Pelikan M200 Flow Problems

[Narakh]

Dear fellow FPN-ers,

 

It's nearly two years now, that I've got an M200 as my "first real FP". First it came with a faulty nib, but I had it changed and since we are the best friends. About a week ago however I had to screw the nib off to lube the piston with some silicone grease. The Pel was always a wet writer, but since it dried, and I assembled it again, the nib is putting out that much ink, that the small fins on the downside are completely soaking in it. I know that's a mechanism for adjusting the flow, but it is indeed a HUGE amount of ink (I'm even afraid it will drip all over the paper if I continue writing).

 

What do you think the problem might be? Is it possible that some silicone grease somehow made it's way to the feed and clog it, so the ink just flows out where it can? I tried to flush the pen and soak the nib+feed in water with dishwashing liquid, but it didn't help.

 

Any advice will be highly appreciated.

Edited June 9, 2014 by Narakh

[Hooker56]

First thing I'd check is it to make sure the nib unit is screwed in tight. Second is to remove the nib unit and clean the pen, then hold my damp finger over the section end and pull some vacuum with the piston and see if it holds suction consistently. It may take a few minutes to determine, but if you have any loss of suction it could point to a leaky piston seal or crack somewhere.

 

Just my $.02- Clayton

[sargetalon]

Is the nib securely seated into the section? If it's loose, it may allow ink to slowly escape the barrel and saturate the feed. Make sure the nib is firmly seated.

 

I also agree that there may be a small crack in the section. These can be hard to diagnose. An incompetent seal is possible though less likely given the age of the pen. What ink are you using?

Edited June 9, 2014 by sargetalon

[Narakh]

First thing I'd check is it to make sure the nib unit is screwed in tight. Second is to remove the nib unit and clean the pen, then hold my damp finger over the section end and pull some vacuum with the piston and see if it holds suction consistently. It may take a few minutes to determine, but if you have any loss of suction it could point to a leaky piston seal or crack somewhere.

 

Just my $.02- Clayton

 

Thank you very much, I surely will try it tomorrow. Also, wouldn't loading the nibless pen with some water and seeing if it leaks work just the same? It seems to be a bit easier (in regard of determining if there's a problem with the barrel).

 

Is the nib securely seated into the section? If it's loose, it may allow ink to slowly escape the barrel and saturate the feed. Make sure the nib is firmly seated.

 

I also agree that there may be a small crack in the section. These can be hard to diagnose. An incompetent seal is possible though less likely given the age of the pen. What ink are you using?

 

Thank you, too. I found the nib fit quite securely. I think it couldn't be screwed in further without risking to overtighten it. Since I have tried the pen with Perle Noire (which I generally use), R&K Leipziger Schwarz and also Pelikan Brilliant Black, which is a fair bit "drier" than the above two. The issue showed up with every one of them.

[Hooker56]

. Also, wouldn't loading the nibless pen with some water and seeing if it leaks work just the same? It seems to be a bit easier

 

 

 

Air is less dense and will leak in much faster than water will leak out. If you try using water the leak may be so slight that the water won't drip for a long time. First, you need to determine that it IS leaking. It may be a much more difficult task to determine the location of the leak.

[Narakh]

I have tried the method you told. I found the suction tight, no sign of leaking.

[Hooker56]

Narakh,

 

I have to bow the the professionals at this point. I have several 200's and 250's. They are all wet writers which I prefer... but not as wet as what you've described.

If you don't get more responses, you might try posting in the Pelikan Brand Forum and see if anyone there has useful suggestions to help you diagnose the cause.

 

You may find that it will just have to go to a trained pen repair person and let them have a go.

 

Best of luck. Sorry I couldn't be of more help- Clayton

 

P.S.- Narakh, you might try cleaning once more with dish soap and tepid water, and this time though, try using a soft tooth brush on the nib and feed paying close attention to the fins and section end of the feed. It is possible that there is some silicone grease or gunk that has stuck somewhere in the nib/section that is causing a malfunction. It doesn't cost any more to try again

[casualmerlinconstant]

try using it for a day or two and see if it goes away by itself. Sometimes my m200 does what you describe but it never actually drips and once I cap it and leave it, the ink goes back inside. I'm assuming it could just be the normal atmospheric pressure variation messing with the pen.

