pentax honeywell wont fire

[XitzpatX]

I inherited a pentax honeywell H3v today and I cant get the shutter to fire or the film advancing lever to move. There's no film left in the camera and the mirror and shutter is closed. Anybody know how to fix this?

 

[dxqcanada]

So you say there is no film in the camera ?

Is the shutter speed dial on T ?

 

[XitzpatX]

No, I had it on the reguar shutter speeds

 

[timor]

There is no T setting on this Pentax.. T is typical for central shutters, not so much for curtain, focal plan shutters.Comes from traditions of view camera where usually was not used for exposing but for focusing and composing.
Not firing is a bad sign: or spring is broken or has so much dirt and old grease inside, that is jammed.
Looks like you inherited camera which was cocked, so after 30 years of such a storage with cocked shutter spring might be dead.

 

[XitzpatX]

Ok, ive now got the shutter to work but the mirror is locked up

 

[timor]

It's just old grease than, maybe would be worth it to do CLA ?

 

[compur]

Without forcing things, gently pull the mirror down with your finger (don't touch the shiny surface itself). See if it will stay down. Sometimes old cameras need to be exercised a bit before they start working again.

 

[XitzpatX]

Nope, it doesnt stay down

 

[compur]

Well, you can try winding and firing repeatedly to see if that will get the mirror mechanism to unstick. Failing that it will just need to be serviced (which means: buying another working body is more practical).

 

[timor]

The mirror is up ? That would suggest some obstruction for the spring or maybe is just stuck to the damper/light seal around the pentaprism ? Did you tried to pull it down with some force ?