Rolleiflex 3.5 F shutter speed, aperture dial lubrication

I know there was just a similar thread about this on a 2.8 c but since that uses a lever which mine doesn't have I though I'd make a new thread.

I have a rolleiflex 3.5f which could definitely use a CLA. However, at the moment I don't have the funds or the time. I'm planning a trip to Europe in May and I need every last dime. Also the camera still takes gorgeous images and the shutter speeds and focus seem correct.

The dials are stiff. They still can be turned but are stiff. Is there any way to put a drop or two of light oil I'm there to get things moving a little better without messing everything up? I know what it really needs is to be cleaned and lubricated but I don't think I should take it all apart.

There is a lot going on inside the lens shroud. Here's the inside of a Minolta Autocord-



It uses simple levers to move the gears. A Rolleiflex has a gear at the end of each dial driving the large lower gears you see.

And the the F has the meter coupling. So not only do the dials move the indicator rings, they move other parts going back into the camera body. As one part of this, for example, there is this part shown in an Ebay listing (just one in the camera)-
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rolleiflex-...213?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item258ac09a75

Well, just to give you hint of what is going on inside that F. I can't see oil doing much good. The odds are that the problem is coming from places the oil will never reach, and the oil will find places it shouldn't be. I'm not sure what the best answer is- either just work with the stiff dials, or that they indicate a serious problem that needs to be fixed or risk losing shots- but dripping oil inside is not a good idea.

Thanks for that. The wheels seem to better the more I move them so I'm just gonna use the crap out of it than get a CLA when I get back. Is there anyone recommended for a CLA that would be a little less then the usual $350? I'm in Austin Texas if that matters, though I'll be in Germany around Munich for about seven days if there's someone awesome there.

I would try a tiny bit of lighter fluid, not oil, and do as you're doing, work the dials back and forth. The lighter fluid will evaporate off, the oil will continue to migrate who knows where?

I recommend Paul Ebel, although he may not be any cheaper, and his wait list may be quite long.

I tried the lighter fluid trick and moving it a bunch and it works a lot better now! Thanks

I know this a old thread but where does one apply the lighter fluid?

Canuck said:

I know this a old thread but where does one apply the lighter fluid?

Click to expand...

I can't tell you where the OP applied the lighter fuel, but it is a miracle cure, for about 24 hrs. If it gets into the places it should and loosens things up it adds a liquid oil element back into old gummy grease, and then it evaporates and things turn gummy again. The one thing that it does is confirm old grease is the problem and not a fundamental mechanical problem.

If you take the plate off you can use an electronic spray to clean everything. It dries quick and leaves no residue and a couple of drops of oil in the right places will free it up for now. Getting the plate back on is tricky.