Yashica electro 35 gsn loose wires and shutter opening issue

[OcamRzr]

Hey Guys
It seems stuck shutters are following me everywhere 😉
So I managed to find a yashica electro 35 gsn in good condition cosmetically.It had the typical POD issue which I fixed.But when I opened the camera to fix it,I noticed that it had a bunch of wires which had come loose somehow already.(hence nothing happened when I tried a battery)
I tried to figure out using the manual and after a lot of google searches nothing concrete turned up.

I have included pictures below,they are hosted on flickr if you want a higher resolution view.

As for the stuck shutter,The shutter button trips the shutter mechanism and it fires (after fixing it a bit) but the blades don't open.I assume its something to do with the blades and I'm going to try to clean them with lighter fluid tomorrow.Is petrol a viable option for the cleaning process as well? or a definite no no?

As usual thanks in advance 🙂

 

[02Pilot]

Have you looked at this?

http://mattsclassiccameras.com/yashica_shutter_trblsht.pdf

 

[OcamRzr]

I've been to that site many times,never quite saw that PDF though. Thanks for the link. I'm trying to make sense of the diagram on the last page. Will report if I succeed 🙂

 

[Petrolhead]

Red wire 1 goes to point a of the circular ring. There should be 2 red wires there.
White wire 1 goes to pad 5a of the pcb in page 10 of the PDF
White wire 2 goes to checker base pcb in fig 1 in page 9 of the PDF

Hope this helps. All these information are given in good faith and l cannot be held responsible if it cannot fix your camera or if it gets worst.

 

[OcamRzr]

Thanks for the help @PetrolHead, I had fixed it before though,sadly the over/under bulbs are fried,the battery check light fires up though.

BTW I have a follow up question,how do I open the lens shown in the picture further? or is that it? Coz there seems to be a slight whitish (fungus) coating on one side of the inside surface of it.

 

[02Pilot]

I'm not sure if you can separate that group further. Could what you're seeing be balsam separation between elements? Do you have picture of the back handy?

 

[OcamRzr]

I'm not sure if you can separate that group further. Could what you're seeing be balsam separation between elements? Do you have picture of the back handy?

I'm not quite sure,but here you go I've included a picture of the back as you requested.Also one more of the front where you can see quite clearly (left center) what I'm talking about.

 

[02Pilot]

I never had to disassemble that part of my GSN's lens, so I'm not going to be much help, I'm afraid. It does look more like fungus than separation. Perhaps you could use the rubber stopper trick to see if part of that front ring will turn? I can't tell if there are any seams on the back portion that might indicate a removable section.

 

[Frontman]

It is fungus, but it will easily clean up. You need to separate the front retaining ring to remove the front element. Use a tool to hold the back half of the lens assembly, and use a spanner or rubber gripper to remove the retaining ring. The front element will come out easily once the retaining ring is removed. It is rare that the fungus etches the glass in Yashica lenses, especially the lenses in the GSN, so it should clean off completely with a little lens cleaning fluid. Be careful to blow out any dust. I sometimes have to take the lens apart and blow it clean three or four times before there is no visible dust.

 

[nparsons13]

I had fixed it before though,sadly the over/under bulbs are fried,the battery check light fires up though.

Did you test the continuity of the wires when you reconnected them? Also check the solder joints at the switches. The loose wires indicate that your camera has had a bad case of battery corrosion even though the battery compartment looks relatively clean. Sometimes the corrosion can eat its way along the wiring well into the camera. I've found wires loose from the main circuit board at the top and corroded connections at the release-rod switch board because of an old battery, with only a little corrosion on the battery spring itself. Also, keep in mind that even though the switches are gold-plated, corrosion can eat away the base metal under the gold, and the gold then flakes away. Corrosion can also deteriorate the wires at the solder joints. In one such case I had success with a total switch replacement.

Some might say just toss this camera and buy a new one, but it sounds like you like a challenge. Best of success with it.

 

[OcamRzr]

I never had to disassemble that part of my GSN's lens, so I'm not going to be much help, I'm afraid. It does look more like fungus than separation. Perhaps you could use the rubber stopper trick to see if part of that front ring will turn? I can't tell if there are any seams on the back portion that might indicate a removable section.

Oh,thanks for the help anyway.There are no seams on the back portion of the lens either.Seems like the front part will come off with a rubber stopper or something as suggested.

