Omg....help! My Pen Is Leaking....

[yeepers]

from the "back end" of the pen i.e. the piston screw/blind cap. I mean...huh??

 

Here's the story. Bought a previously used pen advertised to be in working condition. Was delivered today and I always clean the pens before I do anything else. First thing I notice is that there's ink coming off the pen...but not at the nib where you'd expect but rather from the blind cap area. Closer inspection shows dried ink around the metal sleeve. OK...weird...kinda starting to get a bit alarmed but let's clean this thing up and take a closer look.

 

Oh yeah...the more I fill and empty the piston the more ink starts to reconstitute and come out the back end of the pen.

 

What is broken? Do I just call it quits and return this pen to the seller? Do I ask for a partial refund and take it to the MB boutique and get it fixed?

 

Aaaarrrrrgh

[meiers]

The piston assembly will probably need to be replaced. That is level one service. Just below $100, I believe. Depending on how much you paid for the pen, I suggest either returning it to the vendor or asking them for a partial refund to cover the cost.

Edited December 19, 2017 by meiers

[meiers]

How do you like the nib?

[Pravda]

This happened to me the first time I filled my Solitaire Martele 146. I took it back and luckily my Montblanc had an in-house technician who took it apart and put it back together.

 

I think it might be not properly tightened from the back. If you had the tools (or make one using a paper clip) you may be able to tighten the piston.

[Chrissy]

I would return it to the seller.

[penparadise]

from the "back end" of the pen i.e. the piston screw/blind cap. I mean...huh??

 

...

 

What is broken? Do I just call it quits and return this pen to the seller? Do I ask for a partial refund and take it to the MB boutique and get it fixed?

 

 

First question: what pen model (number) is it? Is the barrel made of hard rubber? made of celluloid? or is it a modern plastic barrel?

 

Only the last one can be fixed by Montblanc. Any vintage pen better should go to one of the well known pen restorers.

[CS388]

Unless it's a rare model you've been after for a long time, send it back for a refund.

 

If you've fallen in love with it already, see if you can get a partial refund to pay for repair/service.

 

It's clearly not in the 'working condition' it was advertised as.

Which pen is it? Sounds like the piston seal has gone and ink has got behind the mechanism?

 

 

Good luck.

Edited December 19, 2017 by CS388

[Driften]

I would say if its a pre-resin pen I would send it back, but if it's a resin 146/149 I expect it just needs the piston pulled and lubed. I have a 146 that ink had just started to get behind the piston and once I got the tool it was quick and easy to fix. Not saying yours might not need more then that.

 

Do let us know what you decide to do.

[yeepers]

So here's the deal. It's a 75th Anniversary 149. It was sold to me in good faith that it was working as expected. I had no reason to believe otherwise. Reputable seller and all that. On arrival I went to clean the pen, as is my norm with all used pens, and there's definitely ink. Lots and lots of ink. Both new and old. But I notice, weirdly, that the ink is coming from the back of the pen...not the front (nib). So I look closer. The threads of the metal piston sleeve (?) are black. Hmmm. Little TLC shows it's dried ink. I keep trying to fill and flush...it's flushing relatively clear and easily from the nib side. However, when I go to empty the pen it feels like there's a weird resistance pressure in the barrel preventing the piston from fully depressing and when I go to fill the pen ink squirts out of the blind cap area. So...now I figure I should soak the thing. Obviously there's a ton of old ink hiding somewhere.

 

I had a similar problem with a Pelikan I bought earlier this year (the weird pressure thing not the ink from the blind cap) but because I could take out the nib I could clean the snot out of it. Turns out it was a buttload of dried/drying ink that had created a viscous, goopy sludge that was stopping everything up.

 

So...now I'm wondering...do I keep soaking and trying to get things to loosen up then test with ink once there is no more evidence of ink coming from the blind cap and the piston is actuating normally? Send it to MB (guessing cost to fix/replace will be exponentially higher due to LE pen) or send it to someone who can fix it outside of MB.

 

Dammit..I hate it when you're totally excited about getting a pen then it shows up and the first thing you've got is a problem

[Driften]

 

Dammit..I hate it when you're totally excited about getting a pen then it shows up and the first thing you've got is a problem

 

 

I so totally agree! The excitement of opening up the new treasure and then finding something is not right is heartbreaking.

 

It really sounds like your 149 was not well cared for, but I expect once its all cleaned out and if you can lube the piston it will be fine. If you had the piston removal tool you can flush it out good like you did by remove the nib on the Pelikan, just from the back side. I have only done it once and that was a 146 but no more ink behind the piston at that point. It's up to you if you want to risk doing it yourself or sending it out. I don't think the cost from MB is going to be any different then the non-LE model.

[yeepers]

I really am trying not to send it to MB only because they're quoting me an almost 2 month wait if not longer

[dubhe]

Did the pen come to you with ink in? Im wondering if any air travel may have forced the ink somewhere it shouldnt have? Air mail would not be in a pressurised cabin so could have a greater effect than when we fly with pens in our hand baggage.

