Aurora 88K - Stuck Piston

[kaushla]

My Aurora 88K's piston had started tightening with its action becoming progressively stiffer. I removed the hexagonal piston shaft from the barrel by opening the section and operating the piston knob counter-clockwise: this pushed out the piston shaft from the barrel. After applying a light coat of silicon grease to the piston assembly, I pushed the piston shaft back into the barrel. Instead of going inside the barrel, the piston assembly got stuck in the barrel threads. Operating the piston knob to engage the piston screw with the threaded inside of the hexagonal piston shaft has no effect and the piston assembly remains immobile.

 

Any suggestions about dislodging the stuck piston without damaging the barrel would be appreciated.

[Hardy08]

Hi!

 

You will have to disassemble the whole pen.

To do so, check at the barrel end opposite to where the section screw, there is a "small circle" engraved in the plastic, remove this circle (with a needle for example, this is tricky sometimes) and you will find behind it a nut you will have to unscrew.

 

After you can disassemble the piston mechanism and push your piston assembly out of the pen.

 

To set the piston less tight, you can unscrew a little the nut which is at the piston assembly end this will loosen the rubber disks and set the piston smoother. Unfortunately this can also create air leaks between the piston and barrel and set the pen too wet or unable to fill, in this case you will have to change the rubber disks...

 

Hope it helps

 

Good luck.

[praxim]

Can you not loosen the clamping nut to reduce force on the barrel walls?

 

Silicone grease with the discs not too tight is the right idea.

[kaushla]

Thank you Hardy08 and praxim for your replies.

 

I had, about a year ago, unscrewed the small retaining screw of the piston assembly. Then, seeing the locking pin of the nut on the piston screw itself, I lost heart and chickened out. Now I have a watchmaker's needle used for shortening metal straps which can be used to knock out the locking pin of the nut.

 

Re. the clamping nut on the piston screw: can it be loosened and tightened without knocking out the locking pin?

 

At present, turning the piston knob has no effect. As suggested, I will first try loosening the nut on the piston screw.

 

If that does not work, I will remove the nut and the threaded piston rod and try to push out the hexagonal piston shaft with a piece of thick, stiff wire.

 

Luckily, I retained the disassembled pictures of the Aurora 88 done by someone who used the internet hand danzemann but who is no longer on the internet. I am attaching one of the piston mechanism for clarity.

 

Lastly, how do I prevent the piston from jamming at the barrel threads again? After all, it was functioning all right till I took it out to try to make piston knob mechanism a little looser.

Edited May 18, 2017 by kaushla

[kaushla]

Thank you Hardy08 and praxim for your replies.

 

I had, about a year ago, unscrewed the small retaining screw of the piston assembly. Then, seeing the locking pin of the nut on the piston screw itself, I lost heart and chickened out. Now I have a watchmaker's needle used for shortening metal straps which can be used to knock out the locking pin of the nut.

 

Re. the clamping nut on the piston screw: can it be loosened and tightened without knocking out the locking pin?

 

At present, turning the piston knob has no effect. As suggested, I will first try loosening the nut on the piston screw.

 

If that does not work, I will remove the nut and the threaded piston rod and try to push out the hexagonal piston shaft with a piece of thick, stiff wire.

 

Luckily, I retained the disassembled pictures of the Aurora 88 done by someone who used the internet handle danzemann but who is no longer on the internet. I am attaching one of the piston mechanism for clarity.

 

Lastly, how do I prevent the piston from jamming at the barrel threads again? After all, it was functioning all right till I took it out to try to make piston knob mechanism a little looser.

 

_____________________

Sorry. Left out the picture.

Edited May 18, 2017 by kaushla

[praxim]

Note that I do not (yet) have an 88K. My comments are based on a recent 88.

 

I found when returning a piston seal to the barrel after that it was jamming on the threads. I was still able to screw it out again, with the piston knob in my case. I then loosened the packing screw and put it back without a problem. Silicone grease should provide an adequate seal unless the seal packing is quite loose (or deteriorated). I had simply over-tightened the first time.

[kaushla]

Note that I do not (yet) have an 88K. My comments are based on a recent 88.

 

I found when returning a piston seal to the barrel after that it was jamming on the threads. I was still able to screw it out again, with the piston knob in my case. I then loosened the packing screw and put it back without a problem. Silicone grease should provide an adequate seal unless the seal packing is quite loose (or deteriorated). I had simply over-tightened the first time.

In what is a mixed blessing, I have all three iterations: three Aurora 88s, two Aurora 88Ks and a single Aurora 88P. Most are lame in one way or other. So, even though I got most of them for very little money, repairs, if not done at home, will be as expensive as buying a used one in the internet vintage pen market.

 

For all practical purposes, the barrel and piston mechanism of all three are the same, though there might be less hard rubber in the 88K and 88P.

