Longshot: Kodak K-100 Maintenance Manual

[Dennis Toeppen]

Howdy,

I lost my beloved Kodak K-100 this summer when the triple-rig (three huge rafts tied together) I was on capsized on the Colorado River at rapids known as "Big Drops." A triple-rig has never capsized in Cataract Canyon, not in over 50 years. I was lucky to experience that river bit of river history firsthand, I guess. Maybe someone will find the camera years or decades from now. It was double-bagged in 9 mil (very thick) ziploc bags and had my name on it.

Anyhow, I've moved on. My new K-100 arrived today. It has a beautiful pressure plate with no discernable wear. Pressure plate wear is the number one cause of bad registration in high-mileage K-100s.

I was just wondering if anyone out there has a repair/maintenance manual for the K-100. I've had no difficulty finding the owner's manual, but that doesn't help. I want to CLA the camera myself, and I don't want to just wing it.

Here are two rolls that were shot before the accident. After the DANGER sign, the footage came from Arri 416 and Aaton A-Minima. Footage before and including the DANGER sign are from K-100. It's not much of a film because I was just getting additional shots to finish off a 2015 film.

https://vimeo.com/355690136

Thanks in advance for assistance tracking down a manual.

Dennis Toeppen

 

[Michael Carter]

Good luck getting one. I sow one of these cameras at a show but it ran so loud I almost dropped it. Needless to say I didn't buy it. 

 

[Dennis Toeppen]

OH, I managed to purchase a maintenance manual and exploded parts diagram for $50 plus $5 shipping. If anyone needs access, you're welcome to a PDF copy.

[Dom Jaeger]

$50! Jeez I hope it helps you. I know people are trying to make a living but that seems exorbitant for an old manual. I often find exploded parts diagrams not much help, easier to just start carefully taking the thing apart. But if there are some maintenance guides as well it might be worth it.

Thanks for the offer to share it.

[David T. Nethery]

On 9/11/2019 at 10:46 PM, Dennis Toeppen said:

I want to CLA the camera myself, and I don't want to just wing it.

Dennis Toeppen

 

Hi, Dennis ,

How did it go doing the CLA on the K-100 ?  I have a copy of the Service Manual , but am wary of attempting it , but if you have any encouraging words or tips on a DIY CLA for the K-100 I would be interested to read your thoughts.  Du-All Camera will do a CLA on the K-100 ,but they are currently backed-up 6 months.  My K-100 seems to be in good shape, it's very clean , it runs smoothly, the motor purrs along smoothly, no clunking, groaning, or squealing, so I hope that CLA mostly means just giving it a little new lube and I don't have to disassmble it too much  (or maybe just leave well enough alone and not mess with it until I can have a pro do the CLA ?) 

What are the points where you added a drop of oil ?

[David T. Nethery]

Closer view of the inside of the K-100 .

[Dom Jaeger]

Just put a drop of oil on any shafts spinning in a bearing or bushing. 

Without certain tools and knowledge you an easily introduce more problems than a DIY service will solve. It sounds like it’s working fine, so outside of some oil I would leave it alone. 

I don’t recall with the K100 but some spring motors need limit gears disengaged to fully unwind and relax the motor before disassembling the mechanism plates, otherwise the motor will suddenly unwind at full speed and strip gears. So be very wary of undoing screws if you don’t know what they hold. 

Speed governors often require care and different lubrication.