My uncle said to never trust the factory grease on a 40 year old lens, and he was dead right

I picked up a Canon FD 50mm f/1.4 from a flea market for like $30. The focus was super stiff. My uncle, who used to run a repair shop in Austin, told me over the phone, 'Scott, that factory grease turns to glue. Strip it all, clean every thread, and use fresh stuff.' I figured it just needed a little tweak, so I only cleaned what I could see without a full tear down. Big mistake. Two weeks later it seized up completely. Had to take the whole helicoid apart anyway, and it was a huge mess. The old grease was like tar in the deep threads. I mean, he told me exactly what would happen. Anyone else have a 'listen to the old timers' story that saved you a headache?

3 comments

3 Comments

maxl939d ago

Old grease is a ticking clock. My dad's same advice saved a Nikon 35mm f/2.8 from the same fate. He watched me open it up and just said "all of it, or not at all." The stuff in the helicoid was like brown wax, totally separate from what was near the aperture blades. Doing a full service from the start took an afternoon, but it's been smooth for years. Partial cleaning just moves the problem around.

derek_lee9d ago

Man, I've learned that lesson the hard way too.

owens.blair9d ago

That Nikon 35mm f/2.8 is a great example. The old grease near the aperture is often still soft, not hard like in the helicoid. A full clean is still best, but the stuff on the blades sometimes wipes right off.