[Narakh]

try using it for a day or two and see if it goes away by itself. Sometimes my m200 does what you describe but it never actually drips and once I cap it and leave it, the ink goes back inside. I'm assuming it could just be the normal atmospheric pressure variation messing with the pen.

 

I will. My pen did saturate the feed a few times, too, but never this much. It has spent the day clipped on my pocket, and now there are several ink drips on the nib. The ink at the fins also didn't go away while capped.

 

Anyway, thanks for all the kind responses. I will keep you up to date.

Edited June 11, 2014 by Narakh

[Narakh]

Well, I have used the pen some more. Unfortunately I have to say that though it wrote just well, the flow issue endured. I tried to blot the excess ink from the fins and simply hold the pen nib down to see what happens, and new ink showed up without doing anything. Given that using Hooker56's method proved the barrel alright, I have to presume the leakage was coming from somewhere around the nib unit or the threads in the section.

 

Do you think I should try anything more, or I do better passing the pen to a professional?

Edited June 12, 2014 by Narakh

[The Blue Knight]

Aren't there some Noodlers inks which dissolve silicon grease? I don't know which one it was but it may be worth trying to find out which ink that is and dunking the nib unit in it.

[Narakh]

Aren't there some Noodlers inks which dissolve silicon grease? I don't know which one it was but it may be worth trying to find out which ink that is and dunking the nib unit in it.

 

I don't really know about Noodler's inks, as they are only available with an awful price of shipping here. It was however the R&K Sepia, which seemed to have "tightened" the piston in the first place, so it might work the same way (or not). I will try to soak the nib unit in some. Thank you for the advice.

[casualmerlinconstant]

Silicone grease tends to reduce flow, not increase it. If it gets into the feed system, it tends to block the feed channels and thus blocking ink flow. I've had a couple of vintage pens where the restorer went crazy with the silicon grease - no flow at all. Had to disassemble and wash the grease away to get the pen flowing.

[Narakh]

I see the point. What do you think I should do with the pen now?

[casualmerlinconstant]

I'm well into the realm of speculation now. But perhaps the the seal between the threads of the nib and the barrel is not airtight? I would suggest smearing a tiny bit of silicone grease on the threads of the nib unit (carefully avoiding getting any silicone grease inside the nib unit) and then reinstalling the nib and see if that helps. That should create a nice seal around the nib threads. If that doesn't help then you're best bet is probably waiting for one of our resident experts to chime in.

Edited June 13, 2014 by superglueshoe

[Czechmauseritis]

A little beeswax makes a better seal on the threads than the grease would.... I've had the same problem with Parker Vacumatics where they go 'blobby' or 'burpy' for lack of a better word and it's usually because there isn't a good seal between the threads and the barrel. The Pelikan has the same arrangement, only the threads are on the inner diameter of the section and not the barrel. Beeswax works good because it creates a nice seal, isn't as runny or slimy as the silicone grease and doesn't 'lock' in like using shellac which some folks do... All I can say about that is that I've had an eclectic selection of choice words for folks who used shellac to seal the section and barrel. It makes a nice seal, but makes getting pens apart a hassle and can risk damage if not softened up properly...

[Narakh]

Thank you for the advice. The nib unit and the barrel are meant to be airtight if properly screwed in, however it does worth a shot using some sealant and seeing if it helps before sending the pen to a professional. I only have silicone grease, so I will use that.

 

Do you have any tip how to not grease up the feed, too? Actually it's really close to the threads.

Edited June 16, 2014 by Narakh

[attika89]

I'm so sorry to see you're still having this problem with the M200

For the greasing I'd just use a swab.

[Narakh]

I'm so sorry to see you're still having this problem with the M200

 

For the greasing I'd just use a swab.

 

Thank you very much. I'll do my best in order to solve the problem. In worst case the pen goes to someone actually knowing what to do with it.

[Algester]

else use a dryer ink?