Parker Vacumatic inner cap collision

[The Elevator]

Just acquired a 1943 (? I think the imprint says “.3.” But it’s difficult to tell). Parker Vacumatic Debutante in green. It’s a beautiful pen, in great shape, diaphragm all sorted. There’s just one problem: the nib collides with the inner cap when capping the pen. 

 The nib appears not to have been damaged by this; it just misalignes after a few cycles and I have to be careful not to tighten the pen too much. The result is that the pen doesn’t seal well and dries out quickly. 
 

How should I go about fixing this? Should my prime suspect be the inner cap, or an improperly set nib and feed? How would I go about repairing either of those possible culprits?

[Ron Z]

Use two chopsticks or bamboo coffee stirrers, side by side.  One should catch the edge of the inner cap, the other should be pushed down to hit the inside end of the inner cap.  Hold them in together and put the forward one against the edge of the section.  The other should clear the end of the nib.  It doesn't have to be my much, it just has to clear.  If it doesn't, you need to set the nib in a bit farther.  The nib may have been removed when restored, and whomever may not have checked the set of the nib and feed in the section.

 

 

[The Elevator]

@Ron Z

 

thank you for the information. I have just checked and indeed it does not clear. How would I go about re-setting the nib and feed correctly? I know there are many posts on this topic on the forum, but for some reason I can’t find them 😵‍💫

 

 

[FarmBoy]

Inner cap on those pens tends to shrink excessively. Look in there to see. 

[Nethermark]

Can you take the nib and feed out?

 

If so, you need to take them out and insert the again, but deeper. It's very likely, they were not placed in the right (original) position. You can look inside the section, whether you can see a mark, where the nib was positioned originally. I find that in most cases, the nibs were aligned with the inscription on the barrel. If you can find out where it was positioned originally, you should push it in there again. If you can't see a mark, you may want to try different positions to see whether the nib and section go in easily somewhere. If it still doesn't wotk, you could apply som dry heat to the section befor inserting the nib and section

[jchch1950]

The nib is not in the right position. Maybe the seller wanted to show a bigger nib to facilitate the sale.

[FlighterGuy]

OK, go here Parker Pens Penography: GOLDEN ARROW/VACUUM FILLER/VACUMATIC  

and scroll down about half way and you will find a picture of six nibs to give you an idea of what the proper distance should look like.

I also measured the block from my Parker Repair Kit, if it's more than 22mm then it's definitely too far.

[bahnstormer]

That nib is too far out. You need to at least halve the distance between the section and "USA"

[Ron Z]

You can not depend on whether or not the nib looks like it is set in right.  You may have a pen in which the inner cap has shrunk as Farm Boy noted.  The inner cap may have been shaved down so that the barrel threads engage with the cap, or the inner cap was replaced, or the nib was in fact not set properly.....  there can be any number of reasons why the nib hits the end of the inner cap.  The only way to make sure that it clears is to measure as I described above.  Or you use an inner cap gauge.  A pair of chopsticks, small diameter dowel or coffee stirrers side by side is the cheapest and simplest way to measure short of using an inner cap gauge. If it clears you're good.  If it hits, you need to set then nib and feed a little deeper.