Tried cleaning a stuck aperture ring with a drop of lighter fluid

Had an old Nikon lens where the ring was completely seized. Saw an old forum post from 2010 that said a tiny bit of Ronsonol could free it up. It worked for about a day, then the ring got gummy and worse than before. I think the fluid broke down some old grease and left a residue. What's the proper solvent you guys use for this kind of job?

3 comments

3 Comments

king.richard1mo ago

Yeah, that's a classic mistake. Lighter fluid leaves a nasty film as it dries. I remember reading a repair guide that said to use pure naptha for cleaning, but you have to re-lube it after. The old grease turns into glue over time. You need to flush it all out with a proper solvent, then add fresh grease.

lisaf381mo ago

Spot on about the lighter fluid. That film gums up everything. I use mineral spirits for the flush, then a tiny bit of white lithium grease after. Works every time.

the_joel26d ago

Ever tried cleaning something with lighter fluid and just made a bigger mess? I did that with an old lighter once, and @king.richard is right, it turns into sticky glue. A proper solvent flush and fresh grease is the only way to fix it.