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Watch out for the CLA trap on older Nikon F bodies
Had a week last October where three different Fs came in with the same issue - shutter dragging at slow speeds. All three had been 'professionally CLA'd' by the same guy in Ohio according to the owners. I cracked one open and found he just sprayed lighter fluid on the curtains and called it good. Two of them had sticky residue eating into the shutter tapes. Anyone else seeing a flood of these half-done jobs coming through lately?
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stone.evan2mo ago
Lighter fluid on the curtains. Man, that's a new low. You gotta hit the slow speed escapement and the brake drum at minimum, otherwise they're just making a mess.
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the_anna2mo ago
Did you check if the drum had any bent fins before you fixed the escapement?
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rowank6921d ago
Holding back on the brake drum adjustment is actually the smarter play here. If the curtain material is already loaded with lighter fluid, the extra friction from a freshly tightened drum can cause uneven burning when the timer kicks in. You want the drum to spin a little loose so the fluid distributes evenly across the fabric before the fire starts. Slow speed escapements are finicky anyway - if the fins are bent, you're just wasting time on a part that should be replaced outright. Why mess with a half-working brake when you can let the escapement do its job and focus on the real problem?
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