Brought a Canon AE-1 back from the dead but hit a snag

I picked up a beat up AE-1 at a garage sale in Des Moines last month for $10. The mirror was stuck up and the foam was basically dust. I got the mirror working and replaced all the light seals after watching a repair video, but now the film advance lever feels gritty like there's sand in the gears. Has anyone dealt with a sticky advance mechanism on these older Canons? I'm wondering if I need to pull the top plate or if there's a faster fix.

2 comments

2 Comments

gray_smith671d ago

Check if the previous owner tried to fix it with the wrong lubricant. I found a Yashica once where someone put WD-40 in the advance mechanism and it attracted dust and turned into sludge. Try dripping a tiny bit of lighter fluid into the advance gears through the gap near the rewind knob and work it back and forth. That'll dissolve any gummy residue without you having to pull the top plate off. Just let it dry fully before you add any proper camera oil.

david1231d ago

Des Moines is where my uncle found a Pentax with a brick through its lens.