[Tom Kellie]

I so totally agree! The excitement of opening up the new treasure and then finding something is not right is heartbreaking.

 

It really sounds like your 149 was not well cared for, but I expect once its all cleaned out and if you can lube the piston it will be fine. If you had the piston removal tool you can flush it out good like you did by remove the nib on the Pelikan, just from the back side. I have only done it once and that was a 146 but no more ink behind the piston at that point. It's up to you if you want to risk doing it yourself or sending it out. I don't think the cost from MB is going to be any different then the non-LE model.

I really am trying not to send it to MB only because they're quoting me an almost 2 month wait if not longer

 

~ yeepers:

 

This all sounds about right.

What Driften has written makes sense.

Ditto the comment of subhe.

The two month wait may be par for the course, especially during the year-end holiday season.

I hope that it'll be satisfactorily resolved so that you might enjoy trouble-free writing.

Tom K.

[Michael R.]

Sorry to hear.

 

This can happen in few occasions in case ink dries in the pen followed by moving up and down the piston.

 

You would need to find sonebody who can remove the piston unit with the proper tool, clean the pen and re-assemble. In most cases this helps.

 

Otherwise the piston seal needs to be replaced. Nothilfe ng which is impossible for someone who knows what he/she‘s doing.

 

I personally would not give up a pen which I like otherwise.

 

Unfortunately I‘m not of big help to recommend who could help in your region.

 

However I would try to negotiate repair costs with the seller of the pen

 

Good luck and cheers from Germany

 

Michael

[siamackz]

Sorry to hear this, and I know how it feels!

 

Personally, this is just my opinion and what I would do...

1. If it was advertised as working, then Id ask for a partial refund or return. Unless you got it for a steal - then Id keep it anyway if they didnt agree on a refund

2. Does the piston suck ink and hold it? If yes, then your problem is not the seal - just that ink somehow reached the back part of the piston and now needs to be cleaned. Opening the piston is not that hard. There are many posts. And you can do it with household items. Of course, that is if you want to go the DIY route. I do this because it interests me. If not, I would just send to MB but only if the seller was reimbursing me the amount for the repair.

 

2 months wait will make the experience of owning this pen even sweeter

[yeepers]

Sorry to hear this, and I know how it feels!

 

Personally, this is just my opinion and what I would do...

1. If it was advertised as working, then Id ask for a partial refund or return. Unless you got it for a steal - then Id keep it anyway if they didnt agree on a refund

2. Does the piston suck ink and hold it? If yes, then your problem is not the seal - just that ink somehow reached the back part of the piston and now needs to be cleaned. Opening the piston is not that hard. There are many posts. And you can do it with household items. Of course, that is if you want to go the DIY route. I do this because it interests me. If not, I would just send to MB but only if the seller was reimbursing me the amount for the repair.

 

2 months wait will make the experience of owning this pen even sweeter

 

The seller has been super responsive and willing to work with me. Just have to figure out exactly what the problem is and what the cost to the solution is going to be.

 

Yes. The piston does suck and seem to hold. I would do it myself if it was a run of the mill pen that I got on the cheap but this is LE 75th anniversary pen and if I screw it up that's it.

[yeepers]

It keeps getting better. Now it's a different color of ink!!! I guess that means I'm making progress???

[siamackz]

It keeps getting better. Now it's a different color of ink!!! I guess that means I'm making progress???

How is it leaking? Does it leak when you fill it with water or did it already have ink in it that is just leaking?

[yeepers]

At this point I'm not sure if it IS leaking because I've been soaking it so I have to dry it out and test it from dry. What I know for sure is that there was ink behind the piston and it was getting pushed up and into the blind cap. I think I've finally gotten most of the old ink out. What was happening is every time I went to fill the piston the blind cap would tighten most of the way then encounter what seemed like back pressure towards the very end. Then it would squirt dirty, inky water out of the blind cap end of the pen. The piston itself seems to be working mostly fine (aside from the weird pressure issue) and does hold water so no leaking from the nib. Just not sure if water/ink will still find its way behind the piston once it's been cleaned out. Without removing the piston assembly I have no way of cleaning it myself so soaking, filling, and flushing is the most I can do. I'm going to leave it overnight then tomorrow try to fill it with some ink to see if it is indeed leaking into the back of the piston. If it is then it looks like a gasket change or something is warranted.

Edited December 20, 2017 by yeepers

[CS388]

Sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings, but the only way to fully clean up the area behind the piston is to pull the piston out. Repeated use of the piston may eventually get out a lot of the mess, but on such a valuable pen, I'd want it thoroughly cleaned out.

Do you have a local repairer/technician who could help?

 

I'm pleased that the seller is being co-operative, but this should never have been sold as 'in working condition'.

 

Good luck.