Jump to content

Parker 51 Vacumatic Diagnostic Question


Bristol24

Recommended Posts

I have a 1948 (based on the nib's date) Parker 51 vac.  It has been my favorite '51 and I have probably carried it the most in spite of having a half dozen others.  10 months ago the diaphragm developed a leak and I set the pen aside for repair.  When I finally got to the repair, I ran into several problems.  Getting the filler out was problematic, even with the clamping tool I had purchased and when I did get the filler apart, the existing vintage filler proved unusable as the socket for the pellet was broken.  I ended up purchasing a post production all aluminum filler since the pen's collector value is diminished due to the nearly buffed away imprint.  I installed the new filler and diaphragm, checked for air leaks and reassembled the pen.  It writes quite well but it has surprised me off and on with an occasional leak.  I can use the pen for a week or two and then, when I uncap it for use, find my writing hand inky due to ink all over the shell.  Since I use the pen quite a bit, it often spends a lot of time laying flat on a table or on my desk.  Any ideas why this is happening?  It never happened before the failure of the old diaphragm.  I have replaced other vac diaphragms and have not had this issue but this one has me perplexed.  The only thing that I can think is that the might be a minuscule air leak in the diaphragm somewhere...not enough to leak ink at the filler but enough to allow air in, which would then allow ink to escape.  The other possibility that I can conjure is that the replacement filler's button  may be hitting the blind cap and be partially depressed.  Any ideas/suggestions would be appreciated.  Thanks....

 

Cliff 

“The only thing most people do better than anyone else is read their own handwriting.”  John Adams

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 2
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • FarmBoy

    2

  • Bristol24

    1

Popular Days

Top Posters In This Topic

Put the system in diagnostic mode and send me a screen shot of the error codes. 

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.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wait. Wrong app. 
 

I’d start with cleaning the cap and making sure the hood is sealed. Then check the diaphragm, sleeve and seat. 

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.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


  • Most Contributions

    1. amberleadavis
      amberleadavis
      43844
    2. PAKMAN
      PAKMAN
      33494
    3. Ghost Plane
      Ghost Plane
      28220
    4. inkstainedruth
      inkstainedruth
      26624
    5. jar
      jar
      26101
  • Upcoming Events

  • Blog Comments

    • Shanghai Knife Dude
      I have the Sailor Naginata and some fancy blade nibs coming after 2022 by a number of new workshop from China.  With all my respect, IMHO, they are all (bleep) in doing chinese characters.  Go use a bush, or at least a bush pen. 
    • A Smug Dill
      It is the reason why I'm so keen on the idea of a personal library — of pens, nibs, inks, paper products, etc. — and spent so much money, as well as time and effort, to “build” it for myself (because I can't simply remember everything, especially as I'm getting older fast) and my wife, so that we can “know”; and, instead of just disposing of what displeased us, or even just not good enough to be “given the time of day” against competition from >500 other pens and >500 other inks for our at
    • adamselene
      Agreed.  And I think it’s good to be aware of this early on and think about at the point of buying rather than rationalizing a purchase..
    • A Smug Dill
      Alas, one cannot know “good” without some idea of “bad” against which to contrast; and, as one of my former bosses (back when I was in my twenties) used to say, “on the scale of good to bad…”, it's a spectrum, not a dichotomy. Whereas subjectively acceptable (or tolerable) and unacceptable may well be a dichotomy to someone, and finding whether the threshold or cusp between them lies takes experiencing many degrees of less-than-ideal, especially if the decision is somehow influenced by factors o
    • adamselene
      I got my first real fountain pen on my 60th birthday and many hundreds of pens later I’ve often thought of what I should’ve known in the beginning. I have many pens, the majority of which have some objectionable feature. If they are too delicate, or can’t be posted, or they are too precious to face losing , still they are users, but only in very limited environments..  I have a big disliking for pens that have the cap jump into the air and fly off. I object to Pens that dry out, or leave blobs o
  • Chatbox

    You don't have permission to chat.
    Load More
  • Files






×
×
  • Create New...