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Pentax ZX-5n Mirror Motor Gear Replacement

Pentax ZX-5n Mirror Motor Gear Replacement

Sam Gustafson

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Última actualización: February 18, 2025

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Introducción

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A common failure of the Pentax ZX/MZ cameras is the Mirror Motor Gear. The gear drives core functions of the camera including the shutter and mirror movement. If it fails, the shutter will no longer fire and the mirror will be stuck close in the up position.

This guide explains how to disassemble the camera to access the Mirror Motor Gear as well as how to install a new gear. A general understanding of how cameras work is recommended. Some technical soldering is also required.

  1. Pentax ZX-5n Mirror Motor Gear Replacement, Remove back cover: paso 1, imagen 1 de 1
    • Push down on the screw to depress the spring loaded hinge and release the door.

  2. Pentax ZX-5n Mirror Motor Gear Replacement, Remove bottom cover: paso 2, imagen 1 de 1
    • Remove six 5.3 mm #00 screws.

    • Remove one 3.4 mm #00 screw.

    • The short screw has a machine thread and screws into the plate underneath. The rest screw into the plastic body.

  3. Pentax ZX-5n Mirror Motor Gear Replacement, Remove left front cover: paso 3, imagen 1 de 1
    • Remove three 5.3 mm #00 screws (the bottom-most screw is not always present).

    • Remove one 7.3 mm #00 screw.

    • Remove the remote trigger cover.

  4. Pentax ZX-5n Mirror Motor Gear Replacement, Remove front cover: paso 4, imagen 1 de 2 Pentax ZX-5n Mirror Motor Gear Replacement, Remove front cover: paso 4, imagen 2 de 2
    • Remove one 3.4 mm #00 screw.

    • Remove two 5.3 mm #00 screw.

    • Gently lift up on the flash housing to help remove the cover if necessary.

  5. Pentax ZX-5n Mirror Motor Gear Replacement, Remove right front cover: paso 5, imagen 1 de 1
    • Remove two 3.9 mm #00 screws.

  6. Pentax ZX-5n Mirror Motor Gear Replacement, Remove eye cup: paso 6, imagen 1 de 1
    • Slide the eye cup up and off to access the screws underneath.

  7. Pentax ZX-5n Mirror Motor Gear Replacement, Unscrew top cover: paso 7, imagen 1 de 3 Pentax ZX-5n Mirror Motor Gear Replacement, Unscrew top cover: paso 7, imagen 2 de 3 Pentax ZX-5n Mirror Motor Gear Replacement, Unscrew top cover: paso 7, imagen 3 de 3
    • Remove two 5.3 mm #00 screws by the eyepiece.

    • Remove one 6.8 mm #00 screw in the battery compartment.

    • Remove one 7.0 mm #00 screw near the take up spool.

  8. Pentax ZX-5n Mirror Motor Gear Replacement, Lift top cover: paso 8, imagen 1 de 1
    • Lift the cover so it is just free of the body. It is still attached by several wires.

  9. Pentax ZX-5n Mirror Motor Gear Replacement, Discharge flash capacitors: paso 9, imagen 1 de 1
    • Use a 1kΩ-10kΩ resistor to discharge the capacitor. Place the resistor between the blue wire, exposed in the previous step, and ground.

    • The flash capacitors store energy at a very high voltage. Failing to discharge the capacitors properly could result in personal injury and/or damage to the camera.

  10. Pentax ZX-5n Mirror Motor Gear Replacement, Unsolder flash connections: paso 10, imagen 1 de 1
    • Unsolder one green wire.

    • Unsolder one blue wire.

    • Unsolder one brown wire.

    • Unsolder one black wire.

  11. Pentax ZX-5n Mirror Motor Gear Replacement, Unsolder remaining connections: paso 11, imagen 1 de 3 Pentax ZX-5n Mirror Motor Gear Replacement, Unsolder remaining connections: paso 11, imagen 2 de 3 Pentax ZX-5n Mirror Motor Gear Replacement, Unsolder remaining connections: paso 11, imagen 3 de 3
    • Unsolder one black wire.

    • Pull black wire out from its routed location.

    • Unsolder flex connector

    • Be careful not to overheat the flex circuit. Work in short durations. Allow for cool downs in between if necessary.

    • Some repairs can be performed with the top cover still connected but the flex connection is fragile and easily damaged.

  12. Pentax ZX-5n Mirror Motor Gear Replacement, De-solder battery connections: paso 12, imagen 1 de 1
    • De-solder the indicated joints. Use a solder sucker on the tabbed connections.

    • Pull the black wire from the battery flex to get more slack in the connection to the top cover.

    • Be careful not to overheat the flex circuit. Work in short durations. Allow for cool downs in between if necessary.

  13. Pentax ZX-5n Mirror Motor Gear Replacement, De-solder flex posts: paso 13, imagen 1 de 1
    • Use a solder sucker to de-solder the four posts from the flex circuit.

