Zorki 4 VF cleaning

[jtzordon]

Anyone know a site with instructions? I could always just pop off the top, but would like to know if there's anything special I should make sure NOT to do. Thanks!

[Mark Wood]

Rick Oleson's web site has instructions and very good diagrams although I don't have the link to hand. Also watch the grub screws holding the speed dial. Slightly too much force and the heads seem to strip. To make life easier, also make a note of the speed that's set before you take it apart (saves time spent trying to work out which one it was!). The main thing that threw me was not realising that the wind-on knob actually screws off - hold the take-up spool shaft and it screws off. (That's provided it's a 4 and not a 4K)

[grifon]

If you are going to take the rangefinder mech out, watch the rangefinder arm mechanism itself, (if you want to clean the small prizm, and the lens in front of it) it pivets on two small steel ball bearings, one on top, one on the bottom, its hell of a hunt to find if it bounces from you

[xayraa33]

Loosen grub screw on wind knob, turn knob CCW to unscrew knob off, unscrew the 2 screws underneath the knob, loosen the two tiny screws on the shutter speed dial, remove dial, noting the setting before you start all this. remove screw on the side of top plate near eyepiece, remove an other screw on the side of top plate, on the front of camera, nearest the smaller r/f window. Lift the top off (be gentle).

[xayraa33]

note that the grub screw is the small screw on the side of the knob under the knurling, not the larger screw on top of the wind knob, holding the frame counter dial.

[xayraa33]

amost forgot to mention to loosen the syncro dial grub screw, under the shutter speed number dial, before you begin to lift the top off.

[xayraa33]

the 4k is simiLar, except for the Lever removaL, covered nicLy here:http://www.kyphoto.com/classics/foru...tml?1074630612 that Last bit of advice is very true if you are not used to working on cameras. the Z 4k is more of an undertaking than the Z 4.

[jtzordon]

Thank you much everyone!

[Kim Coxon]

Hi,
Sorry for the delay but I had to get home to find the link. Rick Oleson's excellent page is here http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/index-58.html

Regards
Kim

[jtzordon]

Well, all is well with my Zorki. I managed not to break anything! The VF shows marked improvement. I will definitely note that the screw in the winding knob and the screws in the shutter speed dial are miniscule. Disaster was narrowly averted with these. I lost 2/3 in my carpet (before I realized I didn't have to take them ALL the way out). Luckily I have one of those magnet tools that was able to swipe up the missing screws; thought of that after I had ran my hands through the carpet HOPING to discover something - all I discovered was that my carpet needed vacuuming. Thanks for everyone's help.

[Kim Coxon]

Hi,
I find working on a tray with a large piece of white paper on the botton helps.

Kim

Originally Posted by jtzordon

I lost 2/3 in my carpet (before I realized I didn't have to take them ALL the way out). Luckily I have one of those magnet tools that was able to swipe up the missing screws; thought of that after I had ran my hands through the carpet HOPING to discover something - all I discovered was that my carpet needed vacuuming. Thanks for everyone's help.

[xayraa33]

the key word was "Loosen"

[jtzordon]

Yeah, the trey might have helped.

[xayraa33]

an icecube tray with numbered sections, a strong reading lamp, a lupe, a note book to jot down notes and make drawings, and I like to work on a light coloured towel that is stretched and taped to the work table. the towel will prevent small screws from bouncing off to never never land. place different screws & parts in different sections of the icecube tray & recording in your note book were they came from and which numbered section of the icecube tray they are to be found. I hope all this will make your next job easier.