks for the help 🙂

Going well so far....

But how do i get at the shutter? the front shell doesnt seem to be removable like the zorki :S
Click to expand...
From memory the shell comes off the crate in a similar way to the 4K - take off the lens mount, the body screws and the self-timer arm. I'll take a refresher look at mine later but that's what I recall...
 
When I've removed the lens mount, self timer and the front screws, the shutter mechanism seems wobbly but definitly held in by something at the top, It could be the shutter speed selector or something, but the screw in the top of it seems stuck fast.

Any ideas?

Rob
 
I'm struggling to remember now, since it's a while since I pulled a FED 4 apart. I don't recall anything more than you've done (I'm assuming you have removed the top ok) but I may be wrong!

As for the stubborn screw, I think you mean the one in the centre of the speed selector, accessible after taking the dial off? Never had them be especially tight. Use the biggest screwdriver you can get in there BUT you need to hold the selector somehow. If it's that tight and you use brute force it'll most likely break the selector lug off - they're quite brittle. First, soak it in penetrating oil for 24hrs or more. If that fails to work, try a few seconds-worth of a pencil blowtorch (CARE!), that often breaks things free...
 
hey,

Decided I'd leave the shutter alone as there was no real problem with it, just though it could do with a once over since I was in there. But it proved too difficult for that.

As for the lightmeter dial, mine was broken (the pointer moved by the dial didnt move), so i tried to dismantle, but only made things worse. I cant figure out how the little spring on the needle fits, or how the cam on the underside of the dial meshes with the needle, also i cant figure out how to screw the dial down properly, the little nut just keeps spinning 🙁

Any ideas?

Thanks for all your advice by the way 🙂

Rob
 
Rob,

I can solve the the screw on the calculator dial for you! I made the mistake of undoing this on a 4 myself. Look carefully at the light meter mount and you'll see it's in 2 parts. One part attaches to the meter and the other to the inside of the top cover. 2 small screws mount the two parts together (and they have oval holes to allow adjustment) Remove the meter by separating the two parts then you can access the calculator centre-nut to hold it still. Be careful with the meter, it's pretty delicate.

I'll see what I can sort on how to reassemble the snail-cam of the calculator!
 
hey

I'm going to have a shot at what you said tomorow, but the one thing i cant figure out is where the little spring on the pointer goes, think thats the problem with mine, I can get the cam to line up properly, but it doesnt move the needle all the way, it seems to stick.

Also, im currently relubing the i-61 lens that came with it, Ive applied some "servisol silicone grease" from maplin on the helical. It felt smooth but still stiff, so I dismantled it and cleaned a little off, still same problem. any ideas? Since you seem to be the expert 😛

Thanks

Rob
 
I've done about half a dozen I-26/I-61 lenses and followed Kim Coxon's instructions. I used the silicone grease from Maplins too and yes, they're a little stiff after but nothing excessive. Did you REALLY clean both parts of the helical thoroughly? I used wooden cocktail sticks to get right into the threads without damaging them. Don't forget to lube the end plates where they rotate too.

By the way, I'd not call myself "expert" but thanks for the compliment!

If you can wait a bit I can have a look at one of mine to see where the spring goes but it'll be a few days at least...
 
hey,

I cleaned the helical threads out with a wooden kebab skewer and rubbed it down with some lighter fluid. Seemed pretty clean, but might relube it all. Roughly how much grease should I use?

I think that the spring needs to be trapped under the bracket for the meter, but im not sure, cos it doesn't seem to work.

your CLA guide for the zorki is excellent by the way, it really helped me to understand how the camera worked as well as giving me a camera that was actually usable.

Thanks

Rob
 
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