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Vac 875 Balance Repair Questions.


Futzy1

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I just started trying to fix older pens and in one my ebay grab bags I got Sheaffer 875 balance vac fill. (I had no idea what I was getting into. Lol)

 

So I soaked it for a couple days, got the section unscrewed without breaking anything, the nut came off the rod easily enough, and I got the packing unit out in tact. So here's where I need help.

 

post-145901-0-25091900-1541632012_thumb.jpg

 

1. What exactly do I need? Obviously I need a plunger washer, as the other one was in 5 or 6 pieces. But how do I know if I need to replace the packing unit, washer etc? I'm really trying to spend as little as possible as my wife is an accountant and WILL call me out. For whatever parts I do need what size replacements?

 

2. The blind cap is stripped. It will screw on to the barrel but it wont catch the rod threads. I was thinking of putting a bit of epoxy then grease the threads so they wont stick. Good idea? Bad idea? Other ideas???

 

Thanks

Jon

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I am assuming you got the packing unit cleaned up. If yes, you will need one of those fat O rings (gasket) and a retainer washer (white) to keep it in there https://www.vintagepensacsandparts.com/product.php/300/0/sheaffer_vac_fill_repair_gasket_and_washers_kit

This is the general technique used with these replacements https://vintagepens.com/FAQrepair/plunger_filler_repair.shtml

I put up a post recently describing a part of the procedure but it might not apply to you because you have the packing unit out and so you wont have the same issues as me https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/340332-vac-fil-repair-questions/?do=findComment&comment=4117037

Youll need to use epoxy to put that packing unit back in.

All the best!

My Vintage Montblanc Website--> link

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In general the packing units do not come out and they were not intended to be removed. Sheaffer advised drilling them out and replacing with a new one. We now repair in place as described.

San Francisco International Pen Show - The next “Funnest Pen Show” is on schedule for August 23-24-25, 2024.  Watch the show website for registration details. 
 

My PM box is usually full. Just email me: my last name at the google mail address.

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Easy to remember which one to use.

 

*Only the OS pens use the large head gaskets.

*Only the standard size (diameter) Balance pens use the medium size head gaskets

*Everything else uses the small. ALL of the Triumph nib pens, regardless how big or small the pen is, will use the small head gaskets, which is why the assortment that I sell has mostly small head gaskets. Tucky to Valiant, they're all the same.

 

Richard Binder and I spent the better part of a year experimenting with taking the pens apart and repair techniques before we started to accept them for repair. We concluded that trying to pull the packing unit was too risky, and that the method of drilling the packing unit out from the inside was the best way to go. That was a thousand pens ago for me, and I have seen no reason to change my mind.

 

Having said that, you do find cases where the packing unit comes loose on its own. Not common, but neither is it rare. When that happens, you repair the packing unit with the Viton 0-ring and retaining washer, then epoxy it back into the barrel.

 

TIP: Put just a smidge on the inside of the barrel, and most of it on the packing unit itself. That way, when you push the packing unit back into the end of the barrel, most of the excess gets pushed out instead of into the barrel. Clean up the excess right away.

 

I suggest that you use a slower setting epoxy so that you have time to clean up the excess and check the fit. Raising the temperature to 120 (and no more!) will cut the cure time significantly, and will also make for a stronger bond VS curing at room temperature.

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Thanks for the advice! In my my ignorance I had given it a little push and it popped right out. Good to know that was luck.

 

Sometimes they are like that. Other times you'll warp the barrel end trying to heat it enough to pull it out - or the theads snap off, which is one reason why we decided that going in from the front is the best thing to do.

 

BTW, the packing unit material is celluloid. If the thread break, take the pen apart and remove the rod. You can then solvent weld the threads back on using MEK. the pieces will interlock when you get them in the right rotation. Do not glue with epoxy or superglue, or any other adhesive for that matter. Allow it to harden a day or two before putting any stress on the threads.

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Just out of curiosity, in my limited reading I've seen people recommend your polishing compound because it's chem free. So what's the consensus on jewlers cloth?

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I use a Sunshine cloth. They work well on hard rubber as well as metal. They contain a micro crystaline abrasive, and what they call "luster enhancers" which appear to be some kind of fat. I like them because there's nothing to get into odd places. The polish that I sell works well on metal too. I just don't use it for hard rubber because it tends to get lodged in the surface of the rubber.

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I suggest that you use a slower setting epoxy so that you have time to clean up the excess and check the fit. Raising the temperature to 120 (and no more!)

For how long?

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For how long?

Check the technical specifications for the epoxy on the company’s website. Not all formulations will be the same.

San Francisco International Pen Show - The next “Funnest Pen Show” is on schedule for August 23-24-25, 2024.  Watch the show website for registration details. 
 

My PM box is usually full. Just email me: my last name at the google mail address.

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