Nikon F3HP - Meter Coupling Ring Slow

[Shawn Rahman]

The black ring containing the meter coupling lever on my F3HP is just a tad slow to return to the desired position when I go from small to large apertures. It takes about a half second for the meter display to register the correct speed.

No problem going from large to small apertures, and otherwise the camera does not need a CLA. But I can only imagine it will get worse over time.

It appears to be a lubrication issue - and if I can somehow do this work myself, I would like to try it. Anyone have any suggestions? WD-40 a no no?

Thanks!

 

[Chan Tran]

actually by carefully spray some WD-40 fixes the problem. I did it with my Nikon FM. If it's not serious, moving the coupling quickly many times could fix it too.

 

[unclemack]

Strongly recommend against spraying WD40 on any camera! It's a seriously bad idea, please don't do it. It's easy for a repairer to clean the assembly, which is probably all that is needed.

 

[dentkimterry]

I had one that was that way. I sprayed wd40 on a cotton swab and dabbed it around the ring in different spots working it under the ring. That cured it.

Terry

 

[Raj]

The black ring containing the meter coupling lever on my F3HP is just a tad slow to return to the desired position when I go from small to large apertures. It takes about a half second for the meter display to register the correct speed.

No problem going from large to small apertures, and otherwise the camera does not need a CLA. But I can only imagine it will get worse over time.

It appears to be a lubrication issue - and if I can somehow do this work myself, I would like to try it. Anyone have any suggestions? WD-40 a no no?

Thanks![/QUOTE

Spray some WD 40 in an empty film can, take the smallest screw driver available, dip it in the can of WD 40 and dab the lubricant at various points between the black and chrome rings. Wipe off the excess WD 40. Operate the ring a few times. Do this procedure with the lens removed and ensure the lubricant does not spill in the mirror chamber, locking the mirror and ensuring the camera bottom is away from you is of some help.A steady hand and patience are a must.

Raj
From beautiful and exotic India.

 

[Nicholas Lindan]

WD-40 will, over time, turn to goo as the solvents and lighter oils evaporate. It's great at getting stuck things turning again, but after that's done it is often best removed and replaced with a proper oil. 'Household' oils do the same thing.

If you don't have access to Nye instrument or clock oils the next best thing I have found is automatic transmission fluid (ATF). Pick up a small drop with a toothpick and apply around the ring - you only need the smallest amount. Don't apply any excess as it will simply migrate.

After ATF, I would just use plain old SAE 10W-30 engine oil.

 

[Paul Goutiere]

Never, ever use WD-40 on anything but the likes of gate hinges and car doors. If you cannot find the right oils like "Nye" oils, send the camera to someone who does.

WD-40 is rubbish.

 

[lxdude]

WD-40 was designed to be water dispersant, hence the WD in its name. Its intended use is not as a lubricant, though it has some lubricating qualities. It will not remain stable, and will likely cause problems later. A tiny amount of One-Lube could be okay, and I have used 0W-10 synthetic motor oil successfully on delicate mechanisms. Don't use silicone, especially CRC silicone lubricant, which has very aggressive solvents which will damage paint or plastic.

 

[John Koehrer]

I'm another who will recommend against WD40.
In the past years it was a remove, clean & lube with the light oil on a lens tissue. Enough lube remains after the ring is wiped to clear up the problem & not hold dust, which is the original problem.

The drop of lube you use is mostly wasted since it takes so little to lubricate the ring. Actually most things in a camera. There are a very few latch points in most cameras or shutters where you may want to leave a visible dab of grease and fewer where you would like to have oil flowing around.

 

[John_Nikon_F]

On another note, is there any impact damage on the camera, namely on the rewind side of the camera, near the prism? It may not be a lubrication issue, but impact damage that's causing the coupling ring from returning to rest. My F3P has a similar problem, but it now only occurs if the ring is moved all the way to the f/45 position. That's due to the impact damage that was caused by the previous owner dropping it. Also has a loose PC socket and a dead F3-specific hot shoe. Also seems to have affected the shutter speeds above 1/60.

Previously, it was also slow, and the service tech used some Hexane to clean the ring, then reassembled it. Got rid of the slow response, but the ring still hangs as mentioned above. Luckily, no AI/AIS Nikkor has f/45 as a setting on the aperture ring.

-J

 

[BobD]

Do not use WD-40 on any part of any camera for any reason at any time.

 

[Deniz]

For future reference, its called TRIFLOW.

Use it and praise it!