Yashica TL-Electro - mirror locks up at slower speeds, shutter partially jams

Question

I have recently acquired a Yashica TL-Electro film camera. Unfortunately, there are two problems with it.

First one is that on very slow shutter speeds (1 second - 1/30 second) the mirror gets locked up, and the shutter seems to be stopping before completing its travel. On medium speeds (1/60 second - 1/250 second) it works every other time (repeatedly, locks up once, works once). On high speeds (1/500 second and 1/1000 second) and bulb mode the shutter works perfectly - no mirror lock-ups, shutter completes its travel every time.

The second problem (though most likely just a 'cosmetic' one) is that the number plate on the shutter speed dial is a bit misaligned with the mark on the camera body - when I set the mechanism to bulb mode, the mark points almost at the ISO window in the plate; when it's set to 1s, it points at between B and 1, closer to B.

Is there a service manual for this camera? Or any guide/tutorial on how to perform a CLA on it? Or at least some pictures on how to take the camera apart, and put it back into one piece?

There aren't any repair shops here that would even attempt trying to fix that (not to mention the fact that it would certainly cost more than the camera is worth).

Answer 1

Simply googling can get you a PDF of a service manual that has shutter speed adjustment in it. There are many guides to vintage camera repair and many sites written by folks knowledgeable about vintage cameras. There are also messageboards galore. But you've just discovered why, when purchasing vintage cameras, it's best to a) thoroughly know how to evaluate its condition, and to b) add the budget for a professional CLA to the pricetag before you buy.

The chances are good, without any experience, and without the proper talent, tools, and experience, you're liable to do more damage than repair. Granted, at some point, everyone who gets into doing vintage anything repair has to stop researching and just go for it, but be willing to completely destroy the camera you got in pursuit of learning how to fix it before you embark on the journey.