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Canon A-Series Shutter "Squeak" Repair

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Tools needed: small phillips screwdriver, spanner wrench, razor blade knife, tweezers, syringe, oil, lubricant.
In this example, we will be disassembling the AE-1 Program. If you have an AE-1, AT-1 or A-1, view the appropriate tutorial for disassembly instructions.
First, take off the lens mount trim ring by removing the four screws.
Under the trim ring are two hidden screws.
Remove the two screws.
Remaining top cover screw locations.
Remove the four screws.
Remove the four screws.
With your screwdriver in the fork of the rewind shaft, unscrew the rewind knob.
Remove the ASA dial retaining clip.
Brass spring washer.
Plastic switch bushing.
You're done on this side.
Peel off the rubber finger rest pad.
Finger rest retained by these two screws.
Use spanner wrench to remove lock nut.
Spring washer.
Plastic washer.
Lift off advance lever.
Winder coupler.
Retaining clip for on/off/self-timer switch.
Remove clip.
Remove switch lever.
Brass spring washer.
Bushing.
Done on this side.
Lift off top cover and support so as not to stress wires/solder connections.
Load a small amount off oil in the syringe and insert as shown. You should be able to slightly rotate escapement gear by pressing the needle downward. You should feel the spring tension pushing back on the needle as well. Once you know you are in the right place, squeeze one or two drops of oil onto the escapement gear.
Let camera stand upright for a few moments, then press the shutter button. If the sqeal is gone, you're done. If not, you will have to repeat the process. You can cock the shutter by turning the advance cam screw at the bottom of the camera with a screwdriver, temporarily reinstalling the advance lever, or using a power winder.
Keep camera upright for at least 24 hours to let excess oil propagate straight down. With the bottom cover removed, place camera on a paper towel and stuff the cotton from a q-tip around the AE pin to soak up any excess oil.
Since you have the top cover off, this is the perfect time to clean the dust from in between the the finder and pentaprism. Remove the two screws shown.
Compressed air should do the trick. If not, a q-tip dampened with lens cleaning solution can be used to remove stubborn particles.
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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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