Canon QL-17 GIII sticking shutter

[cosmonaut]

I just got another QL-17 that I won on ebay. The camera's shutter sticks at shutter speeds 4, 8, 16, and 30. All of the rest of the speeds seem to work fine. How do you take the lens off for cleaning and what do I clean the shutter with?
Cosmo

 

[agi]

Here one method that I tried and it worked.......

Use lighter fluid.

 

[cosmonaut]

OK I'm in, How much fluid do I use?
Cosmo

 

[Kim Coxon]

As little as possible. 😉 Use a cotton bud, moisten the tip, wipe it over the blades and then wipe off with the clean end. Keep doing this till you get the shutter to fire and then let it dry out. You will probably find it sticks again so repeat. It can take several applications before it all runs smoothly. The important thing is not to flood it with fluid. Otherwise you will just wash more grease onto the blades which will be left behind when the fluid dries out.

Kim

OK I'm in, How much fluid do I use?
Cosmo

 

[cosmonaut]

Thanks Kim, I'll give it a go...
Cosmo

 

[cosmonaut]

I got it going on all but F/4. I have treated it many many times but it is getting better. Once I finish how long will the camera work without cleaning again?
Cosmo

 

[cosmonaut]

Thanks everyone, but even though the lighter fluid helped it never completely worked. I used a couple of applications of carburator cleaner and I seem to be in business. I just thought I would pass the tip along....
Cosmo

 

[dmr]

I used a couple of applications of carburator cleaner and I seem to be in business. I just thought I would pass the tip along....

May I ask what was the exact product (brand, etc., I'm not that familiar with automotive chemicals) you used and where exactly and with what you applied it, and how much?

Reason I'm asking is that I have a Mamiya SD (same basic Copal shutter as on the GIII) which is starting to hesitate at the lower speeds, and I'm planning to tear into it after the holidays.

I used Ronsonol on a Q-tip on one of my GIIIs (an e-bay as-is special) and it's been working fine ever since.

A co-worker also gave me a sample of a very light weight graphite lubricant (kind of a very fine suspension of graphite in what smells almost like Ronsonol) which he used on a clock mechanism. This is very slippery. I was thinking of maybe (yes, very carefully, I know I don't want that splashing around on the iris and lens and such) trying that on the shutter's clockwork mechanism.

 

[cosmonaut]

The specific brand was Lube Job, carb and choke cleaner. I sprayed a small amount on the end of a q-tip and gently rubbed it on. Two applications done the trick. It even freed up the aperature as well. I think all carb and choke cleaners are basically the same thing, Good Luck and keep me posted...
Cosmo

 

[dmr]

The specific brand was Lube Job, carb and choke cleaner.

Thanks for the quick reply. I'm leaving town this evening, so I won't try this until after the holidays. I'll let you know how it comes out. 🙂