Help Needed - Issue With Friction Fit Piston On 149

[zaddick]

I picked up a 149 off eBay as I wanted the 14C nib that looks to be a B width. I started cleaning the pen today and the piston was pretty stuck. After soaking it a bit, the piston moved slowly but was very stiff. It draws up some water, but not as much as it should. I can also hear a sucking sound when I pull it the nib out of the water after trying to fill the pen.

 

After a while longer soaking the nib and section, I noticed that very inky water (dirty enough to stain my hands) came out from the piston nob area. Now when I try to fill the pen the very last twist to return the cone to the metal ring, inky water seems to come out and there is a little sound of leaking air.

 

I understand these friction fit pistons are hard to repair. The piston still moves up and down, albeit with some effort. I wonder if that means this pen can be saved with some servicing or if it is shot and I should try to return it. I am not sure if this is bad seal or the piston is broken.

 

It is late and there is not enough good light to get a picture, so I took one from the FPN (credit to Tom W.) to show what the back of the pen looks like.

 

 

 

Any guidance related to these older press fit piston would be much appreciated. I'd like to keep this old pen going, but not if it will require major surgery.

 

Thanks in advance

[empty]

I had similar symptoms with a MB Bernstein the owner had left ink in it and it dried up and clogged the feed and piston. Eventually soaking got it moving but water would bubble out the piston end. When I removed the piston I saw that ink had gotten behind the piston and that the edges of the piston seal were ragged, probably from it being operated with dried ink. The water from the soak was also getting behind the piston so operating it pushed water through both ends.

 

The piston seal might be damaged on your pen as well. I have a 149 with press fit piston too but have never tried to remove it.

[zaddick]

There definitely is water on both sides of the piston. It is probably a bad seal.

 

I looked again this morning and now I get bubbles at the section end around the nib collar near the tool indentations and at the piston threads.

 

I don't have tools to take it apart. Should I submerge the whole pen to soak it or just the nib and section?

 

Thanks in advance.

[fountainbel]

There definitely is water on both sides of the piston. It is probably a bad seal.

 

I looked again this morning and now I get bubbles at the section end around the nib collar near the tool indentations and at the piston threads.

 

I don't have tools to take it apart. Should I submerge the whole pen to soak it or just the nib and section?

 

Thanks in advance.

Hi Zaddick,

The piston unit has to be extracted using a special tool, which - given the press fit assembly - is not an easy task.

Knocking the piston unit through from the section side after heating the barrel end is very risky and may lead to breakage of the piston shaft.

I therefore would suggest to leave this operation to a pro, or send the pen to Montblanc.

The piston seal is also larger compared the actual version, and these larger piston seals are not easy to find !

Francis

[zaddick]

Thank you empty and Francis.

 

The latest discovery is a world of ink particles inside the barrel. This pen must have been pretty fulled when stored for a long time where the ink was able to dry. I feel like if i could get the nib and feed out, and give it a good wash, then then pen would be serviceable. I think there is so much pressure created when I move the piston the is it pulling water past small fissures it the seal. If I can clean it and remove the pressure build up, I think it would be usable.

 

I don't have the tools to try though (and maybe not the bravery).

 

It is too bad it does not have the bulkfiller system! I just picked up an FRP demo streamline and it is fun to just fill and clean the pen. Great work Francis.

[mikeg]

As Francis stated this is risky but I did manage to do this on one I brought on ebay and had been put back together with the gold ring round the wrong way. Once the nib and feed were out I applied heat from a hair dryer and I mean a lot of heat and managed to push the piston out using a 5mm rod. On reassembly I applied a bit of silicon grease and pushed the piston assembly back in, on first attempt I applied to much grease and the end would just spin around so you need just enough to be able push the assembly backin.

[Matt.Nethery]

I am not a Montblanc owner but I think this video shows the process of what you need to do to fix your pen. Montblanc experts please excuse my ignorance if this video shows a procedure that does not relate to this post.

 

 

http://youtu.be/KUq_xL6ePkE

[zaddick]

Quick update... This pen was turning into a two direction gusher (nib one the piston down stroke and and piston ring on the up stroke). I used some diluted ammonia solution to break down ink, but even after a few days of flushing cycles it still looked like a blue flaked snow globe inside the ink window.

 

I sent it off to Brad Torelli. He was able to get the pen apart without issue and found not only the years of crud inside the pen, but also that there was a small crack by the blind cap and it was becoming a weak point in the body. Brad patched it up, cleaned out the pen, adjusted the nib (which has one tine slightly higher than the other), lubed everything up and is sending it back to me later this week. I'll post some pictures once I receive the pen. It should be good for many years of service with a lovely B nib and a little extra ink capacity beyond the later 149s.

[CS388]

That's good news, zaddick.

 

This guy sounds like a miracle worker! (incl your other thread re silver rings 149)

 

Looking forward to the pictures.

 

Enjoy.

[zaddick]

Brad is a gifted fellow when it comes to pens. Not only because he knows so much and can repair pens, but he can also make something like a resin 149 by hand, including that red glow to the plastic.

 

He still does a lot of business in replica 139s (although he no longer uses the MB star on the cap nor any MB bands on the pen). Here is a picture of one of my pens (though the photo credit goes to Bryant from PenTime) from Brad. He can use an MB 2-stage piston if you have one to provide, but usually uses a vacuum plunger by default.

 

 

 

 

[FredRydr]

Mine's on the left.

 

 

Fred

[zaddick]

Fred - that looks like a Manhattan from Visconti. What color do you have? I have a red one and just love the top.

 

you have a really nice assortment at your back and call.

 

I'll just call dibs if you decide to sell the Torelli 139.

[niksch]

Fred, Can you loan me that Torelli with the early USAF markings?

[FredRydr]

Eric,

 

It's one of my daily users. I had it made in anticipation of passing my L139 on to eager hands. You wouldn't believe how it fills. Thunk! And the ink level in the bottle just drops!

 

Fred

Edited March 30, 2015 by FredRydr

[bayport714]

A Torelli 139 is my ultimate holy grail pen.