Technika IV problem/question

[Steve Hamley]

Technika gurus,

I recently acquired a nice Super Technika IV, and it seems to be in great shape except for stiff lube and other signs of non-use or long storage. So I think a CLA is in order. But the bellows is fine!

However, the front standard does not lock onto the rail, when pulled out you can still move it fairly easily, and it has some slight "wobble". A friend's Tech IV locks tight when the two levers are released. There's nothing obviously broken or missing, and the camera does not appear to have been mistreated in any way, and believe me I know all the signs, or think I do.

There is an adjustment screw on the underside of the standard (pictured), does this have anything to do with said behavior? If so, user adjustable?

Thanks much!

Steve

[Don Dudenbostel]

Steve my guess is it's the spring tension on the latch. I had a Master for thirty years and never experienced this but the spring tension on the latch was fairly stiff. I believe the friction of that device is all that holds it in place. You might try another spring or get brave and clip a couple of turns from the spring on your camera.

Great cameras, you'll love it.

[Steve Hamley]

Don,

Thanks for the fast reply. The spring feels fairly studly and comparable to Harley's Tech IV.

Cheers,

Steve

[Don Dudenbostel]

You might see if Harley would let you pull the front standard off the rails of his IV and see it there is anything missing from yours. Also slide his in reverse on your tracks and see if it locks and if yours locks on his. You should be able to slide it on in reverse with the front of you'd facing his back standard. Other than that I don't have any idea. I used mine quite heavy over thirty years and it was as tight when I sold it as the day I bought it.
Good luck.

[David A. Goldfarb]

I had the same problem when I got my Tech V, and it's not the spring. See that thing in the middle between the two levers--it's an eccentric cam. My Tech V works the same way, and I think the MT also has it. As I recall, you loosen the center screw so that you can adjust the cam.

[Bob Salomon]

It should be time for a complete CLA by Marflex so everything is correctly adjusted. 252 652-4401

[Andrew]

I had this problem wih my Master technika AFTER it came back from being serviced
when I looked closely I found the eccentric cam that David described above....
I just turned it a few degrees and the standard's been rock solid on the rails ever since
in my case I didn't have to touch the centre screw because the amount of turn required was very small

btw, the tighness you're describing may not be such a bad thing because some of your movements don't lock.... they're just held by friction and if you clean and lube too well the standard will be pulled by the bellows and move rather than holding position. I found the front swing a particular problem on a Tech IV that I had renovated

[Steve Hamley]

Thanks everyone.

Bob, yes it's time for the CLA. It's nice to know how things work though.

Cheers,

Steve