Exakta VX v 4.2 Stuck Shutter Speed Dial Repair

[EBlz]

Hi everyone,

I just purchased an Exakta VX (US Market Varex, Version 4.2 from 1954) for a great price. The listing said that it wound and fired, which to my pleasant surprise was true. The viewfinder is relatively clean, there aren't any pinholes, and in general it just needs a deep clean. However, there one a significant issue; the shutter speed dial is completely frozen in place. Pulling the dial up to change speeds is an impossible task. I was going to attempt to repair this myself, by first soaking the dial in lighter fluid overnight to loosen the corrosion, and then unscrewing the central cap to clean the inside, but I was wondering if anybody here has experience with Exakta repair, and has any tips for this process, such as realigning the dial correctly.

My Exakta's shutter dial and winding mechanism, for reference. This camera has seen a lot of use over the years, but some aspects are quite nice, and a clean will do a lot. (No dents on the prism finder is always a win, especially with the earlier pointed design).

Thanks for all the tips you can offer!

 

[Valkir1987]

A nice find. Some of the V and VX models have a yellow sticker inside the back from the distributor in New York. Split screen focus is technically a rangefinder...

A little penetrating oil, heat and patience should do the trick. The parts are made out of brass with a chrome finish, and they can break when too much pressure is applied. You can try to unscrew the slotted screw in the middle of the dial with a screwdriver that exactly fits. The position of the dot is aligned with little shims underneath the screw.

I never had an Exakta with a stuck shutter dial. But there is a chance that the pin inside the shutter selector is bent.

 

[EBlz]

Update: A dash of lighter fluid and the right sized screwdriver and with little effort it came apart. Corrosion had caused both parts of the speed dial to freeze together, but with q-tip and alcohol, much of the corrosion came off. The Exakta is a very clever design; it does not matter how you line up the shutter speed dial on reassembly, as each notch corresponds to a different shutter speed. Let's say you take it apart when wound and set to 1/25th. If you choose another hole and reassemble it, the center dial may indicate 1/50th, or 1/100, or 1/1000, which is what it will be correctly set as. While I was in there I flushed the shutter mechanism, which cured the problems with 1/25th acting like T. Checking the speeds against another Exakta (VX IIb) in my local camera shop, they seem to be in the same ballpark, so mission accomplished!

 

[rick oleson]

I have disassembly and repair notes in the Exakta folder in this free download:

Dropbox

www.dropbox.com

 

[Valkir1987]

I have disassembly and repair notes in the Exakta folder in this free download:

I found the trick of gluing new curtains to a piece of the old one without replacing the ribbons very helpful. I used it successfully on the Pentacon F.

Most of the original Ihagee service manuals (German) can be found here.

Ihagee Reparaturanleitungen und Ersatzteillisten