Just replaced my first P51 Vac-fill diafragm

[fountainbel]

Hi all you Parker adepts,

Happy to tell you the replacement went fluently.

It took me about half an hour, which is not so bad for a first installation I think.

Not having the threaded tool to remove the vac-fill assembly for the time being, I've (temporarely) made me a split aluminum clamping block which fits perfectly arround the threads of the vac-fill assembly.

I locked the tool down on the threads, heated the tool using a heat gun & was able to remove the unit whitout problems.

Refering to "Da Book" diafragm replacement went well , although I initially forgot to "roll-up" the diafragm before installation & did not succed in rolling it up after it was installed in the unit. After disassembling rolling-up was a piece of cake.

The old detoriated diafragm collar was sticking in the barrel but came out easily in one piece using a little scraper.

So I did not have to remove rubber parts sticking in the seat.

I must say I'm astonished, this pen really is a great writer, butter sweet

& writing a wet smooth line.

Being primarely a Sheaffer freak, It looks I'm now also bitten by the P51 virus.

Although I had 6 non repaired P51 Vac-fills in my collection - mainly because I admired their sleek no-nonsense design - I never wrote with one.

In fact my initial interest was triggered by the enthousiastic P51 postings of the famous"Old Griz", who was - as far as I've read in his postings on the board well - initially also a dedicated Sheaffer adept.

Thanks Tom, for giving the bug to me ,it looks I'm also hooked now.

I have two questions on which hopefully a few of you can give me an aswer :

1- I would like to know the exact thread specification of the blind cap threads, so I can make me a threaded removal tooling. As far as I measured the threads are UNEF 5/16" 36 pitch -which is a non standarised thread- Is this right ?

2- According my measurements the conical diafragm barrel seat should be 14°,is this right ?

Thanks in advance for your assistance !

A (semi) converted Parker adept,

Francis

Edited August 28, 2006 by fountainbel

[OldGriz]

Just what I need someone else trying to get all the Vacs off eBay

Thought I would say it before Jim pipes in....

 

Great news Francis... enjoy... they are as good as our Sheaffers...

[Ruaidhri]

Francis

 

Nice to see you're enjoying Parkerland like Griz did when he emigrated

[Ruaidhri]

BTW Francis,

 

As far as I am aware:

 

Whitworth, 55 degree included angle.

 

Cap top, blind cap & section are 36tpi

Barrel & cap are 36 tpi - but are 3 start (3x12tip)

 

I am prepared to be corrected on this - it may be info for tha vac rather than "51" vac.

Edited August 28, 2006 by Ruaidhri

[Carrie]

Nice to know someone has just done their first 51 Vac repair. I've got one waiting for repair which will be my first attempt at a Vac repair and I'm definitely looking forward to it. Just think, once I can do Vac repairs I'll really be able to get obsessed with them.

[OldGriz]

STOP, STOP, STOP

No more people learning to do 51 Vac repairs until I get all the ones I want at my prices. :blink: :blink: :blink:

 

I am glad you are taking the plunge and doing them... really I am... it makes the collecting of pens so much more interesting when you learn how they actually work and then can turn them back into the fine writing instruments they started life as.

[RonB]

Congratulations, Francis. Soon you'll be a Parker expert as you already are a Sheaffer expert.

 

Ron

[wdyasq]

STOP, STOP, STOP

No more people learning to do 51 Vac repairs until I get all the ones I want at my prices.    :blink:    :blink:    :blink:

 

I am glad you are taking the plunge and doing them... really I am... it makes the collecting of pens so much more interesting when you learn how they actually work and then can turn them back into the fine writing instruments they started life as.

Do I get to keep the third quarter 46 Gray Blue diamond with the stacked coin cap I bought for $23.67 with shipping?

 

If it makes you feel any better I am going to have to machine a new pellet pocket when I replace the diaphragm.

 

I think I'll make a new plunger rod while I am on the lathe......

