Polaroid Flip Film Door Replacement

Written By: Spencer Day

Comments: 0

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

Time Required

15 - 20 minutes

Introduction

Use this guide to replace the film door (aka film processing unit, or FPU) in your Polaroid Flip instant camera.

The film door is made up of the print roller secured in its plastic housing. The print roller is responsible for evenly spreading the development chemicals across your instant film photos. If your photos look uneven or have lines, you might need to replace the film door.

Before replacing the film door, try cleaning the rollers and see if it fixes your problem. It's possible dust and dirt buildup on the rollers is causing uneven photos.

Tools

Parts

Polaroid Flip Film Door - Genuine

Step 1

If you have any film left, take some photos! Then remove the cartridge. Disassembly will expose any leftover film.
Before you begin:
Unplug all cables from your camera.
Fully close the flash unit at the front of the camera to turn it off.

Step 2

Throughout this guide, directional words (front, back, left, right) are from the perspective of using the camera—or when the lens faces away from you.
Hold down the latch on the left side of the camera and open the film door.

Step 3

Throughout this repair, keep track of each screw and make sure it goes back exactly where it came from.
Use a Phillips screwdriver to remove the 5.9 mm‑long screw securing the rear shell.
The screw is hidden inside the camera on the back edge—you may need to use a flashlight to see it, as well as a skinny, long‑shank screwdriver to reach it.
Be careful when removing your screwdriver, as the screw can easily fall inside the camera. If it does, hold the camera above your work surface and gently shake it so the screw falls out.

Step 4

Removing the bottom shell in the next step exposes the camera mirror. Be careful not to smudge it or get any debris on it. If you accidentally do, use a lint‑free cloth to gently wipe the mirror clean.

Step 5

Slide the bottom shell towards the back of the camera to release the clips securing it.
Lift and remove the shell.
During reassembly:
Place the shell onto the frame so it hangs over the back about about half an inch (~13 mm), creating a gap near the center of the camera. This allows room for the clips to slide into place.
Push down on the shell and slide it towards the front of the camera to engage the clips—you should feel them slide into place.

Step 6

Use a Phillips screwdriver to remove the two 3 mm‑long film door hinge screws (one on either side of the camera).

Step 7

Open the film door and place a clean cloth in the compartment.
This prevents the door from re‑securing when detaching it.

Step 8

The small, plastic grommets inside the film door hinges can easily fall off during this step. Don't lose them—you'll need them for reassembly.
Use the flat end of a spudger to push one of the film door hinges away from the camera and off its post.
Repeat the process to detach the other hinge.
Hold the film door steady so the already detached hinge doesn't slide back into place.
Check to see if either of the small, plastic hinge grommets stayed on their posts. If they did, remove them and set them aside.

Step 9

Remove the film door.
At this point, you can remove the cloth from the film door compartment.
During reassembly:
Make sure there are grommets installed in the film door hinges. To install them, press the grommets into the film door hinges, with the wide end facing in.
Hook one of the hinges on its post and then push the other one into place until it snaps over its post.

Conclusion

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

Repair didn’t go as planned? Try some basic troubleshooting, or ask our Answers community for help.

Author

Spencer Day

Member since: 14/09/22

117606 Reputation

Polaroid Flip Film Door Replacement

Introduction

Tools

Parts

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