Exakta VX v 4.2 Stuck Shutter Speed Dial

Hi everyone,

I just purchased an Exakta VX (US Market Varex, Version 4.2 from 1954) for a great price. The listing said that it wound and fired, which to my pleasant surprise was true. The viewfinder is relatively clean, there aren't any pinholes, and in general it just needs a deep clean. However, there one a significant issue; the shutter speed dial is completely frozen in place. Pulling the dial up to change speeds is an impossible task. I was going to attempt to repair this myself, by first soaking the dial in lighter fluid overnight to loosen the corrosion, and then unscrewing the central cap to clean the inside, but I was wondering if anybody here has experience with Exakta repair, and has any tips for this process, such as realigning the dial correctly.



My Exakta's shutter dial and winding mechanism, for reference. This camera has seen a lot of use over the years, but some aspects are quite nice, and a clean will do a lot. (No dents on the prism finder is always a win, especially with the earlier pointed design).



Thanks for all the tips you can offer!

Having taken the shutter speed dial off my Varex before, there's little risk of misalignment since there's a drum with a pin that sits in a series of holes. When you go to replace and re-tighten the retaining screw, just make sure it's aligned with one of the index marks.