Konica AR T3 Stuck

Hi,

 

Mark's recent generous posting of the Modern Photography article on the original Konica AR T got me thinking, so I pulled out my Konicas, to see what I had. My closest match is a T3, which I take to be 2 generations newer. It's in nice shape and seems well built but, in exercising all of the shutter speeds (because of another Modern article), the shutter got stuck, wide open.

 

Initially, I tried the middle speeds, since that's where the dial was set when I picked it up. No problems at 125. 250 and 500 sounded too similar, but there was no obvious sticking. The first problem showed up at 1/1000. Just a hesitation, at first, then progressing to sticking open about half the time, but easily fixed. I was able to release it by removing the lens and sliding-and-releasing the ring inside the mount that controls it one or several times.

 

After a few dozen firings, it seemed like it was heading back towards normalcy, so I started working my way down the speed settings. 1/60 seemed slow, but didn't stick. 1/30 stuck fast on the second try, and there it remains. It seems that no amount of jiggling and sliding is going to free it. There is a little doohickey visible in the mount (when it's working) that I know needs to move when the shutter resets, and it's not moving. But, I don't know if the non-moving doohickey is cause or effect or just a coincidence.

 

Suggestions? It seems like the usual "old dry grease" issue, but I don't know if applying heat works for these cameras. Thanks!

 

Dave

No one? Really? All this brain power and experience, and no one has a thought to share? Not even an "It's dead, Jim"?