Montblanc 124 (1970's) Ink Sucker Hole Problem In Ultrasonic Cleaner! Help!

[SNAK]

Hi knowledgeable ones, I am in need of some help with my just received Montblanc 124 from the 1970's (not the 124 from the 1930's). This is the one with semi-hooded nib. The pen was purchased from a reputable seller in the US, and I have just received it a few days ago. The pen was near mint condition, perhaps only dipped.

 

It looks like this.

 

I inked it up after cycling water through the piston filler a few times, and started writing with it. I felt that the flow of ink was less than I had expected for a music nib, and from my past experience with another semi-hooded MB22. So I decided to put the tip of the section in the ultrasonic cleaner to try and flush out clogged ink if there was any (just up to about half way in the section). My sonic cleaner has a timer to go for 180 seconds, so I held the pen upright and part of the section in the water and buzzed it until the cleaner stopped at 180 seconds.

 

When I took the section out of the water to look at the pen, this is what I found! The grey bit that is underneath the nib and surrounds the ink sucking hole (technical term, I know) has shifted and moved during the buzzing, and now it's facing the wrong way. I thought it came loose with the vibration so tried to pull it out with my fingers but it is pretty stuck. I tried more time in the sonic cleaner to see if it will vibrate itself back to position or something, but no luck.

 

What could I do to get this unstuck and reposition it? I tried pulling the "beak" with rubber mat between my fingers, and using sticky tape a la Lamy Safari nib pulling method, but neither of that worked. I am starting to panic, and I really would appreciate someone to help me get this thing unstuck. Any ideas will be very much appreciated, and I look forward to hearing some input from experienced pen repair people. Please, help me!

 

The pen looks like a dog with a broken jaw with its tongue hanging out! It fills with ink and writes perfectly fine (a lot wetter now) with this thing hanging out but I can't have this pen looking like this.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TorPelikan]

Do not mind.

 

You can simply rotate the inner gray tube.

It is not fixed to the section.

Perhaps you can pull it out.

 

From my experience of MB 320 and 121.

 

By the way, what a great looking pen with great music nib!

I've never seen a music nib in those models.

 

 

Tor

[SNAK]

Thank you Tor, for replying.

 

What would you use to pull the silver/grey tube out? It is quite small and I can't seem to get a good enough grip to pull it out. Is there a trick to pulling these things out?

 

What would you consider using if you can't take it out with just fingers plus rubber mat? Would it be a bad idea to pour something in there? Liquid silicone grease (that comes with TWSBI pens) is slippery but it's not good near the nib and feed, right? Mineral oil is bad too, isn't it? I feel like I need something to make that tube loosen up in the hole.

 

I am however very glad to hear that it is just a tube that should pull out. I wasn't sure about the internals of the pen so I was very afraid that I might have done something irreparable.

 

Now on to figure out how to pull this thing out.

Edited June 17, 2015 by SNAK

[SNAK]

I thought I would report back and let you know how it went.

 

Thanks to Tor for the reassurance, and to newlife for sending me the repair manual, I have managed to get the offending silver/grey plastic tube out of there! It was surprisingly short and small, and I have now put it back in the way it should. Pen is writing nice and wet, I just need to align the tines a bit more but all is well in my world now. Thank you so much.

 

In the end, I used the blunt needle from the syringe I have for inking cartridges or Pelikan pens as the tool to help me. I stuck the blunt needle into the centre hole, and angled it just so that he tip of it would touch the inner wall of the tube. Then with the belly of my thumb supporting the silver tube from the side where it was sticking out, I pushed it with the thumb and pulled it with the needle, and the silver piece came out without too much resistance.

 

I hope this may be helpful for someone who also get into similar "stuck" situation.

 

[masterguns]

Nice job! Once the panic subsided, admiring your fix must have been very satisfying. I know whenever I goon something up and then am able to fix it, I feel pretty good about myself.

 

BTW, that is a great looking pen. Congrats all around.

[TorPelikan]

Congratulations!

 

I hope you enjoy your beautiful MB pen.

Please show us how it writes.

[SNAK]

Pen: Montblanc 124 (c.1970's) with Music nib

Ink: Sailor (Kobe) #37 Minatojima Island Blue

Paper: Tomoe River (White)

[TorPelikan]

Great!

 

I love your handwriting.

I have to improve my skill in writing.

 

Tor