Yet Another Parker 51 Repair Question

[Joker4Eva]

Hi guys,

I'm in the midst of repairing a Parker 51 that I got sometime ago, and instead of sending it to a pro to have it restored, I decided to try to do it myself, hoping to learn a little about it in the process.

I've managed to disassemble the thing, and I'm now awaiting some shellac from Cathedral Pens. In the meantime, I've gotten myself a new aero sac (yes, it's an aerometric filler) and a stainless steel breather tube from Paul of Rutland Pens.

Now, the question: How can I reinsert the new breather tube in the feed? I can only get it in around, say, 2 millimeters Paul has suggested that perhaps some parts of the old breather tube is still stuck inside, but I find that hard to believe, seeing the new and old breather tube are of the same length and the old breather tube can go down a lot deeper into the feed. The old breather tube hasn't exactly break, but I though I should change it, seeing it has quite some surface corrosion, and upon checking the side which goes into the feed, I found a tiny longitudinal crack.

I've tried using a paper clip to "feel" around the insides of the feed, and I felt something like a latitudinal "notch", around a millimeter in length, which is situated around the same distance from the opening as the new feed can enter, and I thought that this was perhaps the reason why the breather tube can't enter the feed as deep as the new one.

Advice, please? Anyone?

Thomas

[psfred]

Unless the original breather won't stay in the feed, I'd use it. Clean it up and it should be fine (check to make sure there isn't a blockage inside, though).

 

If you really want to use a new breather, dip the feed carefully into nearly boiling water for a few seconds and let it cool. It's hard rubber and it should return to it's original shape and the new breather should fit.

 

I'd also check to make sure the new breather tube is the same diameter as the old one, that was an odd sized tube and new stainless steel is typically a bit larger, just enough so that it won't slip into the hole the old one was in. BTDT.

 

Peter