I received a two burner Punker from a fellow Coleman Collector a week ago and discovered it today in amongst my Coleman suitcases. Whoops, forgot about it, I had received more enticing packages a week ago. I had to clean out the tank a little and found out the dual fuel lines from the tank were plugged. Anyway, after clearing the tubes, I had to replace the jets which I had removed and noticed at the bottom of the burner, what looks similar to a stove nipple with a cleaning wire stuck up its hole. What does that do? It is horizontal, whereas the stove jet is vertical and is on the side. No pics, either you know what I'm talking about or you don't. Duane
I think you are refering to the blanking plug, could that be the case? It's a little plug, similar to those you often see on some blow lamps. I guess it ease cleaning of the burner and its channels. What's looking like a stuck cleaning needle is just simply parts left over when cutting the piece free after machining the little plug.
Hi Duane, have a look at this old post and the attached thread: https://classiccampstoves.com/posts/281942 Best Regards, Kerophile.
Thank you both. I checked a couple pages of past posts before asking and could not come up with anything, would have taken a long time to review them all. The pic posted is what I was referring to. This AM, my thoughts were it might serve as a point to flush the line, so I was correct in my thinking. Funny, I thought I had more meths in it from yesterday, so when I went to fire the stove up this morning, the one burner would not go. Checked the fuel level after I tried to poke a wire in the inlet before getting a flashlight, then realized it was not plugged again, just out of fuel. Except a small dent to the top of the tank, all looks in nice order. Duane
Alcohol vapourises pretty quick. Perhaps not that quick, but I have left these stoves with a fair amount of fuel in them for a week, or perhaps two, to find that it all had evaporated the next time I was about to use them. I guess Punker lids and tanks are extremely well ventilated... Otherwise these stoves are fantastic. They burn clean and well, and the regulation is very good. They don't have too much high power of course, but once stuff well has boiled up you can control it very well within all ranges.
They have a small hole below the burner to allow a small flame to keep the fuel vaporized at low simmer. With that they simmer really well. So don't think that is a leak. Welcome to the Punker club. Ken in NC
I'm not aware of a leak. I did notice on both burners, that a flame is directed at the fuel line, guessing it is similar to some gas stoves, so that direct heat does not touch the inner fuel line due to it being within a outer tube. One burners control has a scratching noise, may have to take that apart and see if something is bent in there. Sound is similar to what a spring might make when rotated inside a close tolerance tube. Duane
There is usually a sort of fin on the fuel line where the little pilot flame is directed to help transfer the heat even more. I tried to capture that on the third image in this topic.
Yes, that is on my stainless steel? stove. Just missing the front pot rod thing, which is no big deal. Duane
OK, here I am. Been very busy. I theorize that the wire thingy (sorry for being so technical) in the fuel inlet tube functions as both a way of slowing down the alcohol to allow it to vaporize more easily AND it acts as a spark restrictor to prevent blow back into the tank. You see the same sort of thing in gas tanks meant for aircraft use. They put an aluminum foil in the tank that prevents explosions. Stan
Thanks Stan. So would that be called the vaporizer? The noise may be loose material? Still been busy with my remodel, but between backpacking and cleaning stuff, I went out for some relaxation, fettling. I thought the tank was attached by welds by its support, but turns out, the support brackets just hold it there and the two fuel lines keep it there. Really simple stove, may tackle a teardown and cleanup, just don't have the tools for a good job, shining bits up. Hey Dave. Duane
My steel brushes are only about 80% there, the rest has deteriorated to the extent the little hairs fall out. I am going to experiment with taking copper mesh and winding it up on a rod and inserting it into the tube. It'll do the same thing for both functions and last a whole lot longer. The discussion above about the alcohol evapourating is right on the money, as well as the condensation thing. When I first stored the stove half full of fuel outside in my shop, I was shocked to see a puddle underneath each fuel tube under the tank. It turned out that it was pure water, condensing on the outside of the tank and dripping on the bench. (it wouldn't light so it wasn't alcohol). I figure that could also have happened inside the tank, contributing to the steel brush rusting to death in the fuel tube. They are great stoves, so simple and easy to use. You don't need the "sissy bar" in the front unless you are going to install the stove in a boat, or a large earthquake happens while you are cooking, or you plan to cook in your camper while someone else is driving along the road, or a car crashes into your house while you are cooking, oh hell, just make a new one and put it on. Stan
Not really, but I guess you could call it a part of the vapourising system. The actual vapouriser is the part where the fuel line circulates around the burner. The tube with the wire brush is more a fuel feed pipe. The pilot flame can hardly be enough to vapourise the alcohol there. Must be more of an additional heating thing.
G,,day . for a marine stove , the wires that hold the pots and pans have always been known as fiddle sticks . may vary with country . kerry
Looks like I need to check out the tubes to see if there is the wick in there. Funny, that's the side that makes the noise, but whose burner is all blue. Duane
Not a wick. It's a wire brush. It is also used for cleaning the tubes when they get dirty. Open the wing nut at the rear of each preheating tube (that's what they are called), then pull the brush and operate it back and forth several times in its tube. Then take the brush out and clean it. In the instructions they recommend that the brush is placed in a bottle of spirit and shaken.
A cleaning brush was my first thought also Christer, but then I remembered, "hey, it's alcohol we're burning here, where's the dirt supposed to come from"? If it was Kerosene, or Diesel fuel or even Coleman Fuel I could see something settling out or baking or condensing out on the walls of the inlet tubes, but alcohol? I've worked in Science labs where alcohol burners of several different kinds were still in daily use, uncleaned after 30 or 40 years, and they were shiny and like new still. Stan
