Dismantling A Pelikan Mk/silvexa

[whych]

A quick guide to how to dismantle MK/Silvexa body and piston pen.

This is for the Mark 2 type with the semi-open nib but I should imagine the same will work for the earlier model.

 

First soak the pen for a day or so and make sure everything is clean as as free from ink as possible.

 

NOTE

Pelikan uses a left hand thread for both the body and piston.

 

DISMANTLE/REMOVE THE PISTON

If you unscrew the piston and look at the gap between the filler knob and body, you will see there are 2 opposing flattened edges in the piston sleeve which will take a spanner. The piston isn't glued so minimun force is needed to unscrew it.

I have found the easiest tool to use is the back plate from an old computer case:

 

UNSCREWING THE BODY FROM THE SECTION

If you have a Mark 1 version, pull the nib and feed first.

 

You need a hair drier or heat gun to slowly heat the body and section in the area of the ring between the section and the ink view window.

Heat it slowly turning the pen constantly and every now and then try unscrewing the body and section.

Alteernating between tightening and unscrewing helps.

DON'T FORCE IT!!

If nothing moves, have patience and heat everything some more.

Eventually it will start to move.

If it suddenly stops moving or becomes hard to unscrew, the glue has hardened, so repeat the process.

 

Evetually you end up with the pen in parts:

 

 

Just so you get teh idea of which model the pen is, here is the cartridge fill version:

[starreacher]

I can believe you came up with the back plate from the computer, how clever is that!
Any other tool you can think of that does the same job?

I tried to get some parallel pliers with thin grip, but the piston shaft plastic is very soft, so it damages it as soon as you touch it. Do you have the same problem with this tool?

[starreacher]

I tried the plate, but it does not fit around the flattened edges. I thought those plates have all same size openings, ie standards, but seems there are slightly different sizes

[Ernst Bitterman]

I've used the spanner that came with a TWSBI 530, but there's two drawbacks to that:

- You need to file the spanner as the Pelikan mechanism is slightly wider than the TWSBI (the spanner is duoble ended, so amending one end doesn't render it useless for the TWSBI);

- You need to have a TWSBI on hand; if you don't want one, this becomes a $50 tool.

 

If you've got the plate, filing may answer the case. Also, I've found that while there isn't any adhesive involved, a piston that has sat unmoved for decades can be a little resistant, so a little tight/loose wiggle can be needed to free it initially. I also find that I'm so thoroughly trained to "left=loose" that I really have to think hard to make my hands obey the need in these pens to apply "right=loose".

[whych]

I tried the plate, but it does not fit around the flattened edges. I thought those plates have all same size openings, ie standards, but seems there are slightly different sizes

Pliers usually don't have parallel jaws.

 

Seems like with all things, the tolerance on the computer blanking plates is pretty wide. You could try a few layers of tin foil on the edges to narrow the gap.

 

From memory, the spanner size you want is either an 8 or 9mm.

If you can grind the end of a plain flat spanner to get a thickness of around 2 mm, it should be able to fit between the piston knob and body.

 

Like all old piston fillers, soak the whole pen in water overnight to loosen any ink that may have got into the threads.

[starreacher]

Guys,

thank for the advice... I had another idea which i'm working on now, I'll file a "french wrench"-Adjustable spanner to get the head to be very thin, around 1-2 mm, some wrenches pins (head) can be filed down to this size some cannot. If I get such a wrench working I will have Adjustable spanner with very thin head which should fit on almost all pens requiring a spanner. In any case i'll let you know how it goes.

[kpong11]

I use paper clip to lock the edges in the piston sleeve and it's work. BTW do we need to turn left or right to loosen body and section?

[Strombomboli]

I use paper clip to lock the edges

 

Whow, why didn't I think of this? I will try it.

 

You need to turn to the right. (I haven't done it myself yet, but everybody says so.)

[whych]

Pelikan is left hand threaded. You need to turn counter clockwise.