 

Thanks, I will first have a try at loosening the spring-loaded screw (assume that is the packing screw?) and, if that fails, go the whole hog and remove the brass piston rod to try to push out the piston shaft by applying pressure from the piston rod end.

[praxim]

Thanks, I will first have a try at loosening the spring-loaded screw (assume that is the packing screw?) and, if that fails, go the whole hog and remove the brass piston rod to try to push out the piston shaft by applying pressure from the piston rod end.

 

Yes

[eckiethump]

 

Thank you Hardy08 and praxim for your replies.

 

I had, about a year ago, unscrewed the small retaining screw of the piston assembly. Then, seeing the locking pin of the nut on the piston screw itself, I lost heart and chickened out. Now I have a watchmaker's needle used for shortening metal straps which can be used to knock out the locking pin of the nut.

 

Re. the clamping nut on the piston screw: can it be loosened and tightened without knocking out the locking pin?

 

At present, turning the piston knob has no effect. As suggested, I will first try loosening the nut on the piston screw.

 

If that does not work, I will remove the nut and the threaded piston rod and try to push out the hexagonal piston shaft with a piece of thick, stiff wire.

 

Luckily, I retained the disassembled pictures of the Aurora 88 done by someone who used the internet handle danzemann but who is no longer on the internet. I am attaching one of the piston mechanism for clarity.

 

Lastly, how do I prevent the piston from jamming at the barrel threads again? After all, it was functioning all right till I took it out to try to make piston knob mechanism a little looser.

 

_____________________

Sorry. Left out the picture.

 

Unfortunate you generally don't need to take these pens apart in this manner, needle nose pliers could have pried the piston from the front end on the barrel, after removing the retaining seals collar. Then correct re-installation configuring the piston to line with the screw and lead arrangement in the barrel.

 

When servicing these it is best if possible not to separate the piston from the screw assembly, similar to older Montblanc piston fillers, work from the barrel front end, having the bespoke tools (seldom available to buy, repair people make their own) to work inside the barrel.

 

No, it's not just a bout having the kit of tools, you have probably made yourself, but also the mental knowledge of what to do with them.

 

I had a wee personal (from me)lesson today on Soennecken 222,Extra pens I've repaired maybe a few dozen, today found I was making life difficult for myself, counter intuitive, they go together and can be serviced a lot better than the methods I had previously used. Strangely I have 2 on my work bench just now, you don't see too many of them, beautiful items.

[kaushla]

Unfortunate you generally don't need to take these pens apart in this manner, needle nose pliers could have pried the piston from the front end on the barrel, after removing the retaining seals collar. Then correct re-installation configuring the piston to line with the screw and lead arrangement in the barrel.

 

When servicing these it is best if possible not to separate the piston from the screw assembly, similar to older Montblanc piston fillers, work from the barrel front end, having the bespoke tools (seldom available to buy, repair people make their own) to work inside the barrel.

 

No, it's not just a bout having the kit of tools, you have probably made yourself, but also the mental knowledge of what to do with them.

 

I had a wee personal (from me)lesson today on Soennecken 222,Extra pens I've repaired maybe a few dozen, today found I was making life difficult for myself, counter intuitive, they go together and can be serviced a lot better than the methods I had previously used. Strangely I have 2 on my work bench just now, you don't see too many of them, beautiful items.

Thanks. It's been such a long time since I last attempted to disloge the jammed piston that I have forgotten whether I tried needle nose pliers. I can have a try with needle nose pliers first before trying the other methodes at the piston knob end of the barrel.

[kaushla]

Well I tried the following:

 

i) Used needle-nose pliers to try and prise out the piston head. There was insufficient leverage and it did not work.

 

ii) I loosened and tightened the packing screw but the piston head did not move while turning the piston knob.

 

iii) I removed the piston knob and twirled the alumininum (nut) on the piston rod. It turned quite freely and the piston rod turned with it. It moved neither forward or backward.

 

Frankly, I am stumped. .

[BamaPen]

Here is a link to my site where there is a step-by-step (with pictures) explanation of how to completely disassemble and rebuild an Aurora 88k. I did not do this myself, but the person who repaired mine provided all this wonderful explanation. I hope this is of some use.

 

https://cigarboxpenstorage.wordpress.com/2017/02/16/my-aurora-88k/

Edited May 20, 2017 by BamaPen

[kaushla]

Here is a link to my site where there is a step-by-step (with pictures) explanation of how to completely disassemble and rebuild an Aurora 88k. I did not do this myself, but the person who repaired mine provided all this wonderful explanation. I hope this is of some use.

 

https://cigarboxpenstorage.wordpress.com/2017/02/16/my-aurora-88k/

 

Thanks very much. Most useful. Now to steel myself to knock out the retaining pin from the hex nut at the rear of the pen. I have some of the O-rings sold by David Nishimura.. Let's hope the final arrangement on the piston head does not make it stick in the threads again.