Gatsby Transmision?

[GColeman]

I turned a Gatsby this morning. When I assembled it the refill would not retract. I had cleaned the transmission with mineral spirits before I assembled it and added a minute drop of 3 in 1 oil. I thought the spring was too weak, so I took it off and checked it manually. The plunger/refill pusher downer took a bit of force to retract. I soaked it in mineral spirits and re oiled. Still needed force to retract. I tried another transmission from another kit. Same results. I called PSI and they are sending 2 out.

I have been working the transmission on and off all morning. It works fine for 3 or 4 cycles then sticks again.

Does anyone have any fixes for this problem? I need to get this pen out the door. I am not real confident that the new transmissions will be better.

 

[Smitty37]

They will be

I turned a Gatsby this morning. When I assembled it the refill would not retract. I had cleaned the transmission with mineral spirits before I assembled it and added a minute drop of 3 in 1 oil. I thought the spring was too weak, so I took it off and checked it manually. The plunger/refill pusher downer took a bit of force to retract. I soaked it in mineral spirits and re oiled. Still needed force to retract. I tried another transmission from another kit. Same results. I called PSI and they are sending 2 out.

I have been working the transmission on and off all morning. It works fine for 3 or 4 cycles then sticks again.

Does anyone have any fixes for this problem? I need to get this pen out the door. I am not real confident that the new transmissions will be better.

Replace the transmission - it's easy and most of them work just fine.

 

[arioux]

Are you shure it's the transmission. Could be the nib that is too tight because of plating accumulation inside and it prevent the refill from retracting. Happen often with cigar kit. Try reaming the inside of the nib end with a small file or a small drillbit.

 

[Smitty37]

Good idea

Are you shure it's the transmission. Could be the nib that is too tight because of plating accumulation inside and it prevent the refill from retracting. Happen often with cigar kit. Try reaming the inside of the nib end with a small file or a small drillbit.

Good idea, I forgot about that. That condition can cause the problem although most of time when I've seen that it either blocks it altogether or hangs up with the refill extended.

 

[GColeman]

Are you shure it's the transmission. Could be the nib that is too tight because of plating accumulation inside and it prevent the refill from retracting. Happen often with cigar kit. Try reaming the inside of the nib end with a small file or a small drillbit.

I can insert and remove the refill fine by hand. I will ream it with a drill bit just in case.
This is happening on 2 different transmissions.

The transmission has a small round disc that extends and retracts as you twist the transmission. It will retract by gravity once or twice then sticks in the extended position. I can force it back in with a toothpick but it takes more force than the spring can apply. I can work the transmission a couple of times and it will operate again for one or two more cycles and then sticks again.

 

[Katsin]

I know it sounds like a silly suggestion but try turning the spring around on the refill. I had a Gatsby recently that was only happy with the spring in one orientation. Not sure why. Certainly doesn't hurt to try.

 

[Smitty37]

Not unusual

I know it sounds like a silly suggestion but try turning the spring around on the refill. I had a Gatsby recently that was only happy with the spring in one orientation. Not sure why. Certainly doesn't hurt to try.

Another good suggestion...many of the springs are a little larger on one end than the other...they work best for me with the larger end toward the barrel of the refill and the smaller toward the tip.

 

[OldGrumpy]

Not sure what the problem is, but the Gatsby is the only kit where I have experienced this problem. I bought 5 from PSI and all of them did the same exact thing!

 

[Smitty37]

Happened once

Not sure what the problem is, but the Gatsby is the only kit where I have experienced this problem. I bought 5 from PSI and all of them did the same exact thing!

This happened to one of my customers and it turned out to be that he was not assemblying the pen correctly....the refill (at least on mine) should be installed from the transmission end, with the tip in place.

 

[NewLondon88]

could the spring be backwards? Sounds silly, but there's a wider end and a thinner
end. The thinner end goes onto the refill, the wider end goes into the nib. If they
are reversed, the refill can get hung up, squeezing the spring between the refill
and the sides of the nib (the spring gets forced down too far into the nib)
If that happens, there's no tension to push back on the transmission, either.

 

[Smitty37]

HMMMM

could the spring be backwards? Sounds silly, but there's a wider end and a thinner
end. The thinner end goes onto the refill, the wider end goes into the nib. If they
are reversed, the refill can get hung up, squeezing the spring between the refill
and the sides of the nib (the spring gets forced down too far into the nib)
If that happens, there's no tension to push back on the transmission, either.

You know my experience has been the opposite...I always put the bigger end toward the refill.....

 

[GColeman]

I have ruled out the spring and refill. I reamed out the nib, and swapped the spring end for end a couple times. I even measured the spring with my caliper. It is the same size on both ends. The transmission is bad in both kits I have on hand. I will wait for the PSI replacements and see how they work. I hope the new ones work. I have a super nice blank that matches another pen meant for a wedding on Saturday.

