Found a weird fix for a sticky shutter on an old Minolta

Pat Jenkins · 2026-04-10T21:55:03.610134+00:00

Had an X-700 come in with the shutter curtain lagging, and after cleaning the usual spots, I tried a tiny drop of lighter fluid on the pivot points. It freed up instantly and has been working fine for a week now. Is this a known trick, or did I just get lucky this time?

seth_singh206mo ago

Just a temporary fix for a permanent problem.

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ellioth376mo ago

My buddy did that lighter fluid trick on a Pentax K1000 last year. He put a drop on the slow speed escapement gear, not the curtain. It worked for a month then gummed up worse than before. He had to do a full teardown to clean it properly.

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kelly3856mo ago

Ever notice how quick fixes can just push the problem down the road? Ellioth37's story about the Pentax is a perfect example of that. It's like putting tape on a leak instead of replacing the pipe.

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