So, I have 2 parker 45s. One of which I am about to refill with Noodlers bulletproof black. My question is, do I need to do anything in particular to the converter, or is soaking it in some (not hot) water ok?

And also. The other one is a TX; and the end piece on the barrel is a little loose, is this normal? And if not, can I do anything about it?

I'd just go through the motions of filling it a few times with water, then squeezing it all out again. Once the water's adequately clear, dry off with a tissue or some loo paper, and fill with the new ink. As you're proposing to use black, you can probably get away with a poorer flush than you would with a lighter ink.

Regards

Richard.

One more thing - If you remove the converter and clean it on its own, then attach it and use it to clean the section, your flush might go slightly faster.

You know, I must be completely stupid.
I've spent ages flushing a P61 c/c version, and it never once ocurred to me to remove the convertor.

Regards

Richard.

A 45 can be a pain to flush if ink has dried in it. It has a collector inside the section that is almost as big as a 61's, and is just as hard to clear. I would fill it with water, get as much out as I could by repeated squeezing of the converter, then wrap in a paper towel and shake nib down until nothing else comes out. May take a couple tries to get it all clear of old ink.

Noodler's black will rinse out quite easily if it's not dried up in there. Some other older inks can be quite a pain.

Peter