 

[Smitty37]

Mentioned before

I have ruled out the spring and refill. I reamed out the nib, and swapped the spring end for end a couple times. I even measured the spring with my caliper. It is the same size on both ends. The transmission is bad in both kits I have on hand. I will wait for the PSI replacements and see how they work. I hope the new ones work. I have a super nice blank that matches another pen meant for a wedding on Saturday.

I know I mentioned this in an earlier post but want to make sure you see it. Are you inserting the refill from the nib end or the cap end? My instructions which are very similar to PSI say do it from the cap end..In short you screw the transmission down on the already in place refill you do not force the refill into the transmission.

 

[GColeman]

I have ruled out the spring and refill. I reamed out the nib, and swapped the spring end for end a couple times. I even measured the spring with my caliper. It is the same size on both ends. The transmission is bad in both kits I have on hand. I will wait for the PSI replacements and see how they work. I hope the new ones work. I have a super nice blank that matches another pen meant for a wedding on Saturday.

I know I mentioned this in an earlier post but want to make sure you see it. Are you inserting the refill from the nib end or the cap end? My instructions which are very similar to PSI say do it from the cap end..In short you screw the transmission down on the already in place refill you do not force the refill into the transmission.

Yes
I assembled the nib,
placed the spring on the refill.
dropped the refill through the body and nib,
Installed the transmission onto the assembled body, nib, and refill.

 

[Smitty37]

OK

I have ruled out the spring and refill. I reamed out the nib, and swapped the spring end for end a couple times. I even measured the spring with my caliper. It is the same size on both ends. The transmission is bad in both kits I have on hand. I will wait for the PSI replacements and see how they work. I hope the new ones work. I have a super nice blank that matches another pen meant for a wedding on Saturday.

I know I mentioned this in an earlier post but want to make sure you see it. Are you inserting the refill from the nib end or the cap end? My instructions which are very similar to PSI say do it from the cap end..In short you screw the transmission down on the already in place refill you do not force the refill into the transmission.

Yes
I assembled the nib,
placed the spring on the refill.
dropped the refill through the body and nib,
Installed the transmission onto the assembled body, nib, and refill.

Then I am stuck-maybe they just hit a batch of bad transmissions. I know I've had maybe a 1% (higher than it should be) failure rate on the ones I've sold but only once where there was more than one in a package of 5 or 10 and that person was not assembling them correctly.

 

[NewLondon88]

I even measured the spring with my caliper. It is the same size on both ends. .

That doesn't sound right to me, but it has been a while since I've made
any pens. If i remember correctly, there should be a difference.

 

[EarlD]

I had what I believe to be the same symptoms. It appears to me that the four tabs on the top of the refill can catch on the rim of the transmission when retracting. I filed the corner off the four tabs and solved the problem...but I don't want to tell customers they have to do this. Has anyone else done this?

Earl

 

[Smitty37]

Might be

I had what I believe to be the same symptoms. It appears to me that the four tabs on the top of the refill can catch on the rim of the transmission when retracting. I filed the corner off the four tabs and solved the problem...but I don't want to tell customers they have to do this. Has anyone else done this?

Earl

I don't know what it was in regard to but I have seen on a forum here at one time or another that those tabs vary from maker to maker on Parker refills.

 

[sbell111]

I had what I believe to be the same symptoms. It appears to me that the four tabs on the top of the refill can catch on the rim of the transmission when retracting. I filed the corner off the four tabs and solved the problem...but I don't want to tell customers they have to do this. Has anyone else done this?

Earl

I don't have any mechanisms in front of me, but I wonder if there is something about the rim that is causing the refill to catch. Perhaps it would be a simple act to ease the edge of the rim.

 

[GColeman]

The transmission is the problem. There is a brass part and an aluminum barrel. The brass part is stationary when screwed into the upper coupler and the aluminum barrel turns clockwise to extend a plunger to force the refill against the spring and out the nib hole. When turned counter-clockwise the plunger is relaxed and the spring forces the refill back into the transmission. The problem is the little plunger inside the transmission.

I removed the transmission from the pen. I can turn the barrel clockwise while holding the brass piece stationary. The little plunger inside extends. When I turn the barrel counter-clockwise the little plunger stays in the extended position. I then have to FORCE it back into the retracted position. No spring on any pen kit has enough force to retract it.

I have also replaced the spring with one that is larger on one end. No help. I have eased the edges of the refill. No help. I have soaked the transmission in MS and oiled. No help. I have sat at my desk and exercised the transmission until my fingers are sore. No help. I just have 2 bad transmissions.

 

[GColeman]

Recieved the replacement transmissions

PSI sent me 3 replacements to cover the two that were bad. I am glad they sent 3, as one of the replacements was also bad. I installed one of the good ones and it works flawlessly. I did however miss my deadline with that pen. I had another style in the same plating and since it is a single barrel pen I had enough of blank to turn it. It was received well.

Thank you all for you help.
Greg