    • This is the most difficult part of the repair. Patience and persistence are required.

    • Be careful not to overheat the flex circuit. Work in short durations. Allow for cool downs in between if necessary.

  14. Pentax ZX-5n Mirror Motor Gear Replacement, De-solder flex connections: paso 14, imagen 1 de 1
    • Unsolder film advance motor connections.

    • Unsolder sprocket counter connections.

    • Unsolder power and ground connections.

    • Unsolder panorama switch connections.

    • Be careful not to overheat the flex circuit. Work in short durations. Allow for cool downs in between if necessary.

  15. Pentax ZX-5n Mirror Motor Gear Replacement, Unscrew flex circuit: paso 15, imagen 1 de 1
    • Remove one 4.3 mm #00 screw.

  16. Pentax ZX-5n Mirror Motor Gear Replacement, Lift the flex circuit: paso 16, imagen 1 de 2 Pentax ZX-5n Mirror Motor Gear Replacement, Lift the flex circuit: paso 16, imagen 2 de 2
    • Gently pry up the plastic carrier under the flex circuit. It may catch slightly on the battery contact tab.

    • Pay close attention to the connections around the four through-hole posts as you lift the flex. Make sure that no solder is left over and that it pulls away freely.

    • This metal tab is lightly held in place with lacquer and can easily come loose. Keep an eye on it.

  17. Pentax ZX-5n Mirror Motor Gear Replacement, Unscrew flash PCB: paso 17, imagen 1 de 1
    • Remove one 3.3mm #00 screw.

    • Remove one 3.9 #00 screw.

    • De-solder the red wire.

    • Peel off the black tape. Leave it attached to the wires.

  18. Pentax ZX-5n Mirror Motor Gear Replacement, Remove flash PCB and capacitors: paso 18, imagen 1 de 2 Pentax ZX-5n Mirror Motor Gear Replacement, Remove flash PCB and capacitors: paso 18, imagen 2 de 2
    • Gently peel the flex circuit from the surface of the capacitor.

    • There may be additional adhesive underneath the larger capacitor.

    • Lift the two capacitors and the flash PCB out as a single unit.

    • The double sided tape used to secure the capacitors can be softened with isopropyl alcohol if necessary.

  19. Pentax ZX-5n Mirror Motor Gear Replacement, Prepare bottom plate: paso 19, imagen 1 de 2 Pentax ZX-5n Mirror Motor Gear Replacement, Prepare bottom plate: paso 19, imagen 2 de 2
    • Remove two 3.4 mm #00 screws. Remove the plate holding the contacts in place.

    • Peel tape from the plate. Leave the tape attached to the flex circuit.

    • Remove the flex circuits from their retaining studs.

  20. Pentax ZX-5n Mirror Motor Gear Replacement, Remove bottom plate: paso 20, imagen 1 de 2 Pentax ZX-5n Mirror Motor Gear Replacement, Remove bottom plate: paso 20, imagen 2 de 2
    • Remove one 3.3 mm #0 countersunk screw.

    • Remove one 3.9 mm #0 shoulder screw.

    • Remove four 3.3 mm #00 screws.

    • Pull a little slack through the housing on this flex cable.

    • Pop the plate off its posts, rotate slightly clockwise and pull gently through the loosened flex cable.

    • To the camera tech that left me a happy little note...I see you.

  21. Pentax ZX-5n Mirror Motor Gear Replacement, Remove transport gears: paso 21, imagen 1 de 2 Pentax ZX-5n Mirror Motor Gear Replacement, Remove transport gears: paso 21, imagen 2 de 2
    • It's best to remove these parts now so they don't fall out later on in the repair.

  22. Pentax ZX-5n Mirror Motor Gear Replacement, Detach DOF preview switch: paso 22, imagen 1 de 1
    • Remove one 3.8 mm #00 screw.

  23. Pentax ZX-5n Mirror Motor Gear Replacement, De-solder shutter control flex: paso 23, imagen 1 de 2 Pentax ZX-5n Mirror Motor Gear Replacement, De-solder shutter control flex: paso 23, imagen 2 de 2
    • De-solder the connections.

    • Lift the flex off the retaining studs.

    • Be careful not to overheat the flex circuit. Work in short durations. Allow for cool downs in between if necessary.

  24. Pentax ZX-5n Mirror Motor Gear Replacement, Remove eye piece assembly: paso 24, imagen 1 de 1
    • Remove two 5.3 mm #0 screws.

  25. Pentax ZX-5n Mirror Motor Gear Replacement, Unscrew front housing block: paso 25, imagen 1 de 2 Pentax ZX-5n Mirror Motor Gear Replacement, Unscrew front housing block: paso 25, imagen 2 de 2
    • Remove two 7.4 mm #0 screws.

    • Remove one 8.3 mm #0 screw.

