I have recently purchased an AE-1 Program cheaply on ebay, complete with the infamous squeak.
Looking at Stefan Lach's aldo-net link above I looked long and hard at the pictures posted on that site and decided to take the plunge and have a go, mainly as the cost of having it professionally serviced (not just fixing the squeak) was quoted as £60 by my local camera store in the UK. About the same price of another decent body, so I thought what the heck - let's do it!
It is important to use a syringe with a needle as thin as possible and about 2 inches long. I took out the battery, removed only the bottom plate and thereon worked 'blind' and by 'feel' being VERY gentle with the needle, so as not to damage anything inside.
I found that the needle, once in position, didn't quite sit vertical with the body, so I tilted it ever so slightly to compensate. Then in the top of the needle I poured in 1 tiny drop of synthetic engine oil and cocked the syringe as though it were to be used at the '20ml' mark, fitted it carefully on the needle and SLOWLY and GENTLY depressed the plunger.
After removing the syringe/needle I replaced the bottom plate/battery and test-fired the camera. It gave one final squeak and that was it - problem fixed. Now it sounds like new.
In hindsight, I appreciate that this procedure should ABSOLUTELY NOT BE DONE by anyone not confident enough to try it. You really can cause serious damage to your beloved 'anitque camera' if you get it wrong. But if you are up to the task, have a bit of faith and courage.
Also whether or not I should have used synthetic engine oil is another issue, but like others I believe that some lube is better than none. As a man of the modern world I truly believe in synthetic oil and it's longetivity, and that in using it I should never have to do this again.
Canon AE-1 Program "shutter squeak" repair
in Canon FD Mount
Posted
I have recently purchased an AE-1 Program cheaply on ebay, complete with the infamous squeak.
Looking at Stefan Lach's aldo-net link above I looked long and hard at the pictures posted on that site and decided to take the plunge and have a go, mainly as the cost of having it professionally serviced (not just fixing the squeak) was quoted as £60 by my local camera store in the UK. About the same price of another decent body, so I thought what the heck - let's do it!
It is important to use a syringe with a needle as thin as possible and about 2 inches long. I took out the battery, removed only the bottom plate and thereon worked 'blind' and by 'feel' being VERY gentle with the needle, so as not to damage anything inside.
I found that the needle, once in position, didn't quite sit vertical with the body, so I tilted it ever so slightly to compensate. Then in the top of the needle I poured in 1 tiny drop of synthetic engine oil and cocked the syringe as though it were to be used at the '20ml' mark, fitted it carefully on the needle and SLOWLY and GENTLY depressed the plunger.
After removing the syringe/needle I replaced the bottom plate/battery and test-fired the camera. It gave one final squeak and that was it - problem fixed. Now it sounds like new.
In hindsight, I appreciate that this procedure should ABSOLUTELY NOT BE DONE by anyone not confident enough to try it. You really can cause serious damage to your beloved 'anitque camera' if you get it wrong. But if you are up to the task, have a bit of faith and courage.
Also whether or not I should have used synthetic engine oil is another issue, but like others I believe that some lube is better than none. As a man of the modern world I truly believe in synthetic oil and it's longetivity, and that in using it I should never have to do this again.