Cleaning A Pelikan Souverain M400

[mke]

I am trying to clean my Pelikan M400 from the 1980s but there is ink above the piston.

Shall I or shall I better not disassemble the pen?

If unproblematic, can you give me a description how it is done.

 

Thank you

Michael

[hari317]

If there is dried ink, do not operate the piston just yet. Take a shot glass of water and submerge thd nib just up to section threads in that water. Old dried ink will dissolve into this water. Change water after few hours.

 

Now unscrew the nib unit from the section. Using a syringe or eye dropper , put water into the barrel. Keep the pen stored section mouth up for a few hours. Change water and repeat.

 

Once you can see that the dried ink is gone, you can operate the piston knob

 

HTH.

Edited January 9, 2018 by hari317

[Inkling13]

If there is ink above the piston, the piston has been actuated and will need disassembly to access. You need a certain wrench, like those used on the MB's or Conid.

[hari317]

Above and below is always a problem to understand. Is there ink between the piston seal and the filler knob?

 

M400s are not designed to be disassembled. The filler is a snap fit into the barrel and removal can break the ridges.

[mke]

> between the piston seal and the filler knob

Unfortunately, yes.

[Chrissy]

Once you have water inside the barrel, try shaking the pen from the nib end towards the cone end. Make sure you have a firm grip on it though. You might get the ink out from behind the piston that way

[Ron Z]

If there is ink above the piston, the piston has been actuated and will need disassembly to access. You need a certain wrench, like those used on the MB's or Conid.

 

Not on the 400.

 

If there is ink above the piston, the seal is leaking, allowing ink past the piston seal. Lubricating might help, but replacement is the only sure way to fix it. The after market seals are too big and will not fit the modern 400 pens.

 

Only the 640 and above have a mechanism that screws into the back end of the barrel, with 800 and above having a brass thread bushing. The Pelikan models 600 and below have a snap fit mechanism. That is rings on the mechanism bushing lock into grooves in the barrel wall. While the bushing and mechanism can be removed, I do not suggest that an experienced amateur, let alone someone without experience, try this. They don't come out easily. A qualified pen mechanic can fix this for you, and replace the seal if needed.

[mke]

Thank you Ron. I feared so. Another entry on my list for pens needing repair.

At the moment I am using the nib/feed section in a Pelikan 481. A tine of that pen broke but the whole pen seems to be (nearly) unused. So, I will use this combination until I find a repairman for Pelikan pens in Japan.

[Inkling13]

Thank you Ron. I feared so. Another entry on my list for pens needing repair.

At the moment I am using the nib/feed section in a Pelikan 481. A tine of that pen broke but the whole pen seems to be (nearly) unused. So, I will use this combination until I find a repairman for Pelikan pens in Japan.

nibs.com may be the ticket for your broken tine. Their work looks impressive: https://www.nibs.com/content/nib-repairs-after

[hari317]

... So, I will use this combination until I find a repairman for Pelikan pens in Japan.

Eurobox in Tokyo if they are still open.

[mke]

@Inkling13

Thanks for the link. "Nice" pictures.

 

@hari317

I just checked. They still exist. Next visit to Tokyo, I will go there.