Bessa R3A: how to remove top plate?

<p>Hello.<br /> I got a Bessa R3A yesterday with a misaligned (horizontally) rangefinder, aligned it last night (I have done this with a Bessa R a couple of times), and found this morning that it's misaligned again (the screw is very wobbly and unpredictable: I think the previous owner was too vigorous with it). I want to align it again and put some nail varnish in to lock it in place. My problem is I do not know how to go about removing the top plate. I have searched on the web and I found these:<br /> http://www.flickr.com/groups/classiccamera/discuss/72157623674423552/<br /> http://www.huwswebthing.talktalk.net/r2align.html<br /> but I really don't know how to take the film advance lever and shutter dial off. Any help is much appreciated. Thanks.</p>

<p>Do you have to remove the top plate? I thought the alignment screw was under the flash. 3 screws and you should be there. This link is for the Bessa R, but it's probably the same on the R3a. Probably.</p>

<p>http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=001NhD</p>

<p>Hi Steve, thank you for replying.<br>

Yes, I did the alignment using the steps described in your link and in <br>

http://web.archive.org/web/20050319043005/http://www.pgallery.net/cvp/99.html<br>

and<br>

http://www.arransalerno.com/blog/bessa-rangefinder-calibration/.<br>

But the problem lies in making the rangefinder stay aligned: it won't, because the screw is unstable and easily displaced. So I want to put nail varnish in to lock it in place, but this is hard to do with the top plate in place because the screw is hard to access as it is.<br>

I now understand that the pointed lens spanner is for the two holes on top of the shutter dial. But I still haven't figure out how to remove the advance lever and whether the rewind lever needs to be removed as well, etc.<br>

Anyway, if no guide comes up, I might just drop nail varnish through the hole and hope that works!</p>

<p>Will a small (very small- 00 or smaller) fit in the hole? Or whittle a toothpick down. Split the tip, like a writing quill.</p>

<p>Hi Dan,<br>

Yes, a 00 fits in the hole. I've put in a couple of drops of varnish and waited overnight but it's still wobbly.<br>

Someone gave this link:<br>

http://justinlow.com/articles/repair-minolta-cle<br>

Or, I might just send it for repair, I've read several people recommend Ed Trzozka (Euro Photo Services in Leicester): but I don't know if he does Bessas.</p>