Nikon FE rewind knob assembly

Vincent Boman · Jul 26, 2020

Hello. A couple of months ago, I used my Nikon FE for the first time in a long, long while.
When I had finished the roll, I started turning the rewind know counter-clockwise. Of course, explosion.
I had an old FE that I took parts to the rewind knob from, since I couldn't find any parts on the ground outside.
At that time, I managed to assemble the rewind knob, but did a pretty poor job. Now I have decided to get it together properly. But I can't understand how you are supposed to screw the knob on to the shaft, with the small spring in the middle of the washer and pressure plate. I'm sure it has to be there for a reason, but how to assemble it? Or is this not the right order to assemble the parts?
The photo shows the parts that I have, and how I have come to understand the order they are supposed to be assembled.

John Koehrer · Jul 26, 2020

Push the RW shaft upwards and press down on the knob when you screw it on.
The thread on the shaft has to extend far enough for the threads to engage..

sometimes it would be nice to have three hands.

Vincent Boman · Jul 26, 2020

That's what I have done, but it seems like it doesn't fit. Like the spring is too large. And it also ended up uneven, the knob was slightly tilted after I'd screwed it on.

reddesert · Jul 26, 2020

That little silver colored washer with the ramp sticking up needs to have the ramp under the pivot end of the rewind crank. This is what provides the resistance to the rewind crank flipping up, to retain it in either the closed or open position. As you try to screw it together, the washer has a tendency to rotate out of position, which makes the knob not sit properly. Pay careful attention to how the washer is sitting as you screw it on. Also, the spring may go between the knob and the washer, not below the washer.

Vincent Boman · Jul 26, 2020

I am mindful of where the pressure plate is supposed to go. Actually, the first time I screwed every thing back on, the pressure plate was a tiny it misaligned with the arm on the rewind knob, so the arm had very little resistance from the pressure plate, which made it go up if you moved the camera a bit,
Yes, either the spring goes between the washer and pressure plate, or between the knob and pressure plate. But I haven't been able to find any info on how it was assembled in the factory.

BrianShaw · Jul 26, 2020

This really isn’t going to help, but I can commiserate. My FE did that to me too, once. I seem to recall there was a knob, the round part with arm, and another piece. My memory is vague. What’s not vague, though... no matter what I tried I couldn’t get it back together. A 3-minute visit to a camera repair shop had it fixed, and after 5 years or so it hasn’t come apart again.

Vincent Boman · Jul 26, 2020

It works fine without the spring, though it seems it must be there for a reason. But when I put it together without the spring, the arm seems to have a bit too much pressure on it.
When I pull it up, I feel more resistance than I think it should be.

Willyekerslike · Jul 26, 2020

Hi, I have just had a look at my Nikon FE and there is no spring located in the place you are attempting to fit one. I can feel a spting resistance when I pull the rewind knob up to its full extent and when I the release the knob it shoots back down although not all the way.
I suspect that the spring should be around the shaft of the rewind fork as is the case with many makes of camera.

Vincent Boman · Jul 26, 2020

What is the rewind fork? The only reason I think the spring should be under the knob is that, either when I blew up the original knob, or when I took apart the one on my old FE, a spring popped up and I kept it. I thought if it popped up when I removed the knob, it must have been situated somewhere there.

Mamiya_Repair · Jul 26, 2020

Here is the diagram of the knob assembly on Nikon FE

Willyekerslike · Jul 26, 2020

Vincent Boman said:
What is the rewind fork?

Look at the shaft that goes inside the center of the film cassette, now relax and use your imagination, does it not look little like a two pronged fork?

Vincent Boman · Jul 27, 2020

Mamiya_Repair said:
Here is the diagram of the knob assembly on Nikon FE

Wow, thanks! Where did you find this? I did find a similar diagram somewhere, but it didn't include the spring.

Vincent Boman · Jul 27, 2020

Now I put the spring below both the washer and pressure plate, put the knob on, and screwed.
The pressure plate is perfectly aligned with the arm on the knob.
I can't really say that I feel any difference with the spring in there, but now I'm fairly certain that it's back to what it was before.
Does anyone have any idea exactly what purpose the spring serves?

Mamiya_Repair · Jul 27, 2020

Technically, the spring adds about 5 grams of turning force needed to wind the knob. This added friction dampens the turning of the knob so that it turns smoothly when advancing film. The spring is used and shown in the repair manual for the FE, FM and FE2. The FM2 has a different design rewind shaft assembly and does not use the spring.

