Leica m2 hard to wind.

Radost · Oct 29, 2024

Hi,
I got a great deal on an M2. Cleaned and lubricated the slow speeds.
Tried to do the same for the winder “which winds hard” but without success. Unless I don’t know exactly where to do it.
When I look on the inside it looks like a sticky substance has leaked inside. I don’t know if it is dried lubricants.
Gears look fine.
Any tips will be appreciated.
I don’t really want to spend money to send to CLA. Not this year

250swb · Oct 29, 2024

As a diagnostic run some WD-40 or naphtha into the mechanism and see if that frees it up. It should hopefully loosen any sticky grease or other substance but when it evaporates the grease will harden again over a few days, but you'll know what you need to clean.

mshchem · Oct 29, 2024

Does the rewind knob turn freely without any film?

Radost · Oct 29, 2024

mshchem said:
Does the rewind knob turn freely without any film?

No.

Sirius Glass · Oct 29, 2024

Like it or not, time for a CLA because it is likely to have other problems either now or soon. Or you could return it.

GregY · Oct 29, 2024

Sirius Glass said:
Like it or not, time for a CLA because it is likely to have other problems either now or soon. Or you could return it.

SG, i think it depends on the description of the camera to begin with. From the other side, as a seller, i would not accept a return from a buyer who has opened the camera and "lubricated the slow speeds." DIY and Leica don't go together very well IMO.

Radost · Oct 29, 2024

I

GregY said:
SG, i think it depends on the description of the camera to begin with. From the other side, as a seller, i would not accept a return from a buyer who has opened the camera and "lubricated the slow speeds." DIY and Leica don't go together very well IMO.

am not returning the camera. Purchased it for very cheap. Also I want to learn to service them myself. I have heard and got bad experiences with the usual CLA suspects.

GregY · Oct 29, 2024

Radost said:
I

am not returning the camera. Purchased it for very cheap. Also I want to learn to service them myself. I have heard and got bad experiences with the usual CLA suspects.

R, sounds like it requires a proper overhaul.....rather than a superficial CLA.
BTW. " the usual CLA suspects" is a pretty sweeping statement.
Have you tried DAG? I have had nothing but great service from Don.....

Radost · Oct 29, 2024

GregY said:
R, sounds like it requires a proper overhaul.....rather than a superficial CLA.

I am teaching myself how to service them. Too much hassle sending them to people. Also like I said I had bad CLA/service with 2 different people. One of them actually broke my camera

jimjm · Oct 29, 2024

Is the sticky substance just inside the film chamber, or have you removed the top cover and seen it inside? Either way, that's not a good sign that you will be able to remedy the camera's problems yourself, if you are not experienced at servicing M bodies. Lubricants don't usually melt and migrate to different areas, unless someone used the wrong type of oil and just doused the insides. If the wind lever is stiff and the rewind knob does not turn, you'll probably need to do a complete teardown to bring it to reliably functional condition.

Radost · Oct 29, 2024

jimjm said:
Is the sticky substance just inside the film chamber, or have you removed the top cover and seen it inside? Either way, that's not a good sign that you will be able to remedy the camera's problems yourself, if you are not experienced at servicing M bodies. Lubricants don't usually melt and migrate to different areas, unless someone used the wrong type of oil and just doused the insides. If the wind lever is stiff and the rewind knob does not turn, you'll probably need to do a complete teardown to bring it to reliably functional condition.

Thanks. NAFTA usually helps with gears but not in this case.

OAPOli · Oct 29, 2024

There is a repair manual available for the M2. I wouldn't flush WD-40 as was suggested above. That stuff doesn't evaporate, it flows everywhere and has a strong smell.

GregY · Oct 29, 2024

OAPOli said:
There is a repair manual available for the M2. I wouldn't flush WD-40 as was suggested above. That stuff doesn't evaporate, it flows everywhere and has a strong smell.

Good advice.....

Radost · Oct 29, 2024

OAPOli said:
There is a repair manual available for the M2. I wouldn't flush WD-40 as was suggested above. That stuff doesn't evaporate, it flows everywhere and has a strong smell.

I use white nafta/ Lighter fluid for it.
I have a repair manual but it has very little illustrations.

ic-racer · Oct 29, 2024

Hard to know what is wrong. Can you post pictures of the problem areas?

mshchem · Oct 29, 2024

Radost said:
I use white nafta/ Lighter fluid for it.
I have a repair manual but it has very little illustrations.

Micro liters. I have used old Kodak movie film cleaner, heptane and a CFC. Got a couple old Hasselblad backs going. Be careful. Less is more!

MattKing · Oct 29, 2024

FWIW, I believe you mean Naptha, as NAFTA is a very different thing indeed!

Don_ih · Oct 29, 2024

Don't squirt any solvent inside the camera, unless you want the curtain to be ruined.

That the advance is stiff with no film in the camera is more suggestive that the camera was not assembled correctly the last time it was taken apart than anything to do with lubricants. Clean any goo you can see with a q-tip with lighter fluid on it. All those gears can have a very light oil coating at the most - they don't need massive lubrication (if any). If everything is lined up properly, it should be effortless to advance.

There's no reason he (or anyone) shouldn't learn to service the camera. There's nothing magical about it.

awty · Oct 29, 2024

You will need to remove the top plate then the outer casing to clean it properly.
You need special tools to do the job. There are plenty of you tube vids showing how its done.
Dont just just pour liquid in, that will just further push what ever is gumming up the works further in.
I have never pulled one apart, but have done a few Barnacks. Just dont dig too deep as it becomes complicated and requires someone who knows what they are doing.
M2's are a valuable camera and worthy of paying someone to fix correctly.

mshchem · Oct 29, 2024

I would find someone who can do a proper CLA. Either that or use it as is, maybe it's just hungry for Tri-X

Radost · Oct 29, 2024

awty said:
You will need to remove the top plate then the outer casing to clean it properly.
You need special tools to do the job. There are plenty of you tube vids showing how its done.
Dont just just pour liquid in, that will just further push what ever is gumming up the works further in.
I have never pulled one apart, but have done a few Barnacks. Just dont dig too deep as it becomes complicated and requires someone who knows what they are doing.
M2's are a valuable camera and worthy of paying someone to fix correctly.

I have the tools.

Don_ih · Oct 29, 2024

Maybe everyone should stop assuming Radost is incompetent and just accept that it's his camera and he is free to do what he wants with it.

Radost · Oct 29, 2024

Don_ih said:
Maybe everyone should stop assuming Radost is incompetent and just accept that it's his camera and he is free to do what he wants with it.

Thanks
I also have no use for an M2. “as i said i got a crazy good deal on it”. I don’t have a 35mm lens and have m3 for my 50 90 135 and minolta cle for my 28mm.
As I said i want to learn how to service CLA my own cameras till I die.

mshchem · Oct 29, 2024

Radost said:
Thanks
I also have no use for an M2. “as i said i got a crazy good deal on it”. I don’t have a 35mm lens and have m3 for my 50 90 135 and minolta cle for my 28mm.
As I said i want to learn how to service CLA my own cameras till I die.

Hopefully you are a slow learner

GregY · Oct 29, 2024

mshchem said:
Hopefully you are a slow learner

Leica m2 hard to wind.

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