That Pentax K1000 shutter issue I keep seeing in used cameras

I've had three K1000s come through my bench this month alone with the exact same problem. People bring them in saying the shutter hangs up at 1/1000 and they think it's a major repair. But 9 times out of 10 it's just the foam bumper on the mirror box turning into sticky goo. That stuff gets old and grabs the mirror, then the timing goes off. I spent an hour cleaning that gunk out of a $40 thrift store find last Tuesday and now it runs perfect. Am I missing something else that causes this or do you guys see the same thing?

3 comments

3 Comments

logan_wood11d ago

Wow, have you noticed if the hinge side seal degrades faster in certain climates?

thea60211d ago

Ask him if he's checked the foam on the light seal strip at the hinge side too. That's the one I always find turning into black sludge when the mirror gets slow.

emma_garcia11d ago

Had one last month where the mirror was dragging at 1/500 too, not just the top speed. Took the mirror box apart and found the bumper foam on the hinge side had basically turned into molasses. Used a bamboo skewer and some lighter fluid to scrape it all off, then replaced it with a thin strip of adhesive felt from a craft store. Runs smooth now at every speed. That hinge side seal is definitely the culprit more often than people think.