[Paul Raposo]

Bumping this thread to say thank you to the FPN members who contributed to this thread. it helped me get my M20 Silvex dissembled and cleaned. Thank you all

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/266180-pelikan-silvexa-m20-disassembly-and-cleaning/

Edited May 7, 2014 by Paul Raposo

[londonbooks]

Yes - thanks from here too. Now I feel a little more confident about tackling these pens on my own.

[Tweel]

I've used the spanner that came with a TWSBI 530, but... You need to have a TWSBI on hand; if you don't want one, this becomes a $50 tool.

 

I e-mailed TWSBI, and they sold me a wrench alone for $5.

[Ernst Bitterman]

 

I e-mailed TWSBI, and they sold me a wrench alone for $5.

 

Well, that's... either cheek or sensible enterprise.

 

Someone mentioned elsewhere that calipers can also be pressed into service as a sort of adjustable spanner for this purpose; I repeat it here to spread the notion around.

[Tweel]

 

Well, that's... either cheek or sensible enterprise.

 

Someone mentioned elsewhere that calipers can also be pressed into service as a sort of adjustable spanner for this purpose; I repeat it here to spread the notion around.

 

If anyone else wants a wrench, don't be afraid to ask. TWSBI seemed quite happy to do it and I received it promptly; I suppose selling something is better than selling nothing. Now that I've double-checked, it was $6, which included registered airmail postage.

 

I can imagine using the flats of a caliper, but even supporting the jaws with my grip, I'd be reluctant to use it to apply torque (that doesn't mean I wouldn't, in a pinch).

[Strombomboli]

How do you go about when dismantling a cartridge/converter Silvexa? Is the part with the ink window screwed in and can be screwed out when heating it as described above?

[TorPelikan]

As it's easy to flush the section with bulb syringe or something else, I've never tried to screw out the ink window from my C/C Silvexa.

To clean the inside of the barrel, I do have screwed out the ink window with some of my piston filling SIlvexa(M12/M20/M30).

But later, I've found it's rather easier to screw out the piston unit from the barrel end.

SIlvexa pens are made of a bit fragile plastic, so I prefer to avoid any risk to break my pen.

 

Sorry I can provide no further information you need.

 

 

p.s.

Tried to unscrew the ink window with my C/C model P12 and found some difficulty.

As I have no tool to apply proper heat, we need help from somebody else around here.

 

Tor

[Strombomboli]

we need help from somebody else around here.

 

We sure do.

 

I don't want to clean the pen, but dismantle it to put it together properly. The pen (which I found by accident a short while ago; I must have bought it over thirty years ago and only remembered that I once had a blue Silvexa, but not, what had become of it, now I know why I didn't use it anymore: it) is a little broken. I managed to fill the crack with Capt. I-don't know's Creeping Crack Cure, but the ring between the grip section and the ink window does not sit properly in place, so that the whole pen actually is crooked when screwed together.

 

Now, if I would take it apart entirely and then glue together again nicely, it might be straight in the end. That's my idea. I hope someone with more experience will answer.

[PDW]

Just received a Silvexa 20 which I was told was a C/C/ version but is actually a piston M20.

 

Before I start disassembling it, I'd like to know what people use to replace the original section/barrel glue when they reassemble their Silvexas (Silvexae?). I have Sheaffer-type sealant and shellac to hand.

 

edit: spelling corrected

Edited January 22, 2015 by PDW

[whych]

Before I start disassembling it, I'd like to know what people use to replace the original section/barrel glue when they reassemble their Silvexas (Silvexae?). I have Sheaffer-type sealant and shellac to hand.

The only part you may want to dismantle is the piston,

Unless the body is cracked, there should be no need to dismantle it further.

You don't need any sealer on the piston sleeve - the piston seal ensures there are no leaks.

 

Soak the whole pen for a couple of days before trying to unscrew the piston. Work the piston every now and then with the pen submersed in water.

[Ernst Bitterman]

I second the idea that taking the section off isn't something you want to pursue unless driven by need. If you've got one that is spontaneously unscrewing, I think I'd incline toward shellac, but this is One Man's Opinion and should be given exactly that much weight.