Vincent Boman · Jul 27, 2020

Mamiya_Repair said:
Technically, the spring adds about 5 grams of turning force needed to wind the knob. This added friction dampens the turning of the knob so that it turns smoothly when advancing film. The spring is used and shown in the repair manual for the FE, FM and FE2. The FM2 has a different design rewind shaft assembly and does not use the spring.

What is the effect of not having the spring there? Does something get worn when you rewind a roll or when advancing the film?

MFstooges · Aug 16, 2020

Vincent Boman said:
What is the effect of not having the spring there? Does something get worn when you rewind a roll or when advancing the film?

If I'm not mistaken the spring is to ensure the fork springs back to original position after you pull the knob to release the film door latch

Whomever · Apr 3, 2021

Hi I realize this an old thread. But have a question, does the safety lTch under the rewind shaft just lock the shaft in the down position or does it also prevent the door latch from being picked, and it needs to be held in the "unlock" position to allow the door to open.
Fyi: pick is in roughly the 7 o'clock position roughly where the door latch is.

reddesert · Apr 3, 2021

The safety spring thing slides a little metal arm into a groove on the rewind shaft, preventing you from pulling up the rewind shaft. Once you've pulled the safety back, pull the shaft up past that arm. You should then be able to let go of the safety latch and keep pulling up the rewind knob, and it should pull up the door catch and open the back.

Whomever · Apr 3, 2021

my rewind shaft fell inside. Zi am using jumbo paperclip in the 7 o'clock position , the hook is a 90⁰ bend, and when.I pull streight up the hook straightens. An someone assist? Thank you

reddesert · Apr 3, 2021

Use something like a pick tool that has a bend in the end. A paper clip probably isn't strong enough. Reach down into the hole and pull up the little metal tab that is protruding slightly into the rewind hole. It is likely at about 10 o'clock if you are holding the camera from the back (as if shooting) and looking down into the hole. This tab is attached to the back latch and will open the door. Here is an image from the Nikon FE repair manual. You're trying to pull up part 708.

Whomever · Apr 3, 2021

reddesert said:
Use something like a pick tool that has a bend in the end. A paper clip probably isn't strong enough. Reach down into the hole and pull up the little metal tab that is protruding slightly into the rewind hole. It is likely at about 10 o'clock if you are holding the camera from the back (as if shooting) and looking down into the hole. This tab is attached to the back latch and will open the door. Here is an image from the Nikon FE repair manual. You're trying to pull up part 708.

View attachment 271372

Thank you,, os the tab the little nub on the door latch(just yo be clear), I tried a dental pick earlier and that too wgent fron a 90⁰ to smeting more like a 45⁰. Is .25" too short, ot just seems to slip off when I pull up.
Her is the vid I had been trying to follow, it shows them picking at 7 O'clock, and using a paperclip(where the hell does these people get the extremely rigid ips) -)

reddesert · Apr 3, 2021

You're trying to find the top end of part 708, which is a little silver piece that protrudes slightly into the hole left by the rewind shaft, several mm below the top of the hole. It's at about 10 o'clock on the FM I just looked at, and I assume same place on an FE (my FE has film in it so I can't look inside). There is a plastic bushing around the rewind shaft, which is retained by the safety latch ,you may have to take that out to see the tab. Anything rigid that can get under that tab and pull it up will work, but it is a pretty firm pull. Hardware stores may have a pick that is stronger than a dental pick. Make sure you are pulling up on the correct tab and not on the safety latch part.

Whomever · Apr 3, 2021

Thank you, I am pretty sure the tab is on the same place, as Nikon used the same body for over 30 years. What do you use for this task?

reddesert · Apr 4, 2021

A soldering pick tool. It has two tapered steel ends, each with a different bend, and is a lot like the bottom tool in this assortment: https://www.mpja.com/6-Piece-Set-of-Soldering-Tools/productinfo/35665 TL/ You might also try finding a straight tool with a small notch in it, like a crochet hook, or filing a notch in the side of a small screwdriver. A spring-hook (used for repairing woodwind musical instruments) is sort of like that. This is a very common repair and a camera shop that does repairs (if there are any) could probably do it in a few minutes.

RMD · Apr 4, 2021

Put a similar reply to a later post on FE2 - the repair manual is here :

https://learncamerarepair.com/productlist.php?keywords=Nikon+FE2

Nikon FE rewind knob assembly

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