Manfrotto has discontinued the part R190,311. This was a common center column locking knob for many Manfrotto and Bogen older style 190 tripods. You can use the following:
R190,41 is a similar replacement, it has a spring and the diameter and thread size is the same. Click here for more info.
R004,80 is the correct diameter and size, but there is no spring. Click here for more info.
We are now stocking almost all parts for the BeFree Live tripod and most losable parts on the MVK400 Video head. You can find the complete listing Here.
There is little that is different in the basic tear down and repair of this tripod or head. Basic tools are needed, Torx T20, flat blade screw driver or Allen wrench; depending upon what you are working on.
The most likely parts you will loose or damage are the Leg Snap Levers, there are 3 sizes; the Center Column Locking Knob or the Bag Hook on the bottom of the center column.
The head we have already seen that the pan handle and the Pan Handle Locking Knob are going to be trouble. The pan handle is prone to breakage, ESPECIALY of the tripod tips over and hits on the Pan Tightening Knob.
Make sure you are following the basic rules of tripod use and you should not have a problem.
If you are having problems determining what parts you need, or for a tune up or for repairs, send your name, address, daytime phone and email address along with your tripod to:
ManfrottoTripodParts.com Repairs
c/o SpartanPhotoCenter
108 Garner Road
Spartanburg, SC 29303
Once we have it, we will evaluate it and contact you. Please send us your daytime phone so we can reach you during business hours.
Lastly, if we are repairing your Manfrotto Product; we are recycling all broken parts and scrap articles. Almost nothing goes into the trash if we can help it.
A few basics when repairing your Manfrotto…
Safety first… Make sure you have the right tools. Almost everything on Manfrotto products is metric. You can’t repair metric with US tools. The most common Allen wrenches are the 2mm, 3mm, 4mm and 5mm, or the TORX T25. Socket drivers are usually 8mm or 10mm.
Some heads have springs under high tension -Wear Safety goggles. Beware of sharp edges, points and springs. Some people are allergic to the lubricants used internally, you may need to wear gloves.
If you don’t know, don’t try…A pan head is simple, and easily DIY repaired. Replacing a handle or knob can easily be done in a few minutes. Ball heads have more complex locking mechanisms internally. Plus there are features inside to keep the parts and springs organized and under tension. Without specialized tools those features will not come out. And pulling them out with pliers may seem like a good way to get them out, it will damage them, to the other parts increasing the parts needed for your repair. Video heads and some ball heads have springs to keep the tension. These are very powerful and WILL rocket out of the head if you are not careful. Plus you can damage other parts inside the head if you are assembling the head wrong. Lets not even talk about gear heads or hydrostatic heads!
Screw and nut drivers
Have everything laid out before you start… I lay my tools to the upper right of the work surface, disassembled parts to the left. I work in the center. A cleaning cloth made of T-shirt like material is good for cleaning dirt and accumulated dirt out of the mechanism. But don’t remove the lubricants. Everything that is lubed uses a gel lubricant that is designed to stay where it is put. Removing lubricants will allow parts to wear out faster. While general lubricants like WD40 are great for general use, NEVER use it on a tripod, monopod or head. It is too fluid and will make a mess, as well as, hold dirty and grime where you don’t want it.
As you disassemble, lay out everything in order – then reassemble in reverse order… As simple as this sounds, it is always the best way to work and never vary. Some of the parts are in a specific order to allow bearing to move smoothly, or to allow parts to slide and turn. ALWAY remove items with caution and care paying particular attention to the orientation that they came out in. Parts lists, and websites do not document the particularity of these items. It is mostly done by experience.
Lastly, while the tools are all metric, please bear in mind that not all the parts are standard. Often the parts are made just for a particular use and are not interchangeable. Some threads may appear to be M6 metric, but often the thread pitch or count is different and using standard hardware store screws will only damage the threaded internal parts. Some screws are threaded backwards so they will not come out during use. You can easily strip a head off a screw before you know why then it is major surgery to remove a stripped screw.
If you get stuck, let us know. After we stop laughing, we will help. No, seriously, we can repair any tripod head or monopod listed on our website. Those that are not listed are because the tools and techniques are not generally made available, or are only repaired by the factory.
We have,on more than one occasion, reassembled heads for customers that just didn’t make sense once they got it apart. You can find our repair info by clicking here.
Whether for tune up or for repair, send your name, address, daytime phone and email address along with your tripod to:
SpartanPhotoCenter, Inc
108 Garner Rd
Spartanburg, SC 29303
Once we have it, we will evaluate it and contact you. Please send us your daytime phone so we can reach you during business hours.
Lastly, if we are repairing your Manfrotto Product; we are recycling all broken parts and scrap articles. Almost nothing goes into the trash if we can help it.
We sell Manfrotto spare parts. In fact, we have over 2000 parts in stock for Manfrotto tripods, heads and monopod products. We designed our website to show you the products we have spare parts for, in stock at that moment in time. The Video Monopod product is shown to the right, and we have the parts shown in the relative places on the product. You can click on the link to the left that corresponds to the part you want and see a larger picture of it. If that is the one you want, you can place it in the shopping cart. In the cart, below the large picture of the part is the inventory quantity we have in stock, and below that are related parts that are often purchased with the one you are looking at, or they are variations..
Any of the products shown on the parts parts can be repaired by us if you don’t have the time or inclination to repair it your self. On those products we have listed on our site; we strive for a 3 day turn around on the repairs. We can regularly do this because we have the parts in stock. If we are out of stock on an items then it could take between several weeks and months to get the part, since Manfrotto is a world wide company, and the parts are manufactured in several countries, outside the USA.
Whether for tune up or for repair, send your name, address, daytime phone and email address along with your tripod to:
SpartanPhotoCenter, Inc
ManfrottoTripodParts.com Repairs
c/o SpartanPhotoCenter
108 Garner Road
Spartanburg, SC 29303
For more info on repairs Click here.
Once we have it, we will evaluate it and contact you. Please send us your daytime phone so we can reach you during business hours.
Lastly, if we are repairing your Manfrotto Product; we are recycling all broken parts and scrap articles. Almost nothing goes into the trash if we can help it.
Blog post was changed to reflect our new address
ManfrottoTripodParts 