Took Vivitar 135mm apart, now what?

micromacro · 06-18-2014, 06:14 PM

Today I received nice lens from ebay with sticky aperture. Before messing with it I decided to practice on lemon copy of Vivitar 135mm f3.5 lens, some "professional" ebay seller sold like no prob lens. That lens is always wide open, and the blades never close when pushing the pin. The blades are so oily, and not only blades, all the lens is total oily mess inside.

Anyway, I took apart anything I could and discovered that front lens element and blade element are glued together. Darn!
So, the blade part was assembled first, then glued together with the front element, and it's impossible to reach the blades to take them out and clean.
What's now? Dumpster?

Here are the blades. All aperture mechanism is assembled above blades. Blades itself are assembled from another side.

And here are two epoxy glued parts, so the blades are in between inside.

It simply does not make any sense to glue the parts and make it impossible to clean.

Is it any hope there?

bobpur · 06-18-2014, 06:32 PM - **1 Like**

No Problem, You need lighter fluid, Q-tips and a piece of tissue paper.
1: Open the aperture and put some paper under to keep most of the oil off of the inside lens.
2: Close the aperture and use a Q-Tip wet with the lighter fluid ( Don't be stingy with the fluid you need to really wet the blades ) and gently wipe the blades to
wet them.
3: Then use a clean dry Q-Tip to mop up the oil.
4: Repeat this a few times and operate the blades wet with the lighter fluid as well.
5: With a rocket blower or similar blow dry the blades, remove the tissue paper from under and clean up the lens if needed.
I have done this many times on different lenses and it always works out.

micromacro · 06-18-2014, 09:24 PM

Bobpur, too late

I fixed the lens.
Instead of q-tip I used wet sensor cleaning stick, bend it to reach as much blade surface as possible. Then I tried lens cleaning tissue between lens and blades, wet in rubbing alcohol and then dry. It worked.
Cleaned all glass piece by piece, fixed the position of... I don't know how to call it- to open f stops properly. Someone obviously tried to re-assemble the lens before me and did not put it back as it should be.
I cleaned all old grease and put just a bit marine grease for focusing ring. Blades seem fast, lens seems working properly. I will test tomorrow morning.
I can not believe that I.did.that!

Feels good!

micromacro · 06-19-2014, 05:26 AM

It was too early to celebrate

I messed up with focus somehow, and now the lens has very narrow focus range, and did not focus to infinity- just stops one step before the infinity sign. What's now? How to align the focusing ring?

**marcusBMG** · 06-21-2014, 07:27 AM

It is a common thing with many lenses that the focus helicoid needs to be on a particular thread. if it isn't on the right thread, focus will be short of infinity or past infinity.

Looking at your pic I can guess ther are 4 or 5 possible positions for engaging the two parts of the helicoid. Take the lens apart again, but mark the point at which the helicoid comes apart. try to re-engage at a different point.

On this web page
Page 62
there is a link to a pdf "notes on repair". Although this is for a different lens, the way he describes going about things is instructive.

micromacro · 06-21-2014, 08:46 AM

Thanks, Marcus. I actually messed up with the lens completely when took it apart again to fix the focus.
I took the inner barrel off focusing ring thread accidentally pushing it too much forward, and it's impossible to put it back. I was almost there aligning parts properly. One wrong move...
However, the experience was very educational. Looking inside and understanding how lens works helps. It's also fascinating as well.
I guess I'm now a complete old lenses addict.

06-18-2014, 06:14 PM	#1
micromacro Pentaxian Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Florida Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,722	Took Vivitar 135mm apart, now what? Today I received nice lens from ebay with sticky aperture. Before messing with it I decided to practice on lemon copy of Vivitar 135mm f3.5 lens, some "professional" ebay seller sold like no prob lens. That lens is always wide open, and the blades never close when pushing the pin. The blades are so oily, and not only blades, all the lens is total oily mess inside. Anyway, I took apart anything I could and discovered that front lens element and blade element are glued together. Darn! So, the blade part was assembled first, then glued together with the front element, and it's impossible to reach the blades to take them out and clean. What's now? Dumpster? Here are the blades. All aperture mechanism is assembled above blades. Blades itself are assembled from another side. And here are two epoxy glued parts, so the blades are in between inside. It simply does not make any sense to glue the parts and make it impossible to clean. Is it any hope there?

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06-18-2014, 06:32 PM - 1 Like	#2
bobpur Inactive Account Join Date: Jul 2010 Photos: Gallery Posts: 328	No Problem, You need lighter fluid, Q-tips and a piece of tissue paper. 1: Open the aperture and put some paper under to keep most of the oil off of the inside lens. 2: Close the aperture and use a Q-Tip wet with the lighter fluid ( Don't be stingy with the fluid you need to really wet the blades ) and gently wipe the blades to wet them. 3: Then use a clean dry Q-Tip to mop up the oil. 4: Repeat this a few times and operate the blades wet with the lighter fluid as well. 5: With a rocket blower or similar blow dry the blades, remove the tissue paper from under and clean up the lens if needed. I have done this many times on different lenses and it always works out.

06-18-2014, 09:24 PM	#3
micromacro Pentaxian Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Florida Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,722 Original Poster	Bobpur, too late I fixed the lens. Instead of q-tip I used wet sensor cleaning stick, bend it to reach as much blade surface as possible. Then I tried lens cleaning tissue between lens and blades, wet in rubbing alcohol and then dry. It worked. Cleaned all glass piece by piece, fixed the position of... I don't know how to call it- to open f stops properly. Someone obviously tried to re-assemble the lens before me and did not put it back as it should be. I cleaned all old grease and put just a bit marine grease for focusing ring. Blades seem fast, lens seems working properly. I will test tomorrow morning. I can not believe that I.did.that! Feels good!

06-19-2014, 05:26 AM	#4
micromacro Pentaxian Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Florida Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,722 Original Poster	It was too early to celebrate I messed up with focus somehow, and now the lens has very narrow focus range, and did not focus to infinity- just stops one step before the infinity sign. What's now? How to align the focusing ring?

06-21-2014, 07:27 AM	#5
marcusBMG Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: North Wales Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,869	It is a common thing with many lenses that the focus helicoid needs to be on a particular thread. if it isn't on the right thread, focus will be short of infinity or past infinity. Looking at your pic I can guess ther are 4 or 5 possible positions for engaging the two parts of the helicoid. Take the lens apart again, but mark the point at which the helicoid comes apart. try to re-engage at a different point. On this web page Page 62 there is a link to a pdf "notes on repair". Although this is for a different lens, the way he describes going about things is instructive.

06-21-2014, 08:46 AM	#6
micromacro Pentaxian Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Florida Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,722 Original Poster	Thanks, Marcus. I actually messed up with the lens completely when took it apart again to fix the focus. I took the inner barrel off focusing ring thread accidentally pushing it too much forward, and it's impossible to put it back. I was almost there aligning parts properly. One wrong move... However, the experience was very educational. Looking inside and understanding how lens works helps. It's also fascinating as well. I guess I'm now a complete old lenses addict.