Chinon 750 Take Up Reel will not move.

[Philip Pellouchoud]

Recently, I inherited a Chinon 750 and tried turning it on. The take up reel would not move, and I dug around the internet (and that's how I found this website and forum), and saw this thread.

Basically, if I push down on the upper gear (1) into the gear below it (2), then it will move the take up reel.

So based on that thread, I think the grease hardened. So, I think I just need to add some degreaser. I'm not complete sure where or how, or how much I have to take apart to do that. Do i need to remove gear 3 (above in picture)? What kind of degreaser should I use, WD-40??

Thanks for any help on this.

-phil

p.s. I have some additional pictures and videos here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/gfZRH9YS8EfBF1FN9

[Lee Mannering]

Hello Philip. I can offer some help as I got a 7500 Chinon just a few weeks ago with a number of minor faults to fix. No drive on takeup reel.
The old grease needs cleaning off first. Use cotton buds and a little petrol on the ends to clear the old grease away.
Do this to the sprung drive as well.
Re lubricate the now white cogs with Lithium Grease.

In my 50 odd years into film I've never seen grease go so hard before but the above will fix it.

Switching between forward and rewind the cog to the left should move up and down. If not you need a couple of drops of sewing machine oil on its metal shaft. As its inaccessible i used a straw to run a few dops of oil onto it behind the white cog.
Move it up and down by hand to help the oil penetrate. The rewind will then activate.

Buy a aerosol of Silicon spray once again using clean cotton buds on all the plastic film guides to apply. This will help stop scratches being made to your precious films keeping things smooth.

My best Lee

[Philip Pellouchoud]

Hi Lee, thanks for the info. Are you saying to remove the gears to clean them and get the grease off?

Can you recommend petrol to clean the old grease and lubricant / lithium grease to add?

thanks again.

-phil

[Philip Pellouchoud]

I have added a couple of pictures here where I could add the lubricant.

I have also tried to attach a video of the wheels moving.

https://youtube.com/shorts/h1eN6l882Y0

[Janice Glesser]

Hi Philip... Something looks wrong with the gear that needs to move up and down. The bolt and nut doesn't look like stock. I would remove that gear and see how it is attached to the linkage behind it. From the video it still doesn't sound like it is moving freely.

[Philip Pellouchoud]

Hi Janice. That gear (labelled "1" in the original post) is on the end of a lever. If it doesn't move up and down, it's because the hinge of the lever is stuck. I don't think removing that gear will help it move up and down. I think I need to lubricate / de-grease the hinge of the lever.

[Lee Mannering]

No you don't need to remove the white drive gears to clean and re lubricate. As mentioned the swinging arm shaft is hidden but you can trickle some WD40 or penetrative oil down a tube. This is what I did with mine then manually move the arm.up and down slowly so the lube makes its way down the shift.

Get a good led small torch and you can just about see where to get the lube but its a tight spot.
Since doing the clean.up and fresh lube all isxwell. Just take your time 🙂

[Philip Pellouchoud]

Hi Lee, when you say "you can trickle some WD40 or penetrative oil down a tube," which "tube" are you referring to? The tube connected to the WD40 can, or is there a tube inside the projector I can spray the WD40. I am just unclear where exactly to spray the WD40/lube.

[Lee Mannering]

Phil Hope this makes things a little clearer.


A: Is the arm which should freely move up and down between rewind and forward projection.

B: You need to get some fine lubricant at the other end of it. You can bend the tube of your WD40 or perhaps better to remove white cog no 3.

C: Clean and re lubricate the main drive shaft bearings with fine sewing machine oil also the white claw cam with Lithium grease.

The vintage grease on this is horrible and thick now but if you clean everything and re lubricate you will have a good quieter running machine, it will also last longer.

Good luck.

[Philip Pellouchoud]

Thanks everyone for the help! It's working!!!

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/A_XTPPMO-gY

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Qv_I6QYBEjE

I think I had to wait for the lubricant to set in. It's working now!

Lee, when you say clean the gears, you mean get all the yellow grease off (q-tip with petrol?).