Yashica Electro 35 CC film advance lever hard to remove.

[shire.boi]

Hey everyone, need some help here.

I was trying to get the top of my camera off to clean the viewfinder and adjust the rangefinder but the screw that holds the film advance lever just won't turn. I've already done the mortal sin of marring the top of the screw trying to get it off and I'm worried if I put too much force into it I'll just snap something and ruin the whole thing.

I've tried a bit of heat with a soldering iron as per Yashica-guy's suggestion but it hasn't helped. I could try more heat but I don't want to melt anything. I could try a few drops of something and see if that gets rid of anything?

I'm guessing the previous owner had it cemented in or something because from all the videos and instructions I've seen it shouldn't be this hard to get it off.

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance! 😀

 

[dourbalistar]

EDIT: Correction, you do need to take the lever off. The linked thread has details which I should have read all the way through!

Haven't tried it myself yet, but apparently you don't need to take off the film advance lever for the 35 CC. I found this thread on the forum when doing some research about cleaning the 35 CC's viewfinder:
https://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=96210&highlight=yashica+electro+35+cc

 

[farlymac]

If you continue reading that thread you will find that yes, the winding lever does have to come off.


If it has been thread locked, then a drop or two of alcohol (the 91% stuff) should loosen it up, and removal is counter-clockwise.


PF

 

[dourbalistar]

If you continue reading that thread you will find that yes, the winding lever does have to come off.


If it has been thread locked, then a drop or two of alcohol (the 91% stuff) should loosen it up, and removal is counter-clockwise.


PF

Well, I stand corrected, thanks farlymac!

 

[shire.boi]

Thanks for the help guys,

Isopropyl didn't work but a bit of methylated spirits and just a little more force and the screw popped free. I thought the thing was glued it but it doesn't look like it, just really really stuck I guess.

Everything else is going well so thats good news!

 

[Dwig]

Thanks for the help guys,

Isopropyl didn't work but a bit of methylated spirits and just a little more force and the screw popped free. I thought the thing was glued it but it doesn't look like it, just really really stuck I guess.

Everything else is going well so thats good news!

Perhaps it is a left handed (reversed thread) screw.

 

[shire.boi]

Perhaps it is a left handed (reversed thread) screw.

It is not a left handed screw or else I wouldn't have gotten it off.