Question about a repair on a Pentax 6x7 mirror return spring

My old mentor, Frank, insisted I could stretch the original spring back into shape, but after three attempts it snapped, so I had to order the $12 replacement part from Japan anyway.

2 comments

2 Comments

lilys811mo ago

Yeah, stretching a spring back into shape is one of those old-school tricks that almost never works for long. The metal gets fatigued from being bent and stretched in the first place, so it's just a temporary fix at best. You were smart to just get the new part, even if it took a few tries to learn that lesson.

rayc891mo ago

What gets me is the safety risk people ignore. A stretched spring in something like a brake or a valve might hold for a week, then fail when you need it most. You're not just fixing a part, you're trusting it with your car or your house. That temporary fix can turn into a real problem fast.