Nikkor 180 2.8 all of a sudden, stiff focus?

Dear Team,

We are starting to get our 95 degree days back in south Texas....
Had lens with f3 in camera bag in trunk for 3-4 hours, next day noticed the focusing was stiff....what gives?

If anything I thought a little heat would act like thinning the lubricant on this fine lens...

A) anybody have this happen?
B) more importantly, any remedy for stiff focus, short of a camera technician...?

Thanks for any feedback, it is not the ED version of the lens...

Stay Safe!

Harlequin

The helical grease may have migrated in the heat.
Was it with the 210mm Mamiya 645 lens your other thread references?

Probably boiled off the lighter elements of the lubrication and now it's thick and sticky.
How's the glass? Hazy?

Never leave a camera or lens inside a closed vehicle. The interior can reach very high temperatures. That can ruin a number of things: Optical cement between cemented lens elements, helicoid grease, electronics, and of course, film.

Heat-damaged optical cement is cited as the cause of separation of cemented lens elements. Overheated helicoid grease causes the oil to separate from the thickener and seep into the iris unit leading to oil-fouled aperture blades in spring-loaded full-aperture-viewing SLR lenses. Both the male and female helicoids are aluminum—relatively soft. They must be properly lubricated to work smoothly and prevent metal-to-metal galling.

https://www.google.com/search?source=hp&ei=xcDJXt38DO-Fgge1wpW4DA&q=how+hot+inside+a+closed+auto+in+the+sun?&oq=how+hot+inside+a+closed+auto+in+the+sun?&gs_lcp=CgZwc3ktYWIQAzIICCEQFhAdEB46BQgAEIMBOgIIADoHCAAQRhD7AToHCAAQRhD_AToGCAAQFhAeOgUIIRCgAToFCCEQqwJQrQtYk4UBYMeHAWgCcAB4A4AB5QyIAbxUkgEQMS4zMC40LjIuMy43LTEuMZgBAKABAaoBB2d3cy13aXo&sclient=psy-ab&ved=0ahUKEwid88SNoMvpAhXvguAKHTVhBccQ4dUDCAg&uact=5