Johann Faber Apolo 43 Piston Filler Help

[melro]

Good morning to everyone.

I`m having a little bit of trouble with my johann faber apollo 43 piston filler.

the thing is , when I unscrew it, the piston does not go all the way down the chamber , so when i`m going to fill it , the piston does not pull a full charge.

when I`m screwing it the threads seem to skip and not push the piston all the way down

This is how it should be:

 

 

In order to do this i push the piston inside and then i put the cap.

After this I screw it all the way in and tha cap retracts the piston normally and I can have a full charge.
but when i unscrew the cap out again it does not push the piston down, like this.

 

 

[melro]

no one?

guys?...





pls help

[steve50]

I have no idea but how does the piston mechanism work when it's disassembled from the pen? Does it move all the way in and out smoothly?

[OMASsimo]

I don't know this particular pen but the piston mechanism kind of looks primitive (no offense). Please correct me, but it seems that the action of the piston requires that the friction of the piston seal against the barrel prevents the spiral to turn. If that's the case, it might be that there is insufficient friction so that the piston action becomes less and less over time. That's a typical problem with many third tier piston fillers from the 1930s but your pen is a lot younger.

[Honeybadgers]

same problem that plagues the penbbs 309. The piston just gets stuck and you wind up unscrewing the mechanism. Make sure the piston is well lubricated, and if you want, you can use some section cement (a gentle, heat-sensitive sticky substance) on the threads to hold it in place so that your twisting breaks the piston free before the piston mechanism starts to unscrew.

[melro]

I have no idea but how does the piston mechanism work when it's disassembled from the pen? Does it move all the way in and out smoothly?

yes it does

when theres no pressure in the piston it goes in and out normally

[melro]

same problem that plagues the penbbs 309. The piston just gets stuck and you wind up unscrewing the mechanism. Make sure the piston is well lubricated, and if you want, you can use some section cement (a gentle, heat-sensitive sticky substance) on the threads to hold it in place so that your twisting breaks the piston free before the piston mechanism starts to unscrew.

 

I don't know this particular pen but the piston mechanism kind of looks primitive (no offense). Please correct me, but it seems that the action of the piston requires that the friction of the piston seal against the barrel prevents the spiral to turn. If that's the case, it might be that there is insufficient friction so that the piston action becomes less and less over time. That's a typical problem with many third tier piston fillers from the 1930s but your pen is a lot younger.

 

I didn't understant

 

should i put more friction on the threads of the piston and a lubricant on the barrel? if so, what lubricant ? would a lubricated ink do the job?

[OMASsimo]

Sorry that I wasn't clear. OK, let's try to find out what the problem is. The spiral can only act on the piston if the piston cannot turn itself so that it is forced to go up and down. Refined piston mechanisms usually have some sort of groove or non circular shape of the piston rod to prevent its rotation. I do not see any of this in your picture of the mechanism. It could be hidden inside though. So, If you hold the mechanism at the back and turn the piston nob, is the piston moving up and down without rotation? Second test, can you turn the piston itself while engaged in the spiral?

[Honeybadgers]

 

I didn't understant

 

should i put more friction on the threads of the piston and a lubricant on the barrel? if so, what lubricant ? would a lubricated ink do the job?

 

 

Lubricate all pens with SILICON (not siliconE) grease. it's widely available at hardware stores in plumbing sections.

 

No, a lubricated ink will not solve the problem. it will only keep the piston a little more lubed for longer. You need lubrication in there.

 

Lubricate the piston seal and the piston threads, not the beige part that screws into the barrel.

 

If that doesn't solve the problem, get some sheaffer thread sealant from main street pens and put a little dollop (VERY LITTLE, it's best to warm it up beforehand as it flows better if warm, use a hair dryer) on the threads that go into the barrel, that should give it some more stickiness and make it harder to unscrew, but is not permanent.

Edited May 6, 2019 by Honeybadgers

[Tweel]

Lubricate all pens with SILICON (not siliconE) grease.

 

Did you mean that the other way around? There's no such thing as silicon grease.

[Paul80]

With the piston assembly in your hand screw in the blind cap so the the piston is fully retracted as it would be with a full ink load, then apply pressure to the piston end and try to unscrew the blind cap, the piston should fully extend, if it does it's working, if not there is a problem with the mechanism, maybe a damaged helical or damaged thread in the filler assembly.

 

Screw it in and out a few times to endure it's giving a full stroke of the piston, it fits not assembled correctly it is possible to get a reduced stroke, I have seen this with Montblanc pistons, were the owner serviced the piston but put it back incorrectly resulting in a much reduced stroke.

 

Paul