    • Remove one 3.3 mm #00 screw. The metal bracket will be loose and should be removed as well.

  26. Pentax ZX-5n Mirror Motor Gear Replacement, Lift front housing block: paso 26, imagen 1 de 1
    • Push the front housing block slightly up then lift the left side up and away from the housing.

    • Proceed slowly and watch for any components that are catching. The right side is still attached by a large flex cable.

  27. Pentax ZX-5n Mirror Motor Gear Replacement, Check for shims: paso 27, imagen 1 de 1
    • There may be shims at the mounting points of the front housing block.

    • Note the positions and remove if loose.

  28. Pentax ZX-5n Mirror Motor Gear Replacement, Detach mirror motor assembly: paso 28, imagen 1 de 2 Pentax ZX-5n Mirror Motor Gear Replacement, Detach mirror motor assembly: paso 28, imagen 2 de 2
    • De-solder the black wire.

    • Remove four 3.7 mm #00 screws.

    • Detach the buzzer from its mounting posts. Use isopropyl alcohol to soften the lacquer if necessary.

  29. Pentax ZX-5n Mirror Motor Gear Replacement, Remove mirror motor assembly: paso 29, imagen 1 de 1
    • Grab the motor and gently wiggle the plate loose.

    • If it feels stuck, move the sliding plate down, towards the bottom of the camera

  30. Pentax ZX-5n Mirror Motor Gear Replacement, Remove mirror motor: paso 30, imagen 1 de 2 Pentax ZX-5n Mirror Motor Gear Replacement, Remove mirror motor: paso 30, imagen 2 de 2
    • De-solder the red and black wires.

    • Remove two #00 screws.

    • Use the lettering on the motor to note its orientation. If installed or wired backwards, the motor will spin in the wrong direction.

  31. Pentax ZX-5n Mirror Motor Gear Replacement, Install new motor gear: paso 31, imagen 1 de 1
    • Pull off the old gear.

    • Press the new gear on until about 1 mm of the shaft extends past the end.

    • If it is too difficult to press on, use a soldering iron to heat the brass gear. A small amount of thermal expansion should make it easier.

  32. Pentax ZX-5n Mirror Motor Gear Replacement, Check green and yellow drive gears: paso 32, imagen 1 de 1
    • The green and yellow gears can sometimes slip off their posts while working with the motor.

    • Check that the alignment holes are properly synced before installing the mirror motor assembly.

    • Aperture set lever spring. Note this part for installation of the mirror motor assembly.

  33. Pentax ZX-5n Mirror Motor Gear Replacement, Prepare mirror motor assembly for install: paso 33, imagen 1 de 2 Pentax ZX-5n Mirror Motor Gear Replacement, Prepare mirror motor assembly for install: paso 33, imagen 2 de 2
    • Disengage latch so the slide bar can move freely.

    • Move the slide bar about half way down its total travel.

    • Let the latch snap back into place so the slide bar is held in the new position.

    • This ensures that the aperture set lever spring couples properly with the slide bar during reassembly.

  34. Pentax ZX-5n Mirror Motor Gear Replacement, Install mirror motor assembly: paso 34, imagen 1 de 1
    • Install the mirror motor.

    • Place the left side first. Then swing the right side in, coming up and under the spring loaded lens release.

  35. Pentax ZX-5n Mirror Motor Gear Replacement, Charge mirror: paso 35, imagen 1 de 1
    • Rotate the grey gear downward until the mirror is in the charged/down position.

  36. Pentax ZX-5n Mirror Motor Gear Replacement, Charge shutter: paso 36, imagen 1 de 2 Pentax ZX-5n Mirror Motor Gear Replacement, Charge shutter: paso 36, imagen 2 de 2
    • Push the shutter charge lever upward. You should see the shutter blades move as you do this.

    • The second picture shows the shutter in the charged position. It may already be in this position and not need charging.

    • Gently place the front assembly block. Work it into place until the back of the block is flush to the back of camera.

    • Proceed with the rest of the re-assembly, following the guide in reverse.

Conclusión

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

7 personas más completaron esta guía.

Sam Gustafson

Miembro Desde 09/01/22

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4 comentarios

Grazie è semplicemente perfetto

pietro mariani - Contestar

I went though this guide it is pretty good and easy. Thanks for your work.
Although I ended up with a camera always in dof mode. When I try to turn it off it buzzes, but the finder stays dark in smaller apertures. Any tips on that?

Szabadkai Levente - Contestar

It's hard to say precisely what the issue is but my guess is something around the aperture set lever. Unfortunately, I think you have to take it all apart and put it back together. Sometimes you just miss something. I would double check steps 32 and 33 and make sure those are followed during reassembly. You can also check out this video for a more in depth description of how the aperture mechanism is supposed to work. It might point you towards a more specific area.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4V3x1cm-...

Sam Gustafson -

Beat Of Camera Repair Book

Patna - Contestar

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