Nikon 17-35 f/2.8 SWM disassembly

If you let is sit for awhile it will start squeaking again. Also,"cleaning" piezo electrics is a temporary fix with these older Nikon motors. I have cleaned these motors before but usually within a few weeks or months they start squeaking again. I think Nikon used inferior piezo materials that corrode quicker.

CapturedByHisDesign said:

If you let is sit for awhile it will start squeaking again. Also,"cleaning" piezo electrics is a temporary fix with these older Nikon motors. I have cleaned these motors before but usually within a few weeks or months they start squeaking again. I think Nikon used inferior piezo materials that corrode quicker.

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Well mine sits for a long time and does not squeak after sitting, so works for me.

Yeah makes sense since you are cleaning once per year. In my findings with the 28-70,80-200,17-35 and even some of the other 1st gen AF-S motors is that rarely a cleaning or polishing permanently resolves the issue without further attention. Sometimes one cleaning is good...maybe less than 10% of time. In fact there is even argument for just leaving it alone since I have seen some that had a squeak and after a cleaning and polishing they were completely dead. Rare case but it happens. With the 17-35 the focus throw is so short that who cares if it squeaks? Not good for silent shoots, but a squeaky 17-35 for cheap is an excellent lens. Now...with the 80-200 the focus throw is much longer and can really be an attention getter. Nikon has come a long way though thank goodness. I never see these issues with gen2 AF-S motors onward.

There is a long history behind this too. Call up any camera repair shop (if you can find one) that used to be an official Nikon service shop and they'll tell you that one of the reasons Nikon dropped out-sourcing service was to due to Nikon blaming the shops for "poor handling of their AF-S motors." This happened during the debacle of the gen1 AF-S motors....sounds to me like they shifted the blame from the inferior piezo-electric materials used to the camera shops...but just my 1 cent opinion.

I have Nikkor 28-70mm f2.8 which af stopped to work completely, only time it gave signs of life was if i swiched af hard on left or right until end and it made one move then stop.. it had also produced squeeking sound.

I followed Camilos guide but did not dissambed the motor from the lens i left it on and polished with metal polish carefully. reassambeled and i was amazed how it came back to life...

NOTE: The lens was left on nikons service previous this who said they could not repair it because the "part" needed was not more produced!!!

BIG thank yo Camillo!

Hi all,

I have attempted this on a Nikon 17-35 but during reassembly, the aperture ring unit came apart and now I have a few pieces I need to know how to put together, and the service manual doesn't cover it. Whoops!

I have two plastic parts, a metal ring with the levers on it, a spring, a switch and a small v-shaped piece of metal. Does anyone know how these go together?

Thanks!

Master22 said:

I have Nikkor 28-70mm f2.8 which af stopped to work completely, only time it gave signs of life was if i swiched af hard on left or right until end and it made one move then stop.. it had also produced squeeking sound.

I followed Camilos guide but did not dissambed the motor from the lens i left it on and polished with metal polish carefully. reassambeled and i was amazed how it came back to life...
NOTE: The lens was left on nikons service previous this who said they could not repair it because the "part" needed was not more produced!!!
BIG thank yo Camillo!

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Really happy this worked for you! Made my day.

Hey guys, after the polishing I have found that applying a very fine amount of graphite will generate a longer lasting fix. Its miraculous. Use a toothpick and only apply a fine amount like I mean just dip a tooth pick graphite and apply it between the rotor and stator, dont have to work every tooth just the rotor needs some small small small amount.

This worked for me maybe it works for you!

Good luck

Camillo said:

superficus said:

Yeah, the squeaky sound is not an index of anything relevant I belive, except when yuou hear it when trying to focus (which usually means the motor is goiong to fail soon).

The motor has to be clean for it to work so anything that can remove oil/oxide layers will work (some better than other when considering sorroundings glues or the like, as stated before).

The fact that when working there is no sound is because of how the motor works. This motors works by "grabbing" the rotor and moving it by a small step many many times per second, so the sound we could hear by turining it by hand was just a byproduct of sliding friction which it is not there (the sliding) in the first place when the motor is working right.

