How to clean out a "new version" Linhof 4x5 universal finder

[Vickko]

How to clean out a "new version" Linhof 4x5 universal finder.

I bought one that hadn't been used for years and both movements (distance and focal length) were very very stiff.

And I was surprised at how "unfriendly" this was, for maintenance.

The whole thing comes apart fairly easily, and from the back.

The first thing to deal with is the focal length lens. Turn the rear ring to about the 180mm mark, until the holes in the ring reveal two screws. I suggest you now measure how much the tube is extended, because it is a multi-start thread and you want to engage the correct thread. Take out the two screws and pull off the focus ring. You can now unscrew the entire focus lens, and clean and relube the threads.

Now, the hard part, the focus distance scale. This is driven by the larger knurled ring, through three set screws. The knurled ring drives a brass sleeve, which has a cam cut into the internal surface, pretty much like a zoom lens. The brass sleeve needs to be removed.

But, there is no way that I could find to get the sleeve off, because it looks like it has been soldered in. There is a slot on top of the sleeve, and I ended up cutting the slot to the end, to slide the sleeve off. Once off, I could clean out the zoom slot.

The final thing is then to lube the slider tube of the distance lens. It doesn't come off either and it slides in and out without rotation. I dropped in some naptha, followed by grease, to free up the movement.

Putting everything back (in reverse of the disassembly) is straight-forward. Just be careful of the multi-start thread.

... Vick