Can anyone recommend where to purchase a set of spanner wrenches for a Leica?

michaelbialecki · 08-20-2012

Hello everybody,

After flying from Bangkok to L.A. and then from L.A. to Miami about 4 weeks ago I noticed that the top plate on my M6ttl is loose....this is not the first time that this has happened and I usually get it fixed in Bangkok at my local camera store, I know it's an easy fix and I have already read up on it.....and I have been lectured by Sherry K. on how to avoid this from happening (wrap my camera in foam to absorb the vibrations)

Anyways, I just got back from a 4 day cruise to the Bahamas and the top plate of my M6ttl really needs some tightening up now....I am going to meet some rff members in San Francisco next week (Roland and MikeL) and they have both offered to bring their spanner wrenches and tighten it up for me (thanks again guys)......

I have been thinking of buying a set of spanners while I am here in the states and learning first hand how to fix this problem myself...Can anyone recommend where I can buy a set of spanner wrenches?..... Do I need just one or should I buy a set?......

Any suggestions and/or recommendations are greatly appreciated....

cheers, michael

rxmd · 08-20-2012

I would probably take a look at places like Micro-Tools, and buy a set.

MikeL · 08-20-2012

Michael, here's what I have:

http://www.micro-tools.com/store/P-L...serts-Set.aspx

BobYIL · 08-20-2012

I use this set..
http://www.ebay.com/itm/9-Pieces-Wre...item2a1938386b

9 wrenches cover all my Leicas..

michaelbialecki · 08-20-2012

Thanks guys.....I appreciate the replies....

michaelbialecki · 08-20-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by rxmd

I would probably take a look at places like Micro-Tools, and buy a set.

Which one would I need to tighten the top plate?....I see a couple of different sets

michaelbialecki · 08-20-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeL

Michael, here's what I have:

http://www.micro-tools.com/store/P-L...serts-Set.aspx

Hey Mike, can I use those spanner wrenches to tighten my top plate?

I thought I needed a "2 prong" thing.....

michaelbialecki · 08-20-2012

I thought that all I had to do was remove the rewind knob and washers and reach inside the camera and hold the inside from spinning and use a "2 prong" wrench (spanner wrench) to tighten the plate down.......looking at the first link by rxmd

http://www.micro-tools.com/store/~/C...ens-Tools.aspx

I was under the impression that I needed something like that.....now I am confused

cheers, michael

ferider · 08-20-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by BobYIL

I use this set..
http://www.ebay.com/itm/9-Pieces-Wre...item2a1938386b

9 wrenches cover all my Leicas..

I use those too. I usually also need a pointed lens spanner (at least with older Leicas) and two screw drivers.

Roland.

michaelbialecki · 08-20-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by ferider

I use those too. I usually also need a pointed lens spanner (at least with older Leicas) and two screw drivers.

Roland.

Hi Roland, do I need a pointed lens spanner to tighten the top plate on my m6ttl?

or do I just need those spanner wrenches?

or do I need both?

ferider · 08-20-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by michaelbialecki

Hi Roland, do I need a pointed lens spanner to tighten the top plate on my m6ttl?

or do I just need those spanner wrenches?

or do I need both?

You might be able to do without, Michael. If I recall correctly the lens spanner was useful to remove the ring under the rewind knob and under the wind arm, but you could probably do it with the above "round wrenches" only.

Roland.

BobYIL · 08-20-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by ferider

I use those too. I usually also need a pointed lens spanner (at least with older Leicas) and two screw drivers.

Roland.

Add them the special tool w. two tiny protrudings at the ends for the front levers, etc. and a Wiha small screwdriver set. In one service they pay themselves back and I service my Leicas since long years.

BobYIL · 08-20-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by ferider

You might be able to do without, Michael. If I recall correctly the lens spanner was useful to remove the ring under the rewind knob and under the wind arm, but you could probably do it with the above "round wrenches" only.

Roland.

(Roland, he needs straight tipped small type lens spanner for that slotted ring..)

michaelbialecki · 08-20-2012

Thanks Roland and BobYIL for that info......I would like to purchase the correct tools to do this....I don't really plan on doing any other repairs to my camera...

Can anyone confirm what exact tools I need to do this....I imagine I need both, a spanner wrench and that other type of spanner (2 prongs) tool

cheers, michael

digitalintrigue · 08-20-2012

It's not normal for a top plate to come loose...where exactly is it loose? The hot shoe, rewind washers, and the threaded shutter button collar should all be secure and the top plate shouldn't move. Even if all those are completely removed from the camera the top plate is sometimes difficult to move or remove. I've never heard of having to wrap the camera to prevent vibrations from loosening the top plate...

ferider · 08-20-2012

OK, I recommend to get

- flexi-clamps (Zhou, ebay #180811741291)
- sharp tipped lens spanner, as the left of ebay #360446344627 (this is the set I use)
- screw drivers. I use something similar to ebay #280846974490. You typically need at least one medium sized philips, a tiny flat one and a medium flat one.

Like Robert, I also had wondered about what came loose .....

