[violini]

The black plastic gear splits. Install the new motor now. Magnetize the screw driver so it'll hold the tiny screw. My Wiha screw driver can't be magnetized strong enough, so I just put a little sticky pine resin at the tip. Don't mix up the screws, the two motor screws are short. If you use long screws, the winding inside would be damaged.

[violini]

This is the layout of the gears before closing the gear box. The mirror is operated by the lever behind the green gear and the two springs above green gear. There is another spring on the other side of the mirror hinge. Green and yellow gears are synchronized by matching the two holes as shown in the photo. The two components behind the yellow gear are: left--shutter charge lever, right--diaphragm set lever (the end of spring couples with the slider on the gear box cover. This is the reason I mentioned before you can't open the gear box cover if the slider is not at the top edge). The two levers are connected by a small coil spring. The silver spring on the left of green gear operates the mask inside the viewfinder if your camera has panorama feature. (Photo taken with 4 megapixel Olympus p&s, a lot more convenient to use than those bulky DSLR).

[ysmin7]

I did it too. Thanks to Bob and David.
My case is some different from others. The lever behind the green gear was broken in my case.
Because I didn't have a spare part, I could fix it by attaching a broken part to the lever.
Thank you agin for all advices and material.

[Rob D]

Dear Bob Bimon Ihave loaded the MEZ50 reparatie procedure issue3.zip

but its impossible to open it can you please sent me a working excample and tell me witch program it will open
I am A new member from The Netherlands and im aowner of 2 Pentax MZ 50 cameras with a mirrorbox problem

Thanks Rob D

[violini]

Go to the link cited in sluggo's post #22, it should work.

[GerryL]

Dear Bob Bimon Ihave loaded the MEZ50 reparatie procedure issue3.zip

but its impossible to open it can you please sent me a working excample and tell me witch program it will open
I am A new member from The Netherlands and im aowner of 2 Pentax MZ 50 cameras with a mirrorbox problem

Thanks Rob D

Welcome to the forums Rob!

Here is Sluggo's post: Hmm... doesn't seem damaged to me. Seems you're having trouble either with a corrupted download, or the file format. To try to cover both bases, I just did a PDF conversion and a (temporary) rehost. Try it from here:

http://lastchancesalon.net/photograp..._zx_repair.pdf

He converted it to .PDF file.
Hope this helps!

I just got my tiny motor and the camera to repair too.
Now it is just a matter of time (free time) for me to go the dissection route too!

Violini, I PM'ed you may e-mail address and additional questions.
Thanks

[Hector]

The plastic gear on the mirror motor has cracked. To replace that motor, the whole camera has to be disassembled. Assuming you are skillful to disassemble and assemble everything, soldering the flash circuit will be the most risky as a careless short can kill the camera beyond repair. I have the parts manual for the MZ-5, if you are interested, just email me. Good luck.

Old & new mirror motor

Hi wlachan. I am getting a free ZX-5n that I understand has this problem.. Someone was trying to sell it locally through Craigslist for $50, but realized it was not working. So he offered to give it to me for free. I found a new motor on ebay for $24 shipped. Wondered if you could email me the repair manual?

[GerryL]

Hector, the .pdf file is already been reposted by me from my above post than yours.
There are more info on the camera database section on how to disassemble the camera posted by Violini: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-autofocus-film-slr-camera-reviews/...-5n-zx-5n.html

The eBay motor cost $5 more than here (posted by sluggo..says "looky here"): https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-film-slr-discussion/39450-mz5n-mir...-manual-2.html

Have a read of this too: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-film-slr-discussion/54794-looking-...n-mz-50-a.html

Hope this helps.

[fcrawley]

My wife pulled out her ZX-50 today and called me at work all sad because it "went black". After getting the lens off the mirror is stuck up. I need to replace the motor but need the manual and Bob's explanation (I tried to get the zip file but it is corrupt). Any help is greatly appreciated.

[GerryL]

The .pdf file seems to have been erased.
Go the camera review section and look for the review of Violini, he also posted there in summary what to do.
Be very careful of the flex wires since I for one have torn one.
I was able to replace the motor and everything "seemed" to have been working fine but I later found out that the flex wire I tore was responsible for the shutter curtain itself...so, the mirror and speed and AF and flash were all fine but the shutter curtain didn't open up.
I am now in the process of fixing the flex by bypassing it with wires.
The only thing is, I have done this like 3 or 4 times that I got tired of it and need some time to do it again, when I get my mojo or get the initiative to do it again.

[GerryL]

Read the whole thread here. Read also the other thread that I linked again from my previous posts.
Reading through and understanding everything would help you with this.

[Sluggo]

The PDF has not been erased - the forum software just abbreviated the link in a way that makes the copy/paste fail. It works if you click it from the original post.

[GerryL]

It is best if you take a photo of every step you take and where every wire is attached to (not just the ones you intend to unsolder) so that even if they get accidentally detached, you will have a photo to revert to as a guide.
My first try at this was a success..only that the Panorama feature got stuck and wasn't working so I had to open it up again.
During that 2nd time, my mind was so fixed at getting to the Panorama feature that I accidentally tore the flex controlling the electronics of the shutter curtain so even if everything seemed to be working fine, the shutter curtain was in fact not working.
Once I found out about it, I had to open it up again and bypass the flex.
Since, I was doing this over and over, some of the wires must have become loose from all my moving about and the so many times I've opened up the camera.
Now, I have to re-attach those wires in the hopes that it will go to the right points.
My mistake was, I didn't take photos of where "ALL" the wires are attached to, event the ones that got to the bottom of the camera.
Doing this over and over zapped my enthusiasm and must now find the right time again that I am up to this or have the patience again to re-do it.
Now, the camera and all the parts are in one box in my room and the screws are all taped-up individually on a piece of bond paper and a description as to where each goes.

[Mirek]

Hi all.

I started fixing a MZ-5n by the instructions from Bob Bimon's document, but i stopped at detaching the LCD screen, as the MZ-5n LCD and board clearly differs from the MZ-50.

Can anyone help how to do this step on the MZ-5n? (Detach the top flexible?)
Thanks in advance for help.

[GerryL]

Have you read Violini's review on the Camera Review section?
He also has a summary there of what to do.
Did you take photos of your every step?
Every thing you took apart and where all the wires are soldered or connected to.
Take a photo of every step and everything.

You have to take the 3 screws out. Beware of the rubber cover of the switch just to the right of the screw at the corner left of the LCD 'coz it tends to fall off.
The 2 pillars you have to unsolder and detach from the board (this is easy).
The 4 pillars are the ones that are hard to unsolder 'coz if you heat them up too much, it will detach at the bottom which is not what you would want 'coz it will be hard to resolder once detached at the bottom. Use a solder sucker. Detach only at the top so you can lift up the flex board.
The battery contact, you can just lift up and out since it is just clipped to the battery housing. There should be a screw underneath if you haven't yet taken it off from the first procedure of taking out all of the screws.
TAKE PHOTOS!
I might also need a photo from you since I have to make sure where all the wires go. I have detached some of them and need some photos to proceed again.
I have taken this photo of the top, take a photo of the front too since I haven't seen anybody take a photo of the front without the cover so that you can see where all the wires go or where they are connected.