Zorki 6 CLA advice needed.

[fidget]

I’ve recently acquired a Zorki 6, after reading generally positive comments on the model here, I scouted the Bay and bagged a nice example which was apparently in “excellent condition”. Despite this encouraging description and in common with most of my FSU auction wins, it didn’t work. This need not be a big problem, they are generally cheap and easy to work on. Information and links on this site will help me to delve into its innards, but a little advice from fellow screwdriver wielding enthusiasts would help a great deal. I haven’t seen this fault before (they all had different problems). The second shutter curtain follows the first without a gap. As I make more attempts to fire the shutter, the more successful curtain movements are seen. The shutter speeds (when they DO work) appear to be about right.
I hope that a simple CLA within the top shutter mechanism will do the job, but maybe this is a deeper fault, any ideas?

 

[Jocko]

Hallo Fidget! You must have bought the few lemons I missed! This is not going to be the answer you want , but I bought a cosmetically excellent yet otherwise knackered Zorki 6 which I sent to Oleg (press the link to Russian Cameras) for new blinds and a CLA. Now I have an utterly perfect camera, which is a sublime picture-making instrument. If no-one here can offer an easy remedy "send it to Oleg " is the best of advice.

 

[Iskra 2]

Now I have an utterly perfect camera, which is a sublime picture-making instrument. If no-one here can offer an easy remedy "send it to Oleg " is the best of advice.

Fidget, Oleg's "The Man". 🙂 :angel:

 

[Stu W]

Fidget, try Rick Olesson's site. According to Rick the first place to start on Leica type cameras is the large gear set on the bottom. According to Rick dry grease and dirt tend to accumulate there and will wreak havoc with shutter opening. As your camera is not a bottom loader, these gears may be accesible by removing the bottomplate? Rick has always been a valuable source of fix-it tips. Stu

 

[reagan]

fidget ~ Yep, sounds like your Z6 has been overrun with the dreaded FSU Gunk ~ old grease that has sat dormant for lo these many years until it turns into a wax-like, gummy, vile substance. Common in both cameras and lenses. Though it is rather nausiating to clean, the Gunk does seem to do it's job of preserving whatever it coats. But you gotta get rid of it make the instrument a user.

Oleg is a hands-down sure thing... he'll get you rolling in great shape. But here's a note from a thread you've probably already read. It sounds like it might be something to try before shipping to Oleg. Hey, Oleg can [probably] fix anything you mess up, so if it were me, 🙄 I might give it my best shot before shipping it back across the Big Water. And yeah, definately check out Oleson's site for help. He's also a great one to answer emails if you have questions.

The following post came from this thread.

10-28-2005, 10:44 #6
I had a sticky curtain on my Fed-2, and found careful application of lighter fluid to the gears (and a tiny bit to the metal trough the curtain guides ride in) made all the difference in the world. I worked the heck out of the mechanisms while doing this, and made sure to get no fluid near any of lens/viewer glass or on the curtains themselves.

Whereas before it was just sort of...gummy? or slow? now that curtain slaps home with a satisfying "snick!" and it seems much more of a precision instrument.

Fifty years of grime and dust can take a toll. I plan the same treatment on the '57 Zorki 4 I just received yesterday!

Welcome to the Zark Side... and Good luck!

 

[fidget]

Thanks, I will make my great attempt when I get a couple of hours to spare. As you say, may as well have a look if what I leave can be fixed/turned into a collection of spares/etc. <This might have to wait: just trying to fight off an attack of yearning for a Bessa R (this might be a GAS attack? but where I come from, if you have GAS, nobody wants to be your (close) friend).>

 

[fidget]

So, I've managed to have a "go". Removal of the bottom doesn't reveal the gears, unfortunately. I dribbled some solvent along the baseplate on the inside of the chamber, trying to ensure that none got on the curtains, then ran a drop of oil in. After removing the top it was fairly easy to see that the little timing escapement wasn't catching the back curtain pawl. In other cameras I had noticed that this little curved lever escapement is sometimes bent, often with plier marks on it. It dawned on me that it wasn't low enough to trap the 2nd pawl reliably so I bent it, a little too far at first as the B setting wouldn't release the 2nd curtain, then....just right. A clean oil/grease of what I could see and re-assembly.
I would like to tell you that this has been a success, but that is not entirely true. All speeds work nicely, with appropriate timings (as seen via the computer monitor tests) except that at 1/30 the 2nd curtain sort of hangs around in the middle of the aperture until the wind lever is moved just a couple of millimeters, when it snaps shut. On "B" the 2nd curtain again never makes an appearance! I will think about this a little more...maybe the solvent didn't help. Anyway, I feel that I can claim that it is improved from it's original condition which I suspect has been that way from new (which could explain why it was in such good cosmetic condition).
Now, I wonder where this tiny piece of metal came from......... :bang:

 

[brians]

Hmm, speak of the devil. I need to clean out my viewfinder of my Z6. Apparently Oleg didn't read my note!! 🙁

But other than that, he repaired the curtains and stuff for CHEEEEEEEP. I know it looks almost exactly like my Zenit B SLR, but the problem is.... the thread for the tripod is slightly bigger... 3/8 vs 1/4".......

I believe it was about $40 bucks shipped back to me after CLAing.

 

[fidget]

Brian, I would say that cleaning of the VF/RF assy will be quite easy. It needs only the removal of the top (carefully and with good tools and leather covered plier jaws). After cleaning the internals and refitting the top you will have the thrill of adjusting the vertical RF alignment on the little prism viewer. OTOH, if a little piece of metal falls out of yours as well, you might think it wasn't worth the risk! Enjoy! If you fancy a go, here's the pictorial low down: http://muj.proit.cz/roman/z6disass/

As a matter of interest, I was surprised that the VF is amongst the brightest of my FED/Zorki/Kiev4 cache. Although the viewing window is only the same size as the FEDs, this is noticeably brighter. The RF spot is also bright, easily the best I have seen on my FSU RFs. I expect that this will be much easier to focus in dim conditions. Can't wait to fix mine and shoot with it.

 

[clarence]

Hello,
I was searching the old threads for some relevant advice to the fault in my Zorki 4.

After reading Kim Coxon's very comprehensive notes, I think that upon cocking the shutter, the 2nd Curtain release lever refuses to engage the 2nd Curtain latch. The shutter cocks completely on the high speeds, but on the slow speeds, it does not cock completely. As the shutter is cocked, the overlap of the two shutter curtains can be observed to move rightwards (as seen from the back), and stopping just before disappearing into the shutter crate (as it normally would at the high speeds).

All high speeds are working perfectly fine. At the slow speeds, the slow speed mechanism is engaged, but the the 2nd curtain is not engaged. This means that the clockwork gears do turn, but the 2nd curtain returns as fast as it would on the high speeds, instead of being delayed by the slow speed mechanism.

I've flushed everything with lighter fluid, to no avail. I think the fault might lie with the physical connection of the mechanisms. Opening up the escapement will be daunting, so please advise.

Thank you.

Clarence

 

[clarence]

Greenwich eventide bump. Can anyone help?

Thanks.

Clarence

 

[clarence]

The problem seemed to have resolved itself. All shutter speeds are now working perfectly. Oh well. Hurray.

Clarence