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mmm actually the sound is the motor working harder than it should to move the assembly and eventually if not treated as specified the motor fails completely and cannot be repaired beyond that point. So squeaky means the motor is working extra hard and the sound comes from the motor as it is ultrasonic and sound is what makes its motion possible. This motor is not a stepping motor but ultrasonic.

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Actually, sound is just the byproduct of vibrations. Sound it's a vibration in the range of frequencyies we can hear (tipically under 20kHz).

Just to clarify I was not implying that the motor is a stepper motor, I was saying that the movement is given by the small steps at the ultrasonic frequency for which the stator is excited.

Regarding the sound of the motor, I personally think it has more to do with the (many) occasional "slips" caused by oxidation rather thant the increased motor load.

The motor should already be working in non-audible range of frequencyes and I think it will not make any difference if the working frequency is shifted a bit to increase the power of the motor (also, this is assuming that the power (and thus speed) of the motor is increased by changing the operating frequency, which is higly speculative at this point)

The motor always work with the same load (the lens weight) and it could also be constant speed for what we know, so no change in control parameters if not time alone. The only possible change in speed would be for large focusing distance change since the motor could start fast and then reduce the speed as it approaches the needed focusing distance. But still, higly speculative. I'm inclined to think this first series is controlled at constant speed, albeit a fast one (but of course I have zero proof).

Still, I think it's fun to try and think how these lenses work and I truly think that all the above messages are valid and all have valuable information.

Camillo said:

Hey guys, after the polishing I have found that applying a very fine amount of graphite will generate a longer lasting fix. Its miraculous. Use a toothpick and only apply a fine amount like I mean just dip a tooth pick graphite and apply it between the rotor and stator, dont have to work every tooth just the rotor needs some small small small amount.

This worked for me maybe it works for you!

Good luck

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Hi, Camillo!

Can you show what kind of graphite you used?

The only grease i have with graphite is gun grease, i try it, but it not works (maybe because that grease based on oil).

For now i have best results with first cleaning a surfaces with isopropanol, and then dry polishing with drawing paper.

Best regards

UnRuled said:

Camillo said:

Hey guys, after the polishing I have found that applying a very fine amount of graphite will generate a longer lasting fix. Its miraculous. Use a toothpick and only apply a fine amount like I mean just dip a tooth pick graphite and apply it between the rotor and stator, dont have to work every tooth just the rotor needs some small small small amount.

This worked for me maybe it works for you!

Good luck

Click to expand...

Hi, Camillo!

Can you show what kind of graphite you used?

The only grease i have with graphite is gun grease, i try it, but it not works (maybe because that grease based on oil).

For now i have best results with first cleaning a surfaces with isopropanol, and then dry polishing with drawing paper.

Best regards

Click to expand...

Hey!, I use a fine graphite powder used for locks. I would advice you clean out the oil with alcohol 90, hope the oild didn’t damage the piezo electric circuits underneath. Like I said you only need a very very fine amount.

Camillo said:

UnRuled said:

Camillo said:

Hey guys, after the polishing I have found that applying a very fine amount of graphite will generate a longer lasting fix. Its miraculous. Use a toothpick and only apply a fine amount like I mean just dip a tooth pick graphite and apply it between the rotor and stator, dont have to work every tooth just the rotor needs some small small small amount.

This worked for me maybe it works for you!

Good luck

Click to expand...

Hi, Camillo!

Can you show what kind of graphite you used?

The only grease i have with graphite is gun grease, i try it, but it not works (maybe because that grease based on oil).

For now i have best results with first cleaning a surfaces with isopropanol, and then dry polishing with drawing paper.

Best regards

Click to expand...

Hey!, I use a fine graphite powder used for locks. I would advice you clean out the oil with alcohol 90, hope the oild didn’t damage the piezo electric circuits underneath. Like I said you only need a very very fine amount.

Click to expand...

Thank you! After i assemble and test motor - it not works, and i immediately clean it with isopropyl alcohol. I will try graphite when i disassemble lens next time

Knew member here.

Thanks to everyone for all the suggestions.

I've got a 17-35mm coming tomorrow with a known "af" problem, I'm excited to try some of the fixes.

Wish me luck.