Had to pick between a whole shutter rebuild or just cleaning the old one

Old Nikon F2 shutter was dragging at 1/1000, so I had to decide between a full tear-down rebuild or just giving it a good clean with lighter fluid. I went with the clean first, and after 45 minutes of work it runs like new again. Anyone else risk the easy fix before going all in?

2 comments

2 Comments

hugo_coleman2829d ago

The 1/1000th drag on an F2 is usually just gummed up lube, not a full rebuild issue. 45 minutes with lighter fluid seems like a lot for a simple clean though. Did you check the mirror box foam while you were at it?

hugo_moore28d ago

That 45 minute soak makes sense if you've got years of old gummy lubricant caked in the gears. I've done it myself on a few F2s and it saved me from pulling the whole shutter mechanism apart. But I actually disagree about the mirror box foam being the main culprit for the 1/1000th drag. In my experience, that drag is almost always from old grease on the slow speed escapement, not the foam. The foam issue is a separate problem that shows up as sticky mirror bounce or light leaks through the viewfinder, not a specific shutter speed problem. I'd say check the foam for sure, but don't expect it to fix the 1/1000th drag if the lubricant is the real issue.