chris_brosz

<p>This sounds like what I just experienced with a FA-I posted a thread about my "fix", such as it is.</p>

<p>Anyway, if you look at this picture that Michael Freeman posted, where the wind crank is (I don't know the proper terminology-it's the big round piece with the slot cut in it, the "B" lever connects to it) at about 6 o' clock you will see a small metal pawl with a spring attached. In my FA, that pawl was catching and holding the wind crank thingy and not letting it snap back as it should, so I spent a bit of time stoning the face before I decided the heck with it and left it out. Now my FA winds and cocks without having to fool with the wind lever, but if you short stroke it, it doesn't cock the shutter and you have to start over from the beginning-I'm thinking it might waste a frame or 2 of film but not sure if there would be any other effects.<br>

Something to try-when the wind lever gets to the end, let it snap back. You may have to snap it a couple of times, when it is ready to play nice you can hear a "zittt" sound.</p>

<p>Keep in mind that I am not a qualified service personnel on cameras-I am a qualified service personnel on big honking color photo copiers and I like to tinker with hopeless devices so those are my sole qualifications. Hope this helps.</p>

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<p>I bought a Nikon FA at a local Starvation Army store with a couple of lenses, motor drive and flash. The FA had a little quirk-the advance lever would travel all the way through but the shutter wouldn't release until you "snapped" the lever a couple times, I could hear it then make the proper sound and the shutter was all cocked and ready for business. After reading this forum, I removed the bottom plate and found that the small pawl that keeps the winding crank from going backwards was holding the crank, not letting it travel properly unless you bumped the lever, I took the paw, out and the camera winds and fires like it should except that if you short stroke the advance lever it woun't hold the winder and the entire advance stroke needs to be done again. No big deal for me since I know what to expect and why it's happening. My question is if there would be any long term problems from this ever so slight kludge? The shutter fires, film advances, I'm thinking job done, but OTOH the factory put it there for a reason.</p>