How To Fix Pilot Metropolitan

[Klisu]

Hello everyone. I've got BIG problem with Pilot Metropolitan. It constantly pour out all the ink. No matter what kind of ink or I'm using: Parker Quink, Herbin Perle Noire, Aurora Black, Pelikan Blue, after few shakes (for example in pencil case) everything looks like in the picture shown below. When I dissasembly the pen I noticed that cartdridge is dry and there is no ink in pen's "body". I think that nib is "sitting" to loosely in the section of pen, and that causes the pouring. I'm wondering how may I repair such failure, maybe try to use some adhesive (glue?) to immobilize the nib in the section? Please, if someone had simmilar problem and he succeed to resolving it - feel free to give me some tips. Thank you and have a nice day!

[Ron Z]

Nibs are a wedge, thinner at the tale and getting thicker as you move towards the tip, and are wedged in between the collar and feed. No adhesive is ever used to hold the nib and feed in the section. The Pilot nibs and feeds can be pulled out of the section, lined up and reset. Both should be firmly pushed in as close as can be. There shouldn't be a gap between nib and feed.

 

There are a number of things that could be causing the problem. I can't see any details of how the nib and feed are fitting in the section. It could be that they need to be reset, but I suspect that you have a break or crack somewhere in the section if that much ink is flowing out. Rinse off and dry everything. Gently pull the nib and feed, then inspect all parts, especially the section from end to end with good lighting and a loupe. If you see a crack, you have your answer.

[Sasha Royale]

DO NOT attempt any repair, before we determine where the repair is needed ! No glue.

 

* Is the plastic ink cartridge a Pilot brand cartridge ? Or is the cartridge another brand ?

* Is the ink, that is all over your hand, from inside the pen cap ?

* Is either the nib (metal) or the feed (black plastic under the nib) loose ? That is, can you grasp by fingers and easily move them side-to-side ?

* When the cartridge is initially installed, did the pen write ?

[Klisu]

So, let's start from the beginning.

 

Mr. Ron Z:

I know that Pilot's nib can be pulled out & cleaned. I did it several times, because firstly I thought it was the reason of that floats. Everytime I pushed it back to the moment when I knew it reached its limits.

The pen did not ever drop, there are no cracks, just few sctratches, mainly because it was hidden inside drawer. I was using it maybe for two or three days when first few purs occured.

 

Mr./Mrs. Sasha Royale
1) I used several converters: Jinhao's one, No name one, and the single use Pilot's cartridges. Everytime the result was the same - ink just get out of it.

2) Yes, ink gets out only from inside the pen cap, last time I was examining it I saw that ink is all around the nib, under it, over it, everywhere.

3) Neither are loose. If they're pulled into the pen's section it cannot be moved side-to-side (of course it can be moved, but only by using a lot of force). Only one move that is possible, it's pulling it out and into the section.

4) Yes, when the cartridge is initially installed the pen is writing nice, and (oh my god, it writes so nice) smoothly. Only one thing that is bothering me is when I shake the then from up to down very fast it spits out onto the paper one drop of ink (but I think that's pretty normal, the acceleration is pretty big and when it stopped imediattely the ink just gets out).

Edited October 5, 2017 by Klisu

[Bluey]

Push the converter/cartridge in harder. There's also considerable ink in the cap, so that needs to be cleaned out.

Edited October 5, 2017 by Bluey

[Klisu]

I always check twice if converter/cartridge is placed correctly, everytime I push it to the very end, it just can't go any further. Also, I do not think it's converter/cartridge fault, if it does the ink would be everywhere inside the pen's body, outside the converter. But everytime the ink got out the inside of the pen was almost clean.

[Ron Z]

A flood of ink like that says that far more air is getting into the converter than should be or there is crack. If the nib is set properly, and there are no cracks, the fault has to be with either the converter or how it attaches to the section.

 

Converters do fail and leak on occasion. I would try a different converter, and do check to see that the piercing tube is there. I just had a case where it was snapped off, still stuck in the nipple on the converter.

[akrohn2010]

Did your pen come with the CON-20 squeeze converter? If so Id give that a try - my Metro has always worked best with that converter.

