I have a Parker Vacumatic with a loose cap. How do you tighten it? does it require special tools?

Thanks in advance for your help.

What do you mean by tighten "it"?

Do you mean the cap when threaded onto the barrel, the cap band, the clip on the cap?

If you mean that the cap jumps threads when threaded onto the barrel, you don't. Not that there aren't techniques, but it is not a simple repair that the average person can do. That does indeed take special tools and techniques.

I need to clarify my question. The clip and jewel are loose and turn around rather than remain stationary.

Sorry for the incorrect use of terminology.

A good sticky piece of rubber, like bicycle inner tube or a rubber sole on a shoe is the answer. Screw the jewel into the rubber and it will be gripped by the rubber and tighten up the clip as it is turned in. You kind of have to hold the cap and not the clip as the clip needs to be able to rotate to tighten.

Cheers,
Sean Gosse

Be careful not to over tighten the jewel. The jewel is screwed into a brass bushing. The bushing independently holds the clip. So you have the chance to twist the jewel off by using it to tighten the bushing. Most times tightening the jewel/bushing works, occasionally not.

Most conservative (ie chicken) treatment is to back the jewel/bushing out. Coax the two apart, install the bushing with a smallish screw driver, and then the jewel.

Good luck!

JJ

Not necessarily. Quite a few vacs did not have the Brass bushing, and the jewels were equipped with a much larger thread to fit into the cap. Take a look at the images of jewels on Woodbins site. I have seen a good mix of jewels come out of caps and don't think that the ones I took out were all replacements already.

I agree that it would be prudent to know what the version is that one is working on, but if one goes slow and tests the tightness of the clip (by attempting to rotate it) as they progressively tighten the jewel all should be good. If you get on that cap and twist it like a gorilla, then yup you could snap that thing off and have a harder repair job.

Cheers,
SG

I thought that integral jewels (so to call them) were aftermarket replacement. I know that Parker Argentina made some stuff like that but right into the 70's, prior to that you'll always find the clip screw wich is threaded with 1NF72 for accepting the jewel itself. Most pens have them glued in place and you snap them off when you try to remove the jewell away from the clip screw... I have started to take them out in one piece lately... All you need is a tapered tool for grabbing inside the inner cap and rotate it, avoiding clip/cap scarring and damage.

SG,

Thanks for the clarification. I've only pulled apart about a dozen or so. All but a Vac filler Duofold had the bushing. I figured it was different due to the Duofold designation.

At any rate, the little buggers can be very tiresome!

JJ

hey, if it was the one i sold you (seemed OK to me), lemme know and i'll have it fixed.

david

I second David's sentiment, if it is the stacked coin, let me know and I will correct it for you.

Cheers,
Sean

First, my apologies for any concern or inconvenience to David or Sean as a result of my question. The Vac pens I purchased from each of them were received in excellent condition and working order. The Vac pen in question is one I purchased in the "wild".