M2 - Distance roller damaged?

[FTography]

Hi everyone,

when I recently picked up my Leica M2 after some neglect, I noticed that it must have been hit during my last move or so, as the rangefinder is no longer responding to changing focus on my lenses.
I found that the little distance "roller"/lever does no "press" against the back of the lens and falls wherever gravity will make it. I tried photographing it as best as possible: http://imageshack.com/f/hjtaaCYWj

Am I missing a part here? I don't have a second M to compare with and never paid much attention to that detail.
Am I looking at a complicated/expensive repair?

Thanks for your help!

 

[x-ray]

It shouldn't extend out of tge body. This looks normal. Take your finger and exercise it gently by pushing the lever back and releasing pressure while looking through the VF. You should see focus shift. It not then it may just be some gummy lube in the RF. Probably just needs a cleaning and lube. This wouldn't be expensive. There's always a chance of damage but that's unlikely.

In the dozen or more M bodies I've owned none extend outside the body. The lens extends into the body and the follower runs on the cam that slightly extends beyond the lens back. Your camera is normal.

 

[FTography]

Hi x-ray,

you're right, I was a bit off with my description - the roller does not "press" against the back of the lens. [Changed my wording in the original post.]
I.e. It falls wherever gravity leads it. I know it should normally have a bit of a pressure against the back of the lens to always follow its movement, which is what's not happening here...

 

[02Pilot]

If it's moving without resistance, a spring is either broken, dislodged, or missing - my money's on dislodged. I don't know enough about the innards of that particular camera to say with certainty, but I suspect it will be found under the top cover, acting upon the upper portion of the shaft that carries the RF cam roller.

 

[nobbylon]

There is a long spring on the bottom of the rangefinder mechanism which Hans either dislodged or broken. If als you say the roller flops back And forward then this is the problem.
The top Neede to come off And then look at the bottom of the rf mechanism. You Will see a spring and probably verify the problem.
To fix it the rf mechanism needs to be removed.

 

[FTography]

Thank you for all your responses, I now have a much clearer idea of what's wrong. So I will have to have this repaired, I suppose...