Question: Disassembly and Repair of a 80's Pilot Elite pocket fountain pen

[marcvolovic]

Hi,

 

I have a damaged/non-working Pilot Elite pocket pen of the 80's. It has a problem with seating the ink cartridge/converter - the converter goes in much too deep and does not become seated (rattles around, falls out if pen is inverted, etc).

 

Can this be repaired? I suspect I'd need to remove the threaded metal part of the body and pull the internal assembly out, but is this (a) reasonably possible, (b) worthwhile and (c) are spare parts to be had anywhere?

 

Many thanks!

 

Marc

[Ashram]

What most likely happened is that the plastic piece inside the pen that holds the nib/feed in place and also holds the cartridge has broken.  The small piece of plastic that extends out on the part pictured punctures the cartridge and keeps it in position.  These can weaken over time.  You will need to find a replacement.  A parts/donor pen is probably your best option.  Finding parts is very difficult.  It can be unscrewed using the same 2-pronged tool used to disassemble Vanishing Point nibs.  Good luck!

[Flounder]

i agree with Ashram as to the issue - shine a light inside the section and inspect the cartridge piercer (of course, make sure you only use Pilot cartridges and converters in this pen or damage to the piercer is very likely).

 

There were both 'upscale' Japanese factory versions of these Pilot pocket pens and economy ones made in Korea. The economy ones are quite ubiquitous, so would be a good place to look for a potentially compatible cart piercer - I only have a Japanese one so can't verify this suspicion.

 

 

[awa54]

Hi Marc,
 

pictures of the pen in question will help us give better guidance.

 

however, AFAIK all pilot lock-rings or threaded cartridge interfaces are the same size (use a 7mm toothed tube wrench), so the odds are that any pen with the same style part as pictured in @Ashram's post will fit.

 

you don't *have* to remove the section coupler, but it's definitely easier to do feed work with it out of the way. just note how the threaded part and the bushing/spacer/washer come out, so you don't wind up with a bad cap seal, or worse cracked parts!

 

 

the thinner wrench fits Platinum lock rings:

 

 

 

[marcvolovic]

Many thanks all. I am absolutely certain that the problem is indeed the plastic piercer suggested by @Ashram. The problem, of course, that while I have a broken Korean Elite (which can be used as a donor), I do not have the wrench to disassemble the section of the pen...

 

Can it be disassembled WITHOUT the special wrench?

 

[marcvolovic]

Alternatively, can such a wrench be found anywhere (searching google failed me so far) or self-manufactured from a 7mm brass tube?

[awa54]

sometimes fitting a cartridge to the piercer and rotating it anti-clockwise will be sufficient to remove it. but more often the wrench is required.

 

my wrenches were made with brass tubing, normally intended for hobby use, which I filed to shape in order to get a snug fit to the recesses in the lock rings of various Japanese pens (7mm with wide lugs for Pilot, 6mm with narrower lugs for Platinum).

 

there's an Ebay seller from Japan who periodically lists these for sale, but I don't any up right now...

[marcvolovic]

5 hours ago, awa54 said:

sometimes fitting a cartridge to the piercer and rotating it anti-clockwise will be sufficient to remove it. but more often the wrench is required.

 

my wrenches were made with brass tubing, normally intended for hobby use, which I filed to shape in order to get a snug fit to the recesses in the lock rings of various Japanese pens (7mm with wide lugs for Pilot, 6mm with narrower lugs for Platinum).

 

there's an Ebay seller from Japan who periodically lists these for sale, but I don't any up right now...

 

Right... So, getting some tubing will not be a problem. I'll get some 7mm brass (I am guessing something like 6.8-6.7mm ID, and make one. The lugs look like 1.5mm, roughly. Is that more or less correct?

 

Many thanks for your help. We shall overcome.

 

M