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Canon AL-1 Top Cover Removal and Battery Door Replacement

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There are four screws retaining the lens mount trim ring. There is a screw above the lens mount ring and one near the self-timer LED.
Remove the screw above the backlight compensation button.
The fourth screw for the trim ring is on the bottom.
Two of the top cover screws are hidden under the trim ring.
Remove the two screws on either side of the viewfinder.
One screw on the side by the rewind knob.
One screw on the side by the film advance lever.
Pry of the rubber cover of the finger rest by the shutter button.
Pry off the brass cover over the film advance lever.
Remove the screw under the brass cover.
Now the finger rest can be swung out of the way.
Remove the plastic trim ring from around the retaining nut.
Using a spanner wrench (or similar device), unscrew the film advance lever retaining nut.
Remove the wave washer.
Remove plastic washer.
Remove film advance lever.
Remove film advance coupler.
You're done here.
With a screwdriver inserted in the fork of the rewind knob, unscrew the knob.
Remove the circlip from the outside of the rewind shaft.
Remove the washer(s) from under the circlip.
Remove the ASA dial cover.
Remove the ASA dial.
All done here.
The cover can now be removed.
There are two wires attached to the flash hot shoe, be careful not break the solder joints.
If the cover is to be removed completely, the white and orange flash sync wires will need to be desoldered, or the hot shoe disassembled.
Close-up view.
Another close-up view.
This is a perfect opportunity to clean the back pentaprism glass. Remove the two screws on either side of the viewfinder to remove. A few blasts of compresed air should remove most of the dust.
The achilles heel of the AL-1: the battery door.
Pry off the plastic trim piece by the film door hinge.
Remove the bottom chrome screw.
Remove the screw next to the battery door.
Remove the three screws retaining the bottom cover.
The battery door assembly can now be pulled straight off.
If you have a donor camera, you can just swap out the entire assembly. If you only have a replacement door, slide out the door hinge pin to remove to old door. Since the bottom cover is off, don't forget to clean old lubricant from advance cam and regrease.
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This tutorial was prepared by a camera repair hobbyist as an aid to other camera repair hobbyists. It was prepared without any information from any camera manufacturer, and is provided without any guarantee as to completeness or accuracy. This tutorial is for reference and historical purposes only, all rights reserved.
This tutorial are produced and copyrighted© by wilsonwerks, llc. (dba: looscanons.com). This page content may not be sold or distributed without the expressed permission of the producer.

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