Minolta Hi-Matic 7 shutter stuck

[Grandpaspix]

I just purchased a hi-matic 7 and the shutter is stuck. Any ideas on a starting point to resolve the problem?

I did see a thread on a stuck shutter for a hi-matic 9 how similar are they?
Thanks in advance

 

[FallisPhoto]

I just purchased a hi-matic 7 and the shutter is stuck. Any ideas on a starting point to resolve the problem?

I did see a thread on a stuck shutter for a hi-matic 9 how similar are they?
Thanks in advance

The Hi-matic 7 has a Seikosha LS shutter. The Hi-matic 9 has a Seikosha LA shutter (both made by Seiko). They are close enough that that thread for the Hi-matic 9 may be useful, but this will probably help more: http://pheugo.com/cameras/index.php?page=seikosha&WEBMGR=f4b1822371e822285be0d5e4d5bfdf2a

If you can just get it down to the state it is in in the first photo, you can clean the gearing with an artist's watercolor brush and clean the shutter blades with cotton swabs. Use plenty of naptha to clean everything, flush the dirty naptha away with fresh naptha, and that should unstick everything if your problem is due to dried lubricant (which it is 90% of the time). If not, then that seikosha shutter tutorial will help you to dig deeper and find the problem. When taking apart a Seikosha on a Hi-matic, be careful to watch out for shims. If yours has any, and they fall out, you'll never get them back exactly in place. You sometimes find shims between the shutter and the lens.

Edit: One thing to check right away is if the self timer has been activated. If it has, then that can jam the shutter solid. The second photo in that link I provided shows the self timer escapement in the upper right. That is what you'll have to clean to get it running again if the self-timer has been activated.

 

[mooge]

the shutter is accessed from the front. that notched ring behind (kind of thing) the lightmeter cell unscrews... the rest is pretty self explanatory. the front lens element must be removed at some point- this can be pretty tough to do. I used some jam-jar opening device...

it's also a good idea to open up the whole thing- top+bottom cover, remove lens frame. that way you can get at the rear elements... makes shutter cleaning less tricky.

take lots of notes and pictures. good luck!

 

[Grandpaspix]

Thanks to both of you for your information. It sounds like I will have a short delay in working on this camera while I wait on a spanner wrench, it looks like I have everything else. No guts no glory

 

[FallisPhoto]

Thanks to both of you for your information. It sounds like I will have a short delay in working on this camera while I wait on a spanner wrench, it looks like I have everything else. No guts no glory

Forgot to mention that some of the first screws you will have to remove are hidden. They are under that trim ring with the lever on it that you use for focusing.

 

[Grandpaspix]

Hmmmm are there some hidden screws in the top?

I took the retainer ring on the front of the lens off, gently removed the trim ring and pulled the wires back, removed three screws, the apature and shutter spead rings and unscrewed the front element. The blades were closed and I carefully wiped the blades with lens cleaning tissue wet with lighter fluid and the blades snapped open, at this point they didn't change when I tried to adjust then, I also tried moving them with a toothpick. I figured that I needed to take the lens all of the way off...

Took the bottom off, took all of the screws I could find out of the top and took off the leaver and rewind knob but it still feels tight, took the leather off of the front and loosed the lens but I am stuck until I can get the top off.

 

[FallisPhoto]

Hmmmm are there some hidden screws in the top?

Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner on this. I thought this was done. No. It's always been pretty straightforward for me. If you have removed the visible screws, the film advance lever and the rewind knob, I can't think of any reason offhand why the top cap shouldn't just wiggle off.

 

[Grandpaspix]

Thanks again, the top is off and I did get the shutter to fire on the bench. I still need to clean quite a bit more, things are pretty dirty then I can start reassembly.

 

[Sauli Särkkä]

How's this project advancing? I should be receiving a Hi-Matic 7 with stuck shutter within a few weeks to get my dirty hands some experience with Minoltas of this vintage. A Hi-Matic F should also follow, with a different kind of problem.


-Sale