One of my 501HDV's Pan Teflon discs broke

[Jack Zhang]

I noticed a white piece of plastic sticking out of the bottom of my 501HDV head and it turns out one of the Teflon discs of the 501HDV was sliding out! Now I can't pan lock, being forced to tighten my pan friction to act as a "pseudo pan lock," but it looks like I have one more Teflon disc still in the bottom of the head.

Should I just tighten my pan lock lever further? What should I do?

For some background, I had my EX1R on it with as much pan friction tension as I could on the head since advice I was given was to tighten all my pan and tilt frictions to maximum.

[Chris Soucy]

Umm Jack,

advice I was given was to tighten all my pan and tilt frictions to maximum.

I can't, for the life of me, understand what this "advice" was expecting to achieve other than the total destruction of some or all of the entire system.

With every control maxed out the system would have been under absolutely peak stress, just daring something to fail, and quite how you ever got a smooth pan or tilt without the head being bolted to a block of concrete I cannot imagine.

Well, something has failed and it wouldn't surprise me if that wasn't just the beginning.

Question is, do you get it fixed or replace the entire head?

I shall leave you to decide, but whichever it is, I'd take the above quoted advice and drop it in the nearest large circular filing cabinet. Max everything is doable when using v. long zooms and very stiff sticks, but no head manufacturer on the planet would suggest doing so as a default modus operandi.


CS

[Jack Zhang]

Well, it was advice given to operate a HPX300 shoulder-cam on possibly Vinten heads.

One of the pan teflon discs fell out. I can still pan effectively but the locks no longer work as the spacing that teflon disc provided is no longer there.

I don't believe I have warranty as I haven't registered it yet. I also have a gig this weekend so I can't afford a RMA right now.

[Chris Soucy]

Well, in that case, mate, to quote the Venerable Bead, "You're Royally Screwed!".

What is applicable to Vinten, Sachtler and OConnor heads in no way maps to Manfrotto, and even they (V, S & O) wouldn't recommend setting everything to max and leaving it there (why do I remember a thread where Sachtler supposedly said to do that very thing?).

Looks like: short term, it's lock-less; medium term, self flagellation for being a FW**; long term, either a V, S or O alternative.

Sorry I can't be of more help.

** I'd like to suggest I'll make a $20 donation to the NZ Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) for anyone who gets that one sussed, but think Chris H. might bustabloodvessel if it happens here, better mail me under plain brown wrapper. I'll prowl my "spam folder" as it (the spam filter) makes a pack of rabid Rottweilers look like a parade of little fluffy ducks.


CS

[Alan Craven]

Sachtler state in the User guide for the FSB heads that the brakes should be released and the counterbalance and damping set at maximum FOR TRANSPORT.

They also add the ambiguous statement that "you should turn both the damping setting rings from zero to maximum before and after the use of the fluid head.". I suspect that this has lost something in the translation from the original German!

[Jack Zhang]

May I state that it still works, just without pan locking ability...

So know I know not all heads are made equal. Just like the time I thought a ball based head was a video head.

Oh well, may as well tighten that pan lock further so that it actually locks...

[Victor Nguyen]

Hey Jack. My old thread might be useful to you:

http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/tripod-s...tto-501-a.html

You can try to take the pan lock off and get a replacement from Manfrotto. Have you try tightening the pan lock yet?

But I would recommend you to try to save up for a new head and leg. I'm about to get Satchler FSB4 with Miller Solo DV leg.

[Chris Medico]

Hey Jack,

Is stripping it down and replacing the part yourself an option?

This link should get you to the exploded view of your head.

Manfrotto 501HDV Spare Parts | Manfrotto Spares

The 501 is pretty simple to break down.

[Jack Zhang]

Originally Posted by Victor Nguyen

Hey Jack. My old thread might be useful to you:

http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/tripod-s...tto-501-a.html

You can try to take the pan lock off and get a replacement from Manfrotto. Have you try tightening the pan lock yet?

But I would recommend you to try to save up for a new head and leg. I'm about to get Satchler FSB4 with Miller Solo DV leg.

It's only one teflon disc that got out. I'll do a disassembly on a Thursday at a friend's place and see which specific part I need to order for a specific repair. It's looking like I need 501, 210.

Edit: In the interm, I found an appropriate Allen key and tightened the nut so that the pan lock is flush with the bottom plate again. There are only 2 teflon discs supporting the panning, so I'll have to order the 501, 210 in order to get 3 teflon discs again.

[Zoran Vincic]

Originally Posted by Alan Craven

They also add the ambiguous statement that "you should turn both the damping setting rings from zero to maximum before and after the use of the fluid head.". I suspect that this has lost something in the translation from the original German!

I remember reading somewhere a plausible explanation for that recommendation but I can't remember exactly what it said.

Maybe it's to stop it sticking from dirt or maybe to make sure that the drag isn't set in a position between two settings (a big NO NO for Sachtler heads as I understand).

Whatever, just make sure that the head is UNLOCKED when in transport.

Originally Posted by Jack Zhang

Should I just tighten my pan lock lever further? What should I do?

Throw that sorry excuse for a video head in the garbage and get something that WORKS!
(sorry)

[Alan Craven]

I have checked with Sachtler today and got a reply which says that you should turn the damping setting rings from 0 to maximum AND BACK again before and after using the head. The head should be stored with both set at maximum with the brakes off.

They are going to amend the User Guide.