Seiko SLV shutter CLA'd but speeds seem slow still.

[Oblidor]

I'm fixing a Kowa SW that turns out to be a bit of a nightmare as issues pop up.

So I have taken everything apart and cleaned the shutter, aperture, etc... Now that I have put everything back I seem to have ok slow speeds 1.2s for 1s and 0.7 for 1/2s. But when I come to 1/30 I get 1/14, 1/60 is about 1/33, 1/125 is 1/52, so the camera will be more than +1EV.

Here is what it looked like before I cleaned them: (I always forget photos after)

As can be seen somebody before me has removed some corrosion. The camera had corrosion marks several places. So what I am wondering is if it the the spring that is weak or that I need to take it all apart and sand down the plates above and below the shutter blades.



Any advice much appreciated.

The spring:

 

[ic-racer]

How are you testing the speeds?

 

[Dan Daniel]

I wouldn't recommend sandpaper for shutter and blade parts. Use metal polish. On the blades themselves, also. Then clean with a good solvent.

The main spring area looks dirty, but that could be the lighting or new grease I am seeing.

 

[dxqcanada]

Did you clean the retard/escapement in an ultrasonic bath?

 

[Oblidor]

How are you testing the speeds?

Audio mainly. I also did with video at 1/30 and got abou 1/15.

 

[Oblidor]

Did you clean the retard/escapement in an ultrasonic bath?

No I don't have one

 

[Oblidor]

I wouldn't recommend sandpaper for shutter and blade parts. Use metal polish. On the blades themselves, also. Then clean with a good solvent.

The main spring area looks dirty, but that could be the lighting or new grease I am seeing.

No not the blades. They feel ok and I do want to bend them. Only the plates. I've used 3000 and 5000 grit before on a Voigtländer Perkeo that was rusted, and it is still ok a year later. I'll get some metal polish and try that first.

All photos are from before the cleaning.

 

[monopix]

I think you already have your answer but, just to repeat, if you haven't cleaned the escapement you need to do so otherwise you're wasting your time. You also need a better way of checking the speeds (audio is pointless) and I'd advise reading up on shutter efficiency to understand its effects and why you will never get the speeds you're expecting.

 

[Kino]

Clean the shutter blades with Brasso or similar metal polish.

Chris Sherlock videos on YouTube, where he cleans Kodak Retinas will help with technique.

 

[Dan Daniel]

No not the blades. They feel ok and I do want to bend them. Only the plates. I've used 3000 and 5000 grit before on a Voigtländer Perkeo that was rusted, and it is still ok a year later. I'll get some metal polish and try that first.

Put the polish on a cotton swab and always move from center to edge to avoid catching an edge.

 

[Oblidor]

I think you already have your answer but, just to repeat, if you haven't cleaned the escapement you need to do so otherwise you're wasting your time. You also need a better way of checking the speeds (audio is pointless) and I'd advise reading up on shutter efficiency to understand its effects and why you will never get the speeds you're expecting.

So what is a better way? I know I won't get perfect result, but have not been that far away before.

 

[dxqcanada]

If you do not have an ultrasonic cleaner ... take out the retard escapement and dunk it in a bath of IPA, swirl it about to clean out old crap. The retard mechanism controls the higher speeds.

 

[Oblidor]

So I polished everything, blades, surfaces, escapement but ended up with the same speeds it seems. Doesn't matter, I can just use a yellow filter to cancel out the over exposure or increase iso when measuring the light.

Thanks all for the help

 

[dxqcanada]

Did you correctly adjust the placement of the retard escapement? If you do not know about this then you should take the Nat Cam course on the LCR site.

 

[BrianShaw]

Yep, it does sound as if the A in CLA still needs to be done.

 

[Dan Daniel]

Can you show a photo of the whole shutter assembly? If people can see the escapement installed we might tell you what to do where.