 

Ron

[wdyasq]

Crud,

 

Just got another email saying I got one in the box for $20.89. I guess I'd better quit sniping these things. I may end up with more 51's than I can eat.

 

Ron

[Lemur]

I have two questions on which hopefully a few of you can give me an aswer : I have two questions on which hopefully a few of you can give me an aswer :

1- I would like to know the exact thread specification of the blind cap threads, so I can make me a threaded removal tooling. As far as I measured the threads are UNEF 5/16" 36 pitch -which is a non standarised thread- Is this right ?

 

Yes, the thread is UNF 5/16 36. I had made me a vac-tool myself.

 

Nice that you have "discovered" the 51.

 

BTW I´m sure that you will like the aerometric 51´s too.

Among my 51´s there are both vac-fillers and aerometric fillers.

You can never get to many of them. :ltcapd:

 

 

Regards

Ingmar

[JimStrutton]

STOP, STOP, STOP

No more people learning to do 51 Vac repairs until I get all the ones I want at my prices. :blink: :blink: :blink:

 

I am glad you are taking the plunge and doing them... really I am... it makes the collecting of pens so much more interesting when you learn how they actually work and then can turn them back into the fine writing instruments they started life as.

Ha, the biter gets bit

 

:roflmho: :roflmho: :roflmho: :roflmho:

 

Let me just open my pen drawer and look at my little collection of Working "51" Vacs, Oh the three nicey Cedar Blue ones, and two of them have nicey silver caps and the other one, well that has a nicey GF Cap, oh yeah that's the one I fitted the oh so smooth English medium/broad nib too.

 

Ho Hum, off to work :bonk:

 

Jim

[london]

Congrats.

 

I'm looking forward to doing just the same over the next couple of weeks. Once the Mrs-t-b has released me from glossing woodwork. Bought a couple of Vac 51s from a market a couple of months back. £15 for the pair.

 

One teal, Lustraloy (the cap was pretty beat up - but I've rebrushed it, and very pleased with the finish). The other was black with a Blue Diamond, lined GF cap - again looked really poor, but a bit of work with a polishing cloth and looks great. Has the Made in England single line imprint, but the barrel is bulged. Though thought it a worthwhile buy for the cap and a good nib for spares.

 

- Mark

[OldGriz]

STOP, STOP, STOP

No more people learning to do 51 Vac repairs until I get all the ones I want at my prices.    :blink:    :blink:    :blink:

 

I am glad you are taking the plunge and doing them... really I am... it makes the collecting of pens so much more interesting when you learn how they actually work and then can turn them back into the fine writing instruments they started life as.

Ha, the biter gets bit

 

:roflmho: :roflmho: :roflmho: :roflmho:

 

Let me just open my pen drawer and look at my little collection of Working "51" Vacs, Oh the three nicey Cedar Blue ones, and two of them have nicey silver caps and the other one, well that has a nicey GF Cap, oh yeah that's the one I fitted the oh so smooth English medium/broad nib too.

 

Ho Hum, off to work :bonk:

 

Jim

You do realize that you are going to pay for those remarks don't you...

 

I have something that I am restoring that will make you not only choke on your coffee and spit it all over the monitor, but will make you lock yourself in the bilge of your boat for a week.....

Since I am busy with other things also at this time.. it is going to take a little time to get it done.. this one has to be letter perfect...

So just suffer in silence waiting for the boot to drop....

[JimStrutton]

You do realize that you are going to pay for those remarks don't you...

 

I have something that I am restoring that will make you not only choke on your coffee and spit it all over the monitor, but will make you lock yourself in the bilge of your boat for a week.....   

Since I am busy with other things also at this time.. it is going to take a little time to get it done.. this one has to be letter perfect...

So just suffer in silence waiting for the boot to drop....