[otw]

In the second photo you posted, it appears that the feed is not pushed far enough into the section. Please refer to the photo below, from a working Metro:

 

[Gloucesterman]

FWIW - it looks like this may be a European Metropolitan that uses (I think) the international cartridges rather than the proprietary Pilot (used here in the States). I don't know if that would make any difference in the situation.

[Klisu]

Indeed, it is European Metropolitan, it used international cartridges.

Mr. economicalpenster

 

Oh my God, indeed, your photo and much more in Google shows that feed should get into the section much deeper but in my case, no matter how big pressure I'm using, it's not going deeper anymore.

Edit: Ah, nevermind, the differences in feed looks it's just another thing related to fact that it's International version. Check it up here: http://pen-vault-ink-cellar.blogspot.in/2016/02/pilot-mr-metropolitan-pilot-mr.html

Edited October 6, 2017 by Klisu

[mwpannell]

Can't remember the last time I had to take a Metro nib and section out, but as far as pushing it in--does it require being turned to match a protrusion or something to get things lined up just right before it can be pushed all the way in?

Just a thought. Seems that's maybe the case with some pens.

[otw]

hmm, well I certainly learned something new.

I'm stumped on this one. I had a similar leak with my US-model Metro where ink was pouring into the cap, and the cause was a poor seal between the converter and where it fit into the section. I replaced the converter and it's been fine ever since.

 

If you're still having trouble after swapping out converters/cartridges then the problem is with the pen. Feed, section, something there is bad.

[Needhelp]

I think you need to try to push it hard without any cartridge or converter or anything. if you see the feed and photos of the pen it looks like it is not seated in properly.

[Klisu]

I think I'll give up. I tried nearly anything, nothing helped. It's too bad, because I loved that pen, it was writing so smoothly, with no paper scratching, line width was perfect for my. Worst thing is that I bought Jinhao 599 for 1,5$ and it was writing perfectly well for one year, without any problems. I think I just do not have luck to pens. Thank you for your help, have a nice day!

[Bookman]

Klisu, look at your feed and then look at the photo of mine.

 

Klisu's Metro feed and nib

Bookman's Metro feed

 

 

 

If Pilot designs different Metro/MR sections and feeds for different parts of the world, I have to plead ignorance on that. Every one of mine uses the identical model of section and feed, and, according to the photo you shared, might I suggest you have the wrong feed? Look closely at the back end of your feed and compare it to mine and note my measurements. As we all know, the inside of the Metro section is wide enough you can fit a rat-tail-twisted paper towel through it from one end to the other. The section your feed was designed for has a much smaller aperture than that. Plenty of room for ink to leak out of. But if that feed really does fit your section, front to back, I apologize for interloping.

[jekostas]

Klisu, look at your feed and then look at the photo of mine.

 

Klisu's Metro feed and nib

Bookman's Metro feed

 

 

 

If Pilot designs different Metro/MR sections and feeds for different parts of the world, I have to plead ignorance on that. Every one of mine uses the identical model of section and feed, and, according to the photo you shared, might I suggest you have the wrong feed? Look closely at the back end of your feed and compare it to mine and note my measurements. As we all know, the inside of the Metro section is wide enough you can fit a rat-tail-twisted paper towel through it from one end to the other. The section your feed was designed for has a much smaller aperture than that. Plenty of room for ink to leak out of. But if that feed really does fit your section, front to back, I apologize for interloping.

 

Pilot MRs sold in Europe use international c/c, not Pilot propriety. Klisu's feed is correct for those pens.

[Bookman]

 

Pilot MRs sold in Europe use international c/c, not Pilot propriety. Klisu's feed is correct for those pens.

 

Thanks for the info. I missed that earlier in the thread. My bad.

[Bilbo_Swaggins]

I recently purchased a metro myself and had a similar problem. Even after cleaning, and using only pilot brand cartridges, it would leak all over. I would recommend just returning it and getting a new one. Go through Pilot co themselves unless you have a physical store. The second one i got works prefectly fine, and I have seen online that only ever a few are occasionally faulty.

 

Let me know how this goes mate.