Do pre-AI Nikon lenses need lubrication?

[chip j]

I was thinking a little shot of clock oil around the focus collar might help. Thanks.

 

[AgX]

Helicoids are lubricated with grease. Then adding oil will likely result in a mess. Actually it would do so even with a dry helicoid. The oil would run where it should not.

 

[Marco Gilardetti]

Agree. It's the helicoid that should be cleaned and re-lubed. Putting oil just on the collar would be quite useless, and it may begrime the lenses and the shutter blades. Lubricating oils are amazingly capillary and get almost everywhere, if you just give them some time.

 

[MartinCrabtree]

Disassemble clean and use damping grease to lubricate.

 

[E. von Hoegh]

I was thinking a little shot of clock oil around the focus collar might help. Thanks.

That's a wonderful idea! While you're at it, take the lens off the camera and give the mirror box a good shot of WD-40. Be sure to get plenty in around the shutter curtains. Opening the back and spraying the sprocket and takeup spool would be good, too.
Be sure to spray around the advance lever, shutter speed dial, rewind knob & shaft, shutter release, etc..

 

[BrianShaw]

That's a wonderful idea! While you're at it, take the lens off the camera and give the mirror box a good shot of WD-40. Be sure to get plenty in around the shutter curtains. Opening the back and spraying the sprocket and takeup spool would be good, too.
Be sure to spray around the advance lever, shutter speed dial, rewind knob & shaft, shutter release, etc..

Kinda mean spirited and not very useful reply... wouldn't you agree?

 

[E. von Hoegh]

Kinda mean spirited and not very useful reply... wouldn't you agree?

I would have thought that it was over-the-top stupid enough that it would be taken as sarcasm, especially since the first three posts gave excellent advice.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Have it done or do it properly with grease. Oil will migrate and foul the shutter and the iris.

 

[John Koehrer]

That's a wonderful idea! While you're at it, take the lens off the camera and give the mirror box a good shot of WD-40. Be sure to get plenty in around the shutter curtains. Opening the back and spraying the sprocket and takeup spool would be good, too.
Be sure to spray around the advance lever, shutter speed dial, rewind knob & shaft, shutter release, etc..

Chuckling a bit here. The first camera I worked on in school was a Nikon F that someone did that to. That there's a learning experience.

 

[cooltouch]

You can find proper helicoid grease on the bay.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/HELIMAX-XP...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649

 

[E. von Hoegh]

Chuckling a bit here. The first camera I worked on in school was a Nikon F that someone did that to. That there's a learning experience.

I've worked on many clocks and watches that got that treatment. WD- 40 is great stuff in many ways, but it's miserable to remove after the carrier evaporates and it dries up.
It seems that basic lubrication principles - "if it spins, oil; if it slides, grease" - something most any farmer understood in say 1960 have been replaced with "spray it with something"
The problems with the m16 rifle, due to inappropriate lubrication make interesting reading.

 

[John Koehrer]

" The problems with the m16 rifle, due to inappropriate lubrication make interesting reading.[/QUOTE]"

After MacNamara decided to spend the extra couple of bucks on the plated chamber, that solved a lot of problems.
I successfully fired three round with the M16 I had in VN, Never tried it again. Crew member in a Huey & used an M60 once in a while.