Yashica Electro 35 GT, shutter problem

[pablokornfeld]

Hello, I have a Yashica Electro 35 GT which seems to work normally except that the shutter blades don't open completely. It is possible that there is oil on them, but in any case it's not visible, so I would need to disassemble the shutter in order to reach the blades from the other side. All I've found on the net about disassembling the shutter stops before this crucial step. Does anybody have an idea about how to do it? Thank you!!

 

[b1bmsgt]

Hi pablokornfeld,

There are so many components that would have to be removed before you reach the shutter blades that it is basically an impossible job.

Everything you see here would have to come out. I certainly wouldn't want to try it...

Russ

 

[pablokornfeld]

Hi Russ,
Thanks for the advice. I supposed it would be so. I've tried to clean the blades from the front (it worked in two other GT's with a similar problem) but without results and I thoght that may be there is a way to disassemble the shutter in halves, like the old compurs and similars...

 

[b1bmsgt]

Yeah, I wish that were the case. I've found that the Electro shutters are very easy to mess up if you get a little too much cleaning fluid in them. They tend to just freeze up for some reason that I have yet to figure out. That certainly doesn't happen with the older shutters...

Anyway, wish I could be more help. 🙁

Russ

 

[f16sunshine]

I have had good luck with a touch of zippo fluid . Use a toothpick to apply it very sparingly.

 

[btgc]

Russ, doesn't rear halve of shutter come off like on mechanical Copals? I haven't worked on Copal ELEC so don't know.

 

[b1bmsgt]

It probably would, but there are numerous wires from the metering components in the lens barrel that come through the rear of the shutter assembly to the metering head. There is virtually no slack, so in order to separate the shutter from the rest of the camera you would have to desolder them from their many attaching points, and then resolder them on reinstallation.

😱😱😱😱😱😱😱

:bang::bang::bang::bang::bang::bang::bang:

Russ

 

[micromoogman]

It is possible to disassamble without cutting the wires. You can slack them by pulling them gently. My problem is that my shutter blades just fell apart inside the lens whilst using it. So instead of tossing it I need to put them back correctly. I have six bigger blades and three smaller, so what I'm doing now is to figure out how they should be installed...

 

[gho]

I also had this problem with a Yashica Electro GSN. It is not too difficult to address from the front. You have to remove the optical component of the lens from the front, this exposes the shutter blades. There is somewhere an instruction about how to do it on the net (see picture by b1bmsgt). You simply have to screw off the lens-assembly. Then I put a bit of residual free lighter fluid on the shutter blades and gave the shutter a bit of exercise. In a next step I added a bit of graphite on the blades, but I would not recommend that, because if you are not careful you will end up with some specles of graphite on the lens after reassembly. Well, I cleaned that off (takes another disassembly) and now the camera is working fine. A bit risky. Good luck.

 

[b1bmsgt]

Again, it is very easy to render the shutter inoperative if you get just a little too much fluid in it. Believe me! I've done it! 😱

Russ

 

[b1bmsgt]

It is possible to disassamble without cutting the wires. You can slack them by pulling them gently. My problem is that my shutter blades just fell apart inside the lens whilst using it. So instead of tossing it I need to put them back correctly. I have six bigger blades and three smaller, so what I'm doing now is to figure out how they should be installed...

Wow! Good luck getting that back together...


Russ

 

[micromoogman]

Is there an exploding view of the lens/shutter construction to be found somewhere? Or does anyone know how the shutter blades should be put back correctly? The smaller "blades", I believe, are washers for three of the blades.

 

[ki_]

I've found that the Electro shutters are very easy to mess up if you get a little too much cleaning fluid in them.

The same happened to me. I decided to be consequent and poured more and more fluid (lighter fluid) inside, dry with a micro sleeve, operate a few hundred times and doing so on and on. Eventually blowed some air inside to dry it (with my mouth). Finally I made it work again 🙂