How To Remove Montblanc 146 Feeder Case?

[rtrinkner]

I purchased a Montblanc 146 from eBay. I also bought tools to remove the nib and piston units.

 

All went well when I opened the piston end and remove the piston. I greased the barrel interior and screwed the piston unit back into the pen.

 

Sadly, when I unscrewed the nib, I found the lip of the "feeder case" to be broken.

 

I think I need a new feeder case. So, two questions:

 

1. How to I remove the existing broken feeder case from the barrel? Does it screw out from within the barrel?

 

2. Is there a source for buying new feeder cases? I checked on eBay, but didn't find any.

 

To help ID my 146 year etc.: 2-tone nib, ink view with stripes, nib socket holes at 4 and 8, tracking number etched on clip, "Germany" on clip.

 

I'm experienced with pen restoration, but I'm new to Montblancs. I know I could send the pen to Montblanc, but I'd rather fix it myself if I can get the spare part.

 

Thanks very much!

 

 

[Erik Dalton]

Finding parts is always a challenge with Montblanc. Does your pen leak? Why do you want to replace

the nib unit housing? And yes, they unscrew from the section. But, there is Sealant in there so approach with caution.

 

Once you start messing with these nibs it can get dicey. It’s not a sign of failure to let Montblanc to do some of the work. Every so often nib units come up on eBay. Some European dealers often have parts, but these days with the price of the dollar down against the euro, not my first choice.

Would like to see some pix of what you’ve encountered.

[Chrissy]

I was recently advised about this collar by my Montblanc colleague. There's a complete nib/feed unit containing the nib and feed, that comes with the collar on it. This prevents the nib/feed unit from going too far into the outer feeder case (what we might call the grip.)

 

It's fine to buy a tool so that you can remove the nib unit. However the collar is incorporated, and as you've found, is easy to break. In fact I had one break in half and drop off while one of my pens sat in it's box, unused since brand new.

 

In order to buy a replacement unit on ebay or elsewhere, it's most likely to come with a nib. That's usually what comes up for sale. I've seen several for sale with no collar on them, so they are already broken.

 

They will all cost you more than a flat rate level 1 service with Montblanc, that will replace your nib into a new unit with a new collar, feed and outer feeder case. Incidentally that flat rate service would have also included complete replacement of all of the piston assembly.

[Erik Dalton]

I was recently advised about this collar by my Montblanc colleague. There's a complete nib/feed unit containing the nib and feed, that comes with the collar on it. This prevents the nib/feed unit from going too far into the outer feeder case (what we might call the grip.)

 

It's fine to buy a tool so that you can remove the nib unit. However the collar is incorporated, and as you've found, is easy to break. In fact I had one break in half and drop off while one of my pens sat in it's box, unused since brand new.

 

In order to buy a replacement unit on ebay or elsewhere, it's most likely to come with a nib. That's usually what comes up for sale. I've seen several for sale with no collar on them, so they are already broken.

 

They will all cost you more than a flat rate level 1 service with Montblanc, that will replace your nib into a new unit with a new collar, feed and outer feeder case. Incidentally that flat rate service would have also included complete replacement of all of the piston assembly.

+1...

[rtrinkner]

Thanks very much for your replies!

 

I'll send the pen off to Montblanc for their professional repair service. Although I'd prefer to fix the pen myself just because I like to tinker with pens, the lack of replacement parts does make the MB repair center sound like the best option.

 

I have to say that I really do love this pen. It's really a treat to write with it!

 

Richard

[Erik Dalton]

Good luck..don’t forget to post before and after photos for us.

[CS388]

Thanks very much for your replies!

 

I'll send the pen off to Montblanc for their professional repair service. Although I'd prefer to fix the pen myself just because I like to tinker with pens, the lack of replacement parts does make the MB repair center sound like the best option.

 

I have to say that I really do love this pen. It's really a treat to write with it!

 

Richard

 

Yes, they're wonderful pens.

 

Parts are incredibly difficult to find. Once people get their hands on parts, they can be reluctant to let them go. I went through a few 146 feed-cases over the years. I used to be able to pick them up from certain sellers I knew, or occasionally on ebay - but when another 146 feed-case fell apart last year, I couldn't find a replacement anywhere. There were other issues with the pen, so it went off to Hamburg for a level 2 service.

I'd rather do my own repairs/work on my own pens and only send them in as a last resort - but the quality of work done during the service is first class.

I think you've done the best thing and (hope) you will be pleasantly surprised with the outcome.

 

Enjoy.

[Chrissy]

Thanks very much for your replies!

 

I'll send the pen off to Montblanc for their professional repair service. Although I'd prefer to fix the pen myself just because I like to tinker with pens, the lack of replacement parts does make the MB repair center sound like the best option.

 

I have to say that I really do love this pen. It's really a treat to write with it!

 

Richard

 

You don't need to "tinker" with 146 or 149 pens as a general rule. They can sit around for years and still work perfectly as soon as you want to fill and write with them.

I would recommend that you resist the temptation and "tinker" with other pens that you can easily get replacement parts for.

[rtrinkner]

Hi folks,

 

As requested, here's a photo of the damaged feeder case. I'll send the pen to MB this afternoon.

 

I couldn't get good light with my camera to make the damage obvious in the photo. See the arrow in the photo. A portion of the feeder cap's collar has broken off and is missing. The missing arc is 6 mm long, located at the "8" socket in the feed.

 

Thanks again for your advice!

Edited April 24, 2018 by rtrinkner

[fountainbel]

Hi rthinker !

FYI, see this post : https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/332978-modern-mb146-nib-unit-disassembly-warning/

Best regards,

Francis

[rtrinkner]

Excellent post, that, Francis. I wonder why MB changed the design. Is the new design much cheaper to produce? And why not create a dependable, serviceable part, if this part is known to be likely to fail?

 

Thanks, as usual, for an excellent drawing. Your drawings always help me to understand pen mechanisms, especially Sheaffer Vac-Fils.

 

Richard

[jrogan]

I love my two Montblanc Meisterstucks, but for the life of me I cannot understand why Montblanc makes removing the nib and feeder so incredibly difficult--and dicey. I always take apart my other pens to clean them thoroughly. What is it about Montblanc that the company does not want its owners to accomplish this?

[Ron Z]

I love my two Montblanc Meisterstucks, but for the life of me I cannot understand why Montblanc makes removing the nib and feeder so incredibly difficult--and dicey. I always take apart my other pens to clean them thoroughly. What is it about Montblanc that the company does not want its owners to accomplish this?

Perhaps because you really don't need to take everything apart to clean the nib unit. You certainly can't do it easily on a properly fit vintage nib and feed, and I don't recommend doing it on any pen on a regular basis. Pen mechanics don't unless there is a good reason to. There are risks involved on both on both disassembly and reassembly, so it is possible to damage a pen. If you constantly remove them on a modern pen, you eventually end up with a loose nib and feed. I've seen cases where this has happened many times.