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[OM] Pentaprism Foam Removal (long)

Subject: [OM] Pentaprism Foam Removal (long)
From: P2CON@xxxxxxx
Date: Thu, 21 Apr 2005 15:42:52 EDT
Well Gents & Ladies, I finally decided that my OM's were at that age where it 
is appropriate to look into removing the dreaded pentaprism foam.  For sevral 
years now I have noted that the foam sealing the backs has been getting a bit 
tacky, even one OM 2 on which the foam has has gone beyond tacky to a rather 
firm consistancy more like old hardened rubber.  Never a light leak as yet so 
I have done nothing to them. (1 OM2, 3 OM2n's, and 1 OM1n)

The recent questions about which bodies have the dreaded pentaprism foam 
prompted me to finally DO something about it.  I can report that thanks to Mark 
Dapoz, see url below, the job is easier than I could ever imagine.

http://olympus.dementia.org/Hardware/tutorials/FoamRemoval/index.html

I encountered only one minor hitch on the five cameras, and that was on my 
very pristine chrome OM1n, s/n > 1,7xx,xxx, which I think is a late one. I am 
pretty sure that it had never been opened before and when I pulled the top off 
I 
found that there was a screw missing that should have been holding the rewind 
shaft guide bracket in place when the top is removed.  Also, this camera did 
not have the brass spacer between the flash bracket and the plastic piece that 
provides the guides for the 2 pins on the flash shoe 4.  That said, the 
camera went back together nicely, except that when all was back together, there 
was 
a tiny brass piece left laying on my work space that seemed not to belong.  
It is a simple thin, flat piece approximately 0.011" x 1/16" x 1/4", an I have 
no idea where it came from.  The camera seems to function properly, though I 
have not put film through it yet.  I will open it up again to install the 
missing screw when I have thoroughly tested it with film.

I really appreciate the help of people like Mark Dapoz who take the time and 
effort to provide repair text and photos on the internet.

For the record, all five of my OM bodies had pentaprism foam that was badly 
deteriorated.  None that had gone so far as damaging the prism coating, but far 
worse than I expected.

Best regards,
Paul Connet


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