Electro 35GT - shutter stuck open

N

nthearle

NickT
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Apr 14, 2008
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I took a chance on an ebay purchase of a 35GT described as faulty. It seems to meter OK, in that the yellow and red lights come on at about the right level but the shutter is stuck open. It stays open with a battery in or out. Can anyone please tell me how easy this would be to fix, and prefereably how to do it? Thanking you in anticipation.
 
Are the aperture blades working, or are they stuck as well? Probably lubricant or dirt, or a combination thereof, is keeping the shutter blades open. You'll have to remove the front lens element and front parts of the shutter and use a little naphtha to try to dissolve the crud and clean the shutter and aperture blades. If that's not the problem, then something out of place in the shutter mechanism may be jamming the shutter. The service manual, with pictures of the lens and shutter disassembly, is at http://www.scribd.com/doc/19302555/Yashica-Electro-35-Service-Manual.
 
Thanks for the reply and the link to the service manual. I'd seen this before but not in such a convenient format.

The iris blades are free and I have removed the lens and shutter assembly from the camera. The trouble is it does not look like the manual at all, in so much as I can't see the 'scalloped ring' which allows access to the shutter. I've removed the front element I think (two separate lens elements and several rings and selector ring too) leaving me with:



I can't remove that black ring with the three holes in it. I've gripped it with pliers and it will not turn. I don't know if the scalloped ring is behind it, or if I have some different variation on the standard model?
 
Okay, you removed the front lens elements from the entire front lens cell, leaving the lens mount in the lens barrel. You need to unscrew the cell mount, which is just inside the ring with the three holes. That will reveal the scalloped ring.
 
Thanks again for the information. That part won't move either and there are no obvious locating points for any sort of tool. I think this is one dead camera.
 
I took one apart and see that you've removed all the lens elements, leaving just the mount. Cut a circle 1-1/4 inch in diameter or so from rubber gasket material or an old rubber glove or such, glue it to the end of a section of wooden dowel rod the same diameter, and try unscrewing the mount with that.
 
Thanks again for a good suggestion. I tried with a broom handle and a rubber glove. The glove tore and it's still stuck. I need a larger diameter wood cylinder and some bicycle tyre inner tube and I'll give it one last go. I'm not too hopeful though.
 
I've taken hundreds (literally) of Electro's apart and I have never seen one in quite the condition of yours. I am fearful that you have done some serious damage to it to get to this point. Best of luck with it...

Russ
 
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