That shutter curtain alignment got me good

Spent about 4 hours trying to get a Nikon FM curtain tension right. Turned out the real problem was a bent fork on the take-up spool, not the tension screws. Anyone else burn a whole afternoon on something that simple?

4 comments

4 Comments

morganmartinez2d ago

Oh man, a buddy of mine spent a whole Sunday chasing an oil leak on an old Honda CB. Turned out it was just a loose oil filter, not the gasket he replaced twice lmao.

williamhenderson3d ago

Four hours is rough. Did you check the fork for bends before you started messing with the tension screws, or was it more of a process of elimination? I've learned the hard way that the obvious fix is rarely the right one.

pat_roberts553d ago

Process of elimination for sure. Had a noisy hub once, tore it apart three times before realizing it was a loose spoke not the bearings. Always start with the simple stuff like frame alignment before touching any adjustments.

flores.emma2d ago

Goodness, you are speaking my language! I spent a whole afternoon once chasing a creak that turned out to be just a dry seatpost. I had the whole drivetrain apart, cleaned every jockey wheel, and it was something so basic. That feeling of getting to the end of a long fix and realizing you could have saved hours if you just looked closer is the worst. It's a hard lesson, but it sure sticks with you. Now, I always start with a cup of coffee and a good long stare at the bike before I even pick up a tool.