Yashica Electro 35 GS and the 'Pad of Death'!

Hello everyone

Against my better judgement, I have recently purchased a very nice and clean looking Yashica Electro 35 GS on eBay, described as shutter functioning, meter untested. It appears to meter OK, 'slow' and 'over' lights respond to light as you might expect and the battery check button works but the shutter only seems to fire at the default setting of 1/500th, whether set to flash sync, bulb or auto. I’ve had a couple before, some time ago, one of which I managed to get going by changing the POD and another which I could not resurrect, so I have some limited experience of ‘going in’. Given the meter works, I’m keen to sort it out. My question is about the ‘correct’ foam density for the POD. Are we talking foam like light-seal type here, or something denser, like a rubber washer (I forget what I used before but I think something quite solid). I assume it provides some cushioning (otherwise, why rubber/foam) and I would guess from the fact that it tends to disintegrate, that it is more akin to the foam than denser rubber material, but if anyone knows for sure, I’d be grateful to know. Also, I have read that 2.0mm is the must have thickness, but how critical is this??

Thanks

This helped me, Stuart.

Mike Elek: Yashica Electro 35 'Pad of Death'

The other great source of information is in the files of the great Yashica Guy. It took me a moment to find the link, but here it is. Click on "Replacing the Pad of Death" in the index. The dimensions of the POD are supplied, along with notes on the texture.

Servicing Yashica Range-finder Cameras

Thanks guys. With the help of Yashica Guy's link, I've changed the Pad of Death, light seals, cleaned the rangefinder (not the beam splitter!) replaced the rewind crank seal and it all now works! Quite a clever system and it meters beyond 30 seconds when there is little light!

On closer scrutiny I find a little bit of fungus which I think is either on the rear of the front group, or the front of the rear group. Apparently, it is a simple matter to remove the front group, or it would be if it wasn't stuck like a pig. I've tried the old sink plug trick, but to no avail, despite putting quite a fair load on it. Considering buying a filter ring spanner (the double screwdriver type, not the ring type) but I'm not sure this would do it, given the apparent very stuck nature of it. Anyone have any experience or bright ideas? Thanks

I've not done this job on an Electro 35 but it looks like a pretty typical assembly. You've obviously removed the beauty ring at the very front of the lens, using your plug or a rubber friction wrench, and there appears to be the two slots visible in the outer rim of the front element retaining ring, one at 7.0 o'clock and one at 1.0 o'clock in your photo. You'll need a lens spanner wrench with the screwdriver tips, as you've suggested, to get this unscrewed; it's most unlikely that you can shift it with a friction wrench.

There are plenty of these gadgets available on the auction sites for less than 20 bucks. I've found the ones with slightly curved shafts to be more useful than the more common straight variety.