I have an old 3130 and a newer 128RC Manfrotto head. Over time both have become operationally "less fluid". It finally dawned on me to try the obvious.
I loosened the vertical screw that controls horizontal rotation and applied Armorall to the threads and washers. I worked it back and forth several times as I tightened and loosened the mechanism.
I loosened the vertical adjustment screw and applied Armorall to the teflon pads on the inside of the housing. Have a rag handy and work the mechanism up and down several times. I also tighten and loosened it several times and ran a string through the opening to remove accumulated debris (a little dust was all I found).
I finished with a few drops on the brass locking pin and spring loaded latch, working both a few times to loosen them up.
Operation is smooooooth and precise.
Truthfully, I have no idea if Armorall is ideal for this application but everything has been working just fine in 25F weather.
I loosened the vertical screw that controls horizontal rotation and applied Armorall to the threads and washers. I worked it back and forth several times as I tightened and loosened the mechanism.
I loosened the vertical adjustment screw and applied Armorall to the teflon pads on the inside of the housing. Have a rag handy and work the mechanism up and down several times. I also tighten and loosened it several times and ran a string through the opening to remove accumulated debris (a little dust was all I found).
I finished with a few drops on the brass locking pin and spring loaded latch, working both a few times to loosen them up.
Operation is smooooooth and precise.
Truthfully, I have no idea if Armorall is ideal for this application but everything has been working just fine in 25F weather.