Topic: Zenit E advance lever ?

[astrobeck]

I'm back to fussing about with my Zenit E.
THe advance lever is very slow to return after advancing the film.
The camera works great otherwise. Even the selenium meter still has gas in it!
Should I just put up with it, as I can push it lightly back in place each time after advancing, or....just get another clunker, or try to fix it.
Is it an easy fix?
If you wonder why I tolerate the agony of using a Zenit, it's because I do like them. They are quite sturdy, or as some say "industrial" and if it gets nicked, it's no big heartbreak.
There's just something about the funkiness of it that really appeals to me.

[Francois]

Never opened one of those. I know it probably needs a drop of oil somewhere.
With all the cameras I fixed (as in not that many), I always open the bottom plate first as it's the most accessible and check what's going on there. If the Zenit has a shaft that goes all the way to the base, there might be a spindle to lube there that would fix it very easily.
It's just a question of actuating the lever and observing what moves.

If you need to take it apart, look here first https://tomtiger.home.xs4all.nl/index.html

[Kai-san]

You can find the service manual here: https://learncamerarepair.com/downloads/pdf/Zenit-E-Service.pdf

There is a wind lever spring down there somewhere (part no. 97, page 10). Maybe it needs to be wound up (a little)? I have not worked on these, so I can only wish you luck. 

[astrobeck]

Thanks! I keep forgetting about Tom Tiger. I'll bookmark it.
Edit: I put a few drops of Ronsonal down around the wind lever shaft and then advanced the lever about 20 times and that seemed to cure the slow return.

The ZenitE is back to being it's lovely little self again!