Roland.

michaelbialecki · 08-20-2012

Hello Robert.....the part that is loose is where the rewind knob is....the rest of the top plate does not move up and down....the side with the rewind knob moves up and down (just a little) but it is noticeable and I know from experience it gets worse.....this might be the 3rd or 4th time that this has happened....it also happened to my friends M7.....I have talked to Sherry K. about this many times and she told me it is due to vibrations (planes mostly, but also bumpy train rides, buses, etc...)

The hot shoe and the threaded shutter button collar are all secure (tight) it is just loose where the rewind knob is.....she told me it is a common problem if one travels a lot and the camera is subjected to vibration, she recommended me to wrap my camera in foam to absorb the vibrations.....I told her that I always have the camera in my lap inside my domke bag, but she told me that that's not good enough.......

On a side note, about six years ago, I stupidly put my M6ttl in a carry on bag and had it stowed overhead, for some reason the flight attendant didn't allow me to have my camera bag resting on my lap....well, I flew to Italy (long flight) and when I arrived, I couldn't take the body cap off the camera, the vibrations caused the screws on the lens mount to come loose and I couldn't turn the body cap and remove it (I didn't have a lens mounted on it)....I called Sherry from Milan and she told me how to fix it.....

she also explained to me that I needed the proper tools....so instead I just went to the Leica repair center in Milan and they fixed it in 20 minutes...the guy even explained to me how he fixed it (the same way Sherry told me)....

In Bangkok it is the same....it takes about 10-20 minutes, the guy told me he removes the rewind knob and the washers, then he reaches inside the camera (from the bottom) and holds the two prongs inside the camera sturdy and uses a spanner wrench (2 pronged) and tightens it up.....to the best of my knowledge, nobody has ever removed the top plate or have tightened the hot shoe or the threaded shutter button collar....they have never come loose...

I should add that my camera has never been dropped, had any hard impacts or damaged in any way besides damaging the shutter curtains (burned once, 1st or 2nd year I had the camera and ripped/tore the shutter about 2/3 years ago in Myanmar .......but that wasn't due to any impacts, just bad luck on my part.....and I have never had my rangefinder knocked out of alignment.......

To my understanding, this is quite common if the camera is subjected to vibration over a long period (a couple of hours) ...Sherry told me that it doesn't happen with the older Ms'......I could be all wrong on this matter because I am far from an expert in this stuff, I am only going by what Sherry and a couple of other repair people have told me.....

I know there are lots of knowledgeable people on this forum who have a lot of experience in Leicas so maybe they can comment on this matter too.....

That said, I am grateful that MikeL and Roland are willing to tighten my top plate when I meet them in San Francisco.....I am going back to Bangkok on September 13th and I plan on going to Las Vegas, San Diego and L.A. before I head back to Bangkok, so I would like to get it tightened in S.F. with the help of Roland and/or MikeL.....that said, I am going to be extra careful when I fly back to Bangkok...then again it costs me about 10.00 USD and 20 minutes for my local repair guy in Bangkok to tighten the top, but I would ike to avoid all that and just learn to do it myself....

I have had my Leica for over 10 years and it has only happened about 3 or 4 times, mostly in the last couple of years since I have been living in Asia and taking planes a lot.....

anyways, thanks again to everybody for all the information......I really appreciate it....I don't plan on doing any other repairs to my camera, but I would like to know how to fix this problem because it would save me time and money in the long run, and I consider myself lucky that there is somebody in Bangkok who does it cheap and fast for me, but I have no idea where and when this will happen again and it would be nice if I could just do it myself......

if any members have anything else to contribute or any questions/comments, please feel free to ask......once again thanks a lot

cheers, michael

michaelbialecki · 08-20-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by ferider

OK, I recommend to get

- flexi-clamps (Zhou, ebay #180811741291)
- sharp tipped lens spanner, as the left of ebay #360446344627 (this is the set I use)
- screw drivers. I use something similar to ebay #280846974490. You typically need at least one medium sized philips, a tiny flat one and a medium flat one.

Like Robert, I also had wondered about what came loose .....

Roland.

Thanks a lot for that info Roland.....I really appreciate it

ferider · 08-20-2012

Hi Michael,

I fly a lot with my Leicas, mostly with M2 or M6 classic. I can recommend using a Leica ER case just for the flight - I think that has helped me in the past (never an issue). These cases can be had used in nice condition for around US 100.

Roland.

michaelbialecki · 08-20-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by ferider

Hi Michael,

I fly a lot with my Leicas, mostly with M2 or M6 classic. I can recommend using a Leica ER case just for the flight - I think that has helped me in the past (never an issue). These cases can be had used in nice condition for around US 100.

Roland.

Thanks for that tip Roland, good to know that about the Leica ER cases....I think I have bad Leica luck.....I just realized I lost my soft release in the Bahamas yesterday....

cheers, michael

Landshark · 08-22-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by BobYIL

I use this set..
http://www.ebay.com/itm/9-Pieces-Wre...item2a1938386b

9 wrenches cover all my Leicas..

Same set I bought. They fit well but have very sharp edges that could do with a tiny bit of smoothing.

The "wrap the thing in foam or lens wrap is very common with motorcyclists unless you like tightening screws.
When you get the spanner nut loose use a toothpick and put a tiny drop of clear nail polish on the thread to lock it in place. It's semi permanent in that it can be intentionally broken loose.