Olympus 35RC shutter speed problem

[CafeConLeche]

I recently bought a broken 35RC, trying to fix it myself. First time working on a 35RC, running into a bit problem. Without having a working 35RC i can compare with, i can't really tell if I have correctly narrow down the problem.

I noticed when I adjust shutter speed to B, most of the time the shutter will not hold open when I click and hold the release button. Took it apart, noticed in the shutter speed gear, there is a pin, that's spring loaded, and seems it should always leaning against the shutter speed dial. As the dial turns, it pushes the pin and adjusts the shutter speed gear to the correct position. For my camera, this pin doesn't seem to have enough tension to lean against the dial.

I took apart the shutter speed gear, cleaned everything with lighter fluid, put it back, still the same. Lub it with thin oil, still the same. Now I am staring to have doubt if this is really the problem. If you are familiar with repairing this component, could you tell me if this pin is indeed ALWAYS leaning against the dial? or if something else may need to be looked at.

Thank you

 

[wallace]

maybe this article can help:

http://www3.telus.net/public/rpnchbck/Oly_RC.html

where do you live? If somewhere in Europe, then I could send a functional RC to you to compare. Right now I do not have the time to check.

 

[CafeConLeche]

Wallace, I appreciate your offer to send me a RC to compare, but I live in California. So the postage itself probably already worth more than what I paid for this camera. Never the less, it was very nice of you to offer a completely stranger your camera.

And thanks for the URL, I have also checked that website before, but the only photo showing this pin is when it's at the non-Bulb position, so it doesn't really help.

Well, the camera is here to stay, so if you become available the future and if I still haven't got it fixed, please help me check.

Thanks.

 

[farlymac]

I've got one that is in working order...if you can consider a busted film transport being in working order. But the shutter works fine, and I just replaced the seals, and reglued the film counter dial that had come loose. I'll take the top off, and check on the position of that pin sometime in the next couple of days. Am currently putting another camera back together, and don't want to get sidetracked again.

PF

 

[CafeConLeche]

Thanks, appreciate it.

 

[farlymac]

Cafe, I finally got to looking at mine, and after watching the action through a few shutter actuations, that pin is supposed to be against the shutter speed cam at all times. It sort of kicks to the photo left (a micro-meter at most) when the shutter is tripped, but returns right away to the speed cam. There must be a spring down in the guts there that puts tension on this pin. I only tore my camera open enough to see the pin, but maybe you can see from the rear side (photo bottom) what spring might be in play here. Or, remove the speed cam to look down at the setting pin. Good luck.

PF

 

[CafeConLeche]

Thanks farlymac. That confirmed my theory, the spring that pushes the pin probably doesn't have enough tension anymore to consistently push it back to the cam. Now I know what to fix.

I guess I need to find replacement spring somehow, and I am also guessing this spring plays an important role in triggering the shutter speed, so probably too much/little tension would cause inaccurate shutter speed.

thanks again, farlymac, appreciate your help.

 

[farlymac]

You're welcome. If the spring is just wrapped around a post, with one end against the pin, and the other anchored against something else, you can easily retension it by spreading it a bit. Say the two ends of the spring are about 90 degress apart, spread them until they are 120 degrees, then test the action on the pin. Other types of springs can be retensioned also, but the methods vary.

PF

 

[CafeConLeche]

Got it fixed.... turns out, it's not the tension problem.....

After confirmed it's the shutter speed gear problem, I focused on that part only. I tried to pull one arm of the spring while it's in stuck position, and it didn't help at all, it got stuck quite good even extra tension won't free it. So I try to check if anything was bent, or thread damaged, and isolating gear by gear, still nothing. Last time I cleaned it with lighter fluid, it didn't even look dirty to me. This time, I took an unwanted soft tip toothbrush, and start brush cleaning it thread by thread in every gear, clean up all the oil I put on it. Put everything back.... VOILA!... smooth as butter. I swear it didn't even look dirty to me, but it was the problem, dirty thread.

I let it run dry since it seems to be running very smooth, no lub needed.

So, if anyone has same problem in the future, this could be the fix.

Thanks farlymac and wallace for your help. Cheers!

 

[farlymac]

That's good news, Cafe. It's amazing how little it takes sometimes to jam a geartrain. And the fact that the RC has an opening to let in all kinds of junk doesn't help (area around the winding lever, notwithstanding the dust shield).

I too got mine to working. Turns out it was something I had seen before on another compact camera, but had forgotten about. If the film is not engaged by the film sprocket wheel, it will cause the take-up spool to slip, as otherwise there is not enough torque to overcome the drag from the film cannister. Until I put a test roll in the camera, and placed my thumb on top of the sprocket wheel to keep the film in contact with it, the film would not advance. Just something I will have to look out for as I use it.

It sure is a joy to use. It's possibly the best handling compact I've ever owned. I really like the shutter speed selector being on top the camera, instead of a ring crowding the lens mount. And the read-outs in the finder are great, too. The rangefinder patch could be a bit brighter, but that's a small thing to quibble about. I've got the 46mm step-up ring on front so I can use my common set of accessories.

I've got one question for you. Is there a light seal in the channel at the bottom of the film cannister chamber? I put one in mine since it appeared there had been one there before, but it makes the door stick, instead of popping open when you pull the release (it rolled, so the sticky back on the seal is facing out in spots). I haven't got my first roll back yet, so I don't know if my seal job works. It was so gummy when I got it, I was afraid to put a roll through it.

PF

 

[CafeConLeche]

There is indeed seal right under the film canister chamber, on the body side, not the door side.

The fact that you mentioned your film sprocket wheel is not engaging correctly, and your door is not popping open, I am thinking could it be the film pressure plate. Because that's suppose to provide enough pressure to keep the film in place including engage to the sprocket wheel when door is closed, and it also does the job of push the door open when door is unlocked.

 

[farlymac]

I did a little search on the subject of the light seals, and came across the instruction sheet from one of Jon Goodman's kits. It shows the seal in the film chamber channel too, so I guess I'll just leave it there, even though it makes the door stick because it rolled when I installed it. I may cut another piece and redo that part of the seal.

The only reason I had trouble with the film sprocket wheel was I did not keep the film engaged with the wheel while loading it, thus the take-up spool slippage. It's just a simple matter of holding it down with the right thumb while working the film lever with the left. I tore apart a perfectly good Yashica 35 ME because of the same thing. At least I got that back together and working correctly.

PF

 

[olind]

I too got mine to working. Turns out it was something I had seen before on another compact camera, but had forgotten about. If the film is not engaged by the film sprocket wheel, it will cause the take-up spool to slip, as otherwise there is not enough torque to overcome the drag from the film cannister. Until I put a test roll in the camera, and placed my thumb on top of the sprocket wheel to keep the film in contact with it, the film would not advance. Just something I will have to look out for as I use it.

Did you manage to fix this film advance problem? I have a similar issue with mine. It works fine for about 5 frames then it starts to slip. Any tips?