Tried fixing a stuck shutter on a 1978 Pentax with a drop of lighter fluid

I was working on this old Pentax K1000 that had a shutter curtain that wouldn't budge. Instead of taking the whole thing apart, I figured I'd try a tiny bit of lighter fluid on the pivot, like an old trick I'd heard about. It actually freed it up for about ten shots, then the whole curtain gummed up worse than before. I learned that quick fixes on old cameras can really backfire and make the proper clean-up job twice as hard. Anyone have a better method for freeing up old, sticky shutter mechanisms without causing more trouble?

2 comments

2 Comments

clairebaker20d agoTop Commenter

Pouring fuel on the fire, literally. Classic case of a fix that works until it really, really doesn't.

singh.blair19d ago

My 1982 Nikon FE had the same problem last year. I tried the lighter fluid trick and ended up with a shutter that looked like it was coated in maple syrup, so I feel your pain. Clairebaker is right about it being fuel on the fire. These days I just use a tiny bit of pure isopropyl alcohol with a toothpick, but even that makes me nervous.