Hi

I just bought a 51 off the bay that won't draw ink. I've stripped and cleaned the collector, breather tube etc and still nothing so assume the diaphragm has perished.

Would like to try and repair myself but are they difficult to replace? do you need special tools? or is this a job best left to a professional?

Thanks

Peter

I would leave that up to a pro. In comparison, to replace a sac is easy but Vacumatics require a few special tools and some know how. Personally, if you never fixed a vacumatic, I wouldnt start on a good pen. Buy a few junkers and learn from there. IMO

TNS

I agree with TNS. Although it is not difficult to replace a diaphragm, you would need to purchase a Vac wrench and order repair parts. The most economical approach for one pen is to pay someone to repair it. If you want to learn what tools and part are needed and would prefer to learn to repair your own, we can surely help you out.

I would add to the chorus. While you might be able to pick up a copy of DaBook and improvise, to do it right you will need a vacumatic block ($20-$40), and a few other tools which quickly bring the price of the tools up higher than the price of repair (~$40 including shipping with most repair people).

John

thanks for the advice guys, will send it to a Pro repairer.

Peter