You say I am going to pay as if you think I care :bunny1: :bunny1: :bunny1:

 

Yeah Yeah Yeah, but like you said it is real dirty and you is gonna have to suffer :ltcapd:

 

As to monitors and spitting I am getting myself a new 19" TFT with a custom built splash guard, so do your worst :roflmho: :roflmho: :roflmho:

 

I'll have you know that my boat bilge is GREAT, where do you think I hide the beer to keep it cool :ltcapd:

 

So the Boss is keeping you busy with Tasks then? Serves you right, meanwhile I am awaiting delivery of my new turbo charged Ultrasonic Cleaner, wot I picked up on Fleabay over the weekend. (Took the laptop with the wireless connection into the airing cupboard.)

 

Suffer? Silence? Don't know the meaning of the words

 

Got to go now. important Snipe Bids to action

 

Jim

[fountainbel]

Hi all you Parker fans,

Thanks for you kind words & for welcoming me in Parker heaven !

I will restrict myself to the vac-fill version for a start , for the time being the Aeromatic version does not appeal so much to me.

Look forward to buy some nice P51 on the bay !

Tom, I do hope you will refrain bidding when you read "fountainbel" is the highest bidder!

Take care, Francis

[jackoguit]

I made a vac tool by finding a 5/16" nut with 32 threads per inch. I took a dremel cut off wheel and cut a narrow slot into one side of the nut. I thread on the nut, heat with my wife's hairdryer and squeeze the nut with apair of pliers.

Otherwise, I faithfully followed Richard Binder's instructions (well actually I used a fine Stanley nail set as the ball insertion tool).

32 threads per inch is not a common size- neither Lowe's nor my favorite last-local-hardware-store-standing had anything finer than a 24 tpi. So I went to a vacume cleaner repair shop and asked to look through his junk nuts and bolt collection box. I found a couple which originally were on Electrolux motors. The finer threads are less prone to shake loose from vibration.

 

I did two vacs this past weekend and they went very well. If I hadn't done the repair myself I could never have afforded the cost of the pens- $25 each plus the cost of repair- $35 each. Even fixed they're not high value vacs- but they're mine and the write very nicely.

 

The cost of a real tool is $40-$60. The cost of my moded nut tool- $0.

Now, if I was going to restore pens professionally, then I'd want the pro model, but I'm just a Pilgrim. I ain't in the pen fixin' biz.

Dillo and others are the ones for that.

[Gerry]

Welcome to the FPN Pilgrim.

 

I heartily second the thought. There are tools for everyone, and quite frankly, anything that works is good enough. FYI, and others, the 5/16" x 32 nut is apparently also available in bicycycle shops.

 

The proper tool may work better. Probably does. But to deny there are alternatives is both wrong, and stifles the 'inventor' in us - the people who just need to do it another way.

 

I for one, don't think that's a problem.

 

So feel perfectly free to post alternative methods and original techiques here. Both Fr. Terry and Frank Dubiel would be proud.

 

Regards,

 

Gerry

Edited August 30, 2006 by Gerry

[JimStrutton]

I thought about this proper tool business, but then having a burning desire to get a "51" Vac apart I improvised.

 

So a pad made up of self amalgamating tape around the threads and a small hose clip to give me a grip. (This solution was first posted by Michael, Rosey's husband, but he used some rubber rather than my tape solution) I then used a rubber grip, the type they sell to get tight jars undone to give me leverage on the hose clip ang a rubber glove to grip the barrel, heated it all up with the Boss's hair dryer. (Not the one she uses for her hair, but the cheap one she uses to dry other stuff like prints from her inkjet in the office, I am not suicidal ) Took a few attempts of heat try, heat try, but eventually it started to move and came undone.

 

So would I use this metod if I had a load to do? No, I would shell out for the real deal tool. But if you want to just take a look at one pen, then maybe it is a solution, but I would not try it on a mint first year DJ

 

What I would say is that this should lessen the chance of getting the threads damaged assuming you use enough tape. Note get self amalgamating tape not electrical tape or you will spend for ever trying to get the remains of the glue off. You can get self amalgamating tape in some car spares places and most boat chandlers sell it.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Jim