It is fungus, but it will easily clean up. You need to separate the front retaining ring to remove the front element. Use a tool to hold the back half of the lens assembly, and use a spanner or rubber gripper to remove the retaining ring. The front element will come out easily once the retaining ring is removed. It is rare that the fungus etches the glass in Yashica lenses, especially the lenses in the GSN, so it should clean off completely with a little lens cleaning fluid. Be careful to blow out any dust. I sometimes have to take the lens apart and blow it clean three or four times before there is no visible dust.

Thanks for the instructions.Will try that out and see how it works out.Yeah I will make sure I get all the dust out,thanks for the tip.

Did you test the continuity of the wires when you reconnected them? Also check the solder joints at the switches. The loose wires indicate that your camera has had a bad case of battery corrosion even though the battery compartment looks relatively clean. Sometimes the corrosion can eat its way along the wiring well into the camera. I've found wires loose from the main circuit board at the top and corroded connections at the release-rod switch board because of an old battery, with only a little corrosion on the battery spring itself. Also, keep in mind that even though the switches are gold-plated, corrosion can eat away the base metal under the gold, and the gold then flakes away. Corrosion can also deteriorate the wires at the solder joints. In one such case I had success with a total switch replacement.

Some might say just toss this camera and buy a new one, but it sounds like you like a challenge. Best of success with it.

oh,the battery compartment was clean,though from the looks of it the camera looks like it was opened earlier so very well might the case of a leaky battery.Sadly though when I was checking the wires after reading your reply,on of the wires connected to the under bulb came off from the bulb side :\,but on the bright side I found another camera,will use this as the organ donor 😉. And adapt the lens from this one for my nex.

Yeah the satisfaction you get after fixing a old broken camera,after all the struggle is immense and the challenge is exciting 🙂

Thanks for the help!

 

[OcamRzr]

Lucked out on another electro.

Lucked out on another electro.

Hey guys,
Just wanted to give an update on the situation.

As I mentioned before I was about to acquire another electro 35, I managed to get another electro 35 and electro tl x for about $10 equivalent at a antique shop.

The electro 35 just had a old film roll stuck in it,which had jammed the film advance lever and the shutter.I just removed the film,popped in a battery and voila,it is fully functional 🙂.It just needs a bit of a clean up and may be replacement of light seals.

The electro x though, I can't see anything through the viewfinder,I suspect a stuck mirror.Lets see.Will bug you guys again if I run into any issues with that!

Thanks

 

[Petrolhead]

Retaining ring removal

Retaining ring removal

It is fungus, but it will easily clean up. You need to separate the front retaining ring to remove the front element. Use a tool to hold the back half of the lens assembly, and use a spanner or rubber gripper to remove the retaining ring. The front element will come out easily once the retaining ring is removed. It is rare that the fungus etches the glass in Yashica lenses, especially the lenses in the GSN, so it should clean off completely with a little lens cleaning fluid. Be careful to blow out any dust. I sometimes have to take the lens apart and blow it clean three or four times before there is no visible dust.

Hi Frontman,
Thanks for sharing but l never had success unscrewing the retaining ring. It was very tight and l have tried everthing from freezing/heating to applying a very small amount of WD 40 and letting it sit overnight, all with no joy. The same applies to the rear group.
Is there any trick as to how the retaining ring is removed, did you encountered any problem or it just unscrews with ease ?
Thanks

 

[Frontman]

Hi Frontman,
Thanks for sharing but l never had success unscrewing the retaining ring. It was very tight and l have tried everthing from freezing/heating to applying a very small amount of WD 40 and letting it sit overnight, all with no joy. The same applies to the rear group.
Is there any trick as to how the retaining ring is removed, did you encountered any problem or it just unscrews with ease ?
Thanks

Often when you try to remove the front group, only the retaining ring comes off, other times the entire assemply threads out. What I do to remove the retaining ring is to put a couple drops of paint thinner around the edge. WD40 would make it difficult for the tools to grip, and be tough to clean off.

To hold the lens steady, I use a set of Leatherman pliers, and grip the threaded end of the lens. I grip with the oval part of the pliers, never the tips. Don't worry, the threads get marked, but the lens will still thread back in easily. I use a slotted lens spanner to remove the retaining ring. I let the lacquer thinner set for a couple minutes, then add another couple of drops. If you don't have a lens spanner, a tool can be made with a knife or thin ruler which will fit in the retaining ring slots. You can file or grind out your tool so it doesn't touch the glass. Be sure to hold the tool flatly and firmly so it doesn't slip out of the slots.

