I recently got an EL with lens and 12-exposure back (but no finder yet) but the lens wouldn't come off. I got it off using the method described (with nowhere near enough detail!) in Thomas Tomosy's book Camera Maintenance & Repair (Vol. 1). The good news is that the lens is OK -- the shutter is a little sticky at 1 second but otherwise works.
But the body isn't working right. The instruction manual doesn't explain how the body works when there's no lens on it, but I assume when I press the shutter release, it should go through the wind cycle and the mirror should come down. But even with a new 9-volt battery in an adapter, the mirror stays up and I just get a click (the sound of a little prong coming out near the bottom of the magazine).
I'm also having problems with the magazine itself. The spool holder catch that opens the magazine is frozen and is absolutely rigid. I've tried turning it with my hand with all my might, but I haven't dared to use tools in case I break something. Has anybody else dealt with this problem?
Mike Taglieri