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What Does It Cost To Repair A Tight Piston Montblanc?


Centurion

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I have the Bach special edition Montblanc and its piston is tight. The twist does not turn smoothly. I called Montblanc Boston and the rep had no idea whatsoever as the cost of repair. She told me it would take about 6 weeks to repair and that they send it to Dallas TX. I am thinking of sending to Bromfield Pen in Boston. Any idea what is should cost? $40? The Bromfield website said most of their repairs cost $40.

 

Is the repair easy to fix yourself?

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Without seeing the pen, I don't know what is causing the tightness of the piston. But, my hunch is this: If the nib unit is removed, you can apply silicone grease to the inside of the barrel. That should fix any tightness caused by the rubber moving against the inside of the barrel.

 

Getting the nib out of a MB is neither easy or advisable for someone who doesn't know what they're doing, though.

 

I've done similar things to Pelikans--and it took, maybe, a minute.

 

Tim

Tim Girdler Pens  (Nib Tuning; Custom Nib Grinding; New & Vintage Pen Sales)
The Fountain Pen: An elegant instrument for a more civilized age.
I Write With: Any one of my assortment of Parker "51"s or Vacumatics

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Forgive my ignorance, but would it not be both easier and more reliable to come at the silicone solution by removing the piston, rather than the nib?

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Lubrication of a MB piston unit requires removing the piston assembly from the back end. Don't try to remove the nib assembly on a Montblanc. The way that they are assembled is very different from Pelikans. The specific way it's assembled varies from pen to pen, but many use a special silicone sealant (NOT RTV) to seal and hold things together. Removing the back end requires a special tool.

 

Forty dollars is about what I would charge to service a piston filler. It's a little less than what I would charge, and far less than what Montblanc would charge to service the pen. Given the value of the pen, I would think that one would want a professional to do the work.

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Lubrication of a MB piston unit requires removing the piston assembly from the back end. Don't try to remove the nib assembly on a Montblanc. The way that they are assembled is very different from Pelikans. The specific way it's assembled varies from pen to pen, but many use a special silicone sealant (NOT RTV) to seal and hold things together. Removing the back end requires a special tool.

 

Forty dollars is about what I would charge to service a piston filler. It's a little less than what I would charge, and far less than what Montblanc would charge to service the pen. Given the value of the pen, I would think that one would want a professional to do the work.

 

Thanks RON!!!

 

See.... brand difference is an important difference. So, my earlier "hunch" about the process on the MB isn't the same as the Pelikan.

 

Learning from someone else's experience is a wonderful thing!

 

Tim

Tim Girdler Pens  (Nib Tuning; Custom Nib Grinding; New & Vintage Pen Sales)
The Fountain Pen: An elegant instrument for a more civilized age.
I Write With: Any one of my assortment of Parker "51"s or Vacumatics

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Lubrication of a MB piston unit requires removing the piston assembly from the back end. Don't try to remove the nib assembly on a Montblanc. The way that they are assembled is very different from Pelikans. The specific way it's assembled varies from pen to pen, but many use a special silicone sealant (NOT RTV) to seal and hold things together. Removing the back end requires a special tool.

 

Forty dollars is about what I would charge to service a piston filler. It's a little less than what I would charge, and far less than what Montblanc would charge to service the pen. Given the value of the pen, I would think that one would want a professional to do the work.

+1

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