Pelikan 400

[bluesea]

My new-to-me 50's Pelikan 400 (no engraving on cap ring) just started leaking out the nib/feed. It it leaks when capped, and throws ink out the front with a slight shake.

What are the troubleshooting steps for this vintage 400?

[D Armstrong]

If the seal is not airtight, the amount of ink in the nib and feed will increase to the point you describe. The worse the air exchange, the drippier and leakier it will be.

You can test this by emptying the pen of ink, then leaving the piston extended to the bottom. If you unscrew the nib unit, put your finger against the hole, and then screw the blind cap the same way that you would to fill the pen. You should feel quite a bit of suction on your finger (your tongue is actually much better at testing this, if you are comfortable with that). The suction should be strong enough to almost hang the pen off your finger. If not, then you need a new seal.

Failing that (start simple before going complicated), there could be a crack in the barrel, or a separation between the section and barrel. You can test for this the same way, in reverse. Fill the nib-less barrel with water, then put your finger over the hole. Pressurize the barrel by turning the blind cap the way you would to empty the pen. You can often see where the water beads out of a crack.

Pelikans are a more difficult pen to service, so I wouldn't try replacing the seal yourself unless you are very comfortable with the process, and experienced with the breakage tolerances of plastic. But parts are fairly easy to come by, and there are a lot of pen repairers who can do it for reasonable cost.

Hope this helps.

[bluesea]

Thanks I'll give it a try.