You need to remove the shutter assembly to get out the rear group, as there is not enough room for the retaining ring and rear lens element to fit though the back of the camera. You can use the same technique for separating the lens.

 

[OcamRzr]

Often when you try to remove the front group, only the retaining ring comes off, other times the entire assemply threads out. What I do to remove the retaining ring is to put a couple drops of paint thinner around the edge. WD40 would make it difficult for the tools to grip, and be tough to clean off.

To hold the lens steady, I use a set of Leatherman pliers, and grip the threaded end of the lens. I grip with the oval part of the pliers, never the tips. Don't worry, the threads get marked, but the lens will still thread back in easily. I use a slotted lens spanner to remove the retaining ring. I let the lacquer thinner set for a couple minutes, then add another couple of drops. If you don't have a lens spanner, a tool can be made with a knife or thin ruler which will fit in the retaining ring slots. You can file or grind out your tool so it doesn't touch the glass. Be sure to hold the tool flatly and firmly so it doesn't slip out of the slots.

You need to remove the shutter assembly to get out the rear group, as there is not enough room for the retaining ring and rear lens element to fit though the back of the camera. You can use the same technique for separating the lens.

I was just trying to open it up with no luck,will use these tips you mentioned and try again.

On a separate note does anyone have any links to the service manual for Yashica tl electro x by any chance?

 

[Petrolhead]

To hold the lens steady, I use a set of Leatherman pliers, and grip the threaded end of the lens. I grip with the oval part of the pliers, never the tips. Don't worry, the threads get marked, but the lens will still thread back in easily. I use a slotted lens spanner to remove the retaining ring. I let the lacquer thinner set for a couple minutes, then add another couple of drops. If you don't have a lens spanner, a tool can be made with a knife or thin ruler which will fit in the retaining ring slots. You can file or grind out your tool so it doesn't touch the glass. Be sure to hold the tool flatly and firmly so it doesn't slip out of the slots.

You need to remove the shutter assembly to get out the rear group, as there is not enough room for the retaining ring and rear lens element to fit though the back of the camera. You can use the same technique for separating the lens.

Thanks for the tips. I will try your technique on the 2 x 35's that is on the way to me in the mail😀. I see you are located in Tokyo, Japan and it must be a good place for classic camera collector like yourself with many Yashica's floating around in abundance.

I was just trying to open it up with no luck,will use these tips you mentioned and try again.

On a separate note does anyone have any links to the service manual for Yashica tl electro x by any chance?

Let me know if you have success opening the retaining ring. Try goggling for the manual, I am pretty sure it is hosted in more than one site.

 

[farlymac]

Here's a tip, Ocam. Keep your WD-40 as far away from your cameras as possible. It's one of the worst things to use when working on a camera. It seeps into places you don't want it, and because it has a high water content, that means you could have internal parts rusting up all over the place. And it's really hard to clean off of a lens element. Just don't use it. Ever. Again.

PF

 

[OcamRzr]

Thanks for the tips. I will try your technique on the 2 x 35's that is on the way to me in the mail😀. I see you are located in Tokyo, Japan and it must be a good place for classic camera collector like yourself with many Yashica's floating around in abundance.



Let me know if you have success opening the retaining ring. Try goggling for the manual, I am pretty sure it is hosted in more than one site.

Will surely let you know,will be doing it this afternoon.Yeah,user manuals are plenty,service manual is the issue.

Here's a tip, Ocam. Keep your WD-40 as far away from your cameras as possible. It's one of the worst things to use when working on a camera. It seeps into places you don't want it, and because it has a high water content, that means you could have internal parts rusting up all over the place. And it's really hard to clean off of a lens element. Just don't use it. Ever. Again.



PF

Good to know that ,will keep that it mind 🙂

 

[OcamRzr]

success

success

The update as promised.
I did not use anything like wd-40 or the likes, I just used double sided tape and a lid,the entire front assembly came of not the retaining ring as suggested in an earlier post.Below are the photos of what I did.

 

[sevo]

Here's a tip, Ocam. Keep your WD-40 as far away from your cameras as possible. It's one of the worst things to use when working on a camera. It seeps into places you don't want it, and because it has a high water content,

It does not have a high water content - on the contrary, it displaces water. But it has mobility issues (will creep into places where no oil is supposed to be) and is corrosive on its own account (containing additives that convert and passivize rust, which may oxidise non-ferrous metals).