Coleman 425E secondary burner not enough gas

thanks guys........... I gotta give this a rest but will get back at it in a day or two.... i'm pretty frustrated. man.

 

When you give up, we will give up, too.
If not, we won't.

 

Thanks, all for sticking with me........... I think I figured out how to quote a message..... anyway, with the lever up or down, it's hard to tell much of a difference. but I think that when the lever is up, the mist can turn into just air, and not gas mist. so, i'm wondering if the gas isn't getting to the orifice, somehow.... that would explain the main burner never staying lit... anyway, I've gone over the generator tube? with the coiled spring and needle.... with carb cleaner. but I didn't soak it. I haven't done anything to the valve (the knob portion) area. how hard is it to get to that? I guess for right now i'll try to concentrate on the tank generator portion...

 

well, I found instructions at oldcolemanparts, which someone else mentioned... i'm willing, I guess, to take apart the valve.... if it seems like that is the problem? I don't have any spare parts, tho. I've got brake and carb cleaner..........

 

Based on post #31 I agree with Ken (snwcmpr) that you have a fuel/air tube problem. With the tank off the stove, some fuel in the tank and 30-40 pumps of pressure and the lever down you should get a solid stream of fuel, like a squirt gun, but continuous. Remove the knob portion of the valve by undoing the nut between the knob and the valve body and withdraw the valve stem and pricker rod (needle). Remove the generator tube from the other side of the valve. Now remove the valve body from the tank. Several ways to do this. I clamp the valve body in a vice and turn the tank off the valve. Search the Old Coleman Parts site or the Coleman Collector's Forum for pictures and more detailed instructions. It is sometimes necessary to heat the valve body to soften the sealant Coleman used between the valve and tank. Be sure tanks is completely rinsed and free of fuel before applying heat. With the valve out, remove the F/A tube from the bottom of the valve and clean thoroughly inside and out. Polish the wire rod gently with 0000 steel wool so that it is also clean and smooth. Be careful not to enlarge the hole in the bottom of the tube, clean it with somethin like a wooden toothpick. Reattach the F/A tube and test function by moving the lever. Lever up the rod should poke out the bottom of the F/A tube, lever down it should be withdrawn. Reassembly and light. I use a SMALL amount of Permatex 2A non-hardening sealer between valve and tank. Available at any auto store. Report back. Good luck

 

@cottage hill bill @doublegregg
Yeah, what he said.

 

@snwcmpr @cottage hill bill
ok - followed instructions at old coleman parts, but am kind of stumped here. I can't get the tube (is that the f/a tube?) off. should I? I can't get any of my non-metric wrenches to fit it, and with the kind of poor nut and corrosion - not sure I can get it off, but cleaning the tube seems to require that. putting the lever up/down does protrude a poker thru the hole in the tube. can you guys explain how the valve works, and what the holes are for? I figure the one that goes deepest in the tank is fuel, and the one nearer the valve (visible in the picture) is for air??


---

oh, btw, I emptied the tank, and I guess there was hardly any gas??? like 5 oz? I can measure it more accurately, and I WAS streaming a bunch of fuel out testing. but is there a minimum amount of fuel required to operate a coleman? and - should the tank be filled by tilting it, so it actually is pretty full? I never did that. I only filled it to where it's below the filler cap when the tank is horizontal. filling the tank so the gas is above the cap line seemed like fuel could leak out...

thanks again - couldn't do this without your guys' advice and just as importantly support...

 

I have never removed the tube. Soldered??

I fill flat, not tilted. You need air to pressurize the tank.

Check that the lever can push the rod up and down. Opening and closing the hole at the bottom of the F/A tube.
Not sure what I do to fix those F/A tubes. I just clean them, others can say more.

 

Sounds like the F/A tube is not the problem -- just low on gas?

Have you tried moving that restrictor plate from the second burner to the main? I think someone earlier must have mixed them up at some point (not all stoves have them but where else could it have come from).

 

@itchy too late.... took apart fa tube...... maybe it was the low level of gas.... but I did move the restrictor from the 2nd to the main.... we'll see. i'm letting some gasket material dry on the valve to tank connection.... i'll try it tomorrow....

 

@snwcmpr ok --- so you fill the tank when the tank is flat.... that leaves quite a bit of air. i'm totally a newbie at these gas stoves... on the f/a tube, the lever does push the rod up and down. I carefully removed the f/a tube, and cleaned it. the hole at the top of the f/a tube seems to lead nowhere. there's no opening for that hole... whatever.. i'll see tomorrow if it works...

 

Look at this http://www.colemancollectorsforum.c...ve-7586693?highlight=f+diagram&pid=1288598961 for a diagram of how the F/A tube works. That hole does go somewhere and is supposed to be there. The nut at the top of the F/A tube is either 5/16 or 3/8 depending on the lantern or stove involved. Yeas there has to be air in the tank for the instant light (F/A tube system) to work. That's why the fill hole on Coleman lanterns and stoves in placed either low on the tank or in a dimple, so you cannot completely fill the tank with fuel. Proper filling is with tank on a flat surface, fill to bottom of filler neck. The F/A tube does not reach the bottom of the tank so there will always be a small amount of fuel even if you run the stove till it goes out. Reassemble the stove and fill at least 1/2 full and then make the checks we suggested above about stream/spay lever up/down. I assume (silly me) you did manage to unscrew the F/A tube rather than disassembling it in some other manner?

Keep trying.

 

Thanks. I will look at the next one with an eye loupe.

 

@snwcmpr
@cottage hill bill

thanks for the clarity, bill....... I unscrewed the f/a tube, although I used a crescent wrench and a vice grip... I tried to be gentle.. I didn't want to break the thing. it came away pretty easily. I couldn't see the air opening --- the hole at the top of the f/a tube looked like there was no opening. I guess there is a small one.......uh............somewhere there.........

not sure what requires the eye loupe....... the f/a air opening????

the diagram of the f/a tube is impressive --- i'll have to look at it many times to figure it out. I havent' had time to try the stove out, and I have to go find more white gas. I assume any white gas is fine, and it doesn't have to be coleman's?

 

WalMart has Crown at a good price. That and Coleman are the only brands I've seen for years.

 

thanks....I was thinking of Walmart!

 

I was referring to my assumption that it might have been soldered. I had not looked closely at the F/A tube, when I took the valves out.
So now I will look at them closer.
Thanks @cottage hill bill

 

Progress!

1) put in 11 oz of fresh white gas after I took apart the valve, generator... part of the valve, maybe not all of it 2) had moved the restrictor plate from secondary to primary burner

primary burner lights fine, stays lit, seems great. secondary burner seems ok - I estimate it is half the power of the main burner. I guess that's useable, but would prefer it be hotter... I can have the primary at a medium high flame, and the secondary is I think useable... I guess i'll have to cook on it at some point.

i'm wondering if I should go ahead and get a brush to run through the manifold, to try to improve the secondary burner.... how stiff a brush will I need?

the photo is from right after I lit the main. forget if I had turned the lever down or not at that point.

 

The guys who know say run a brush through it. That's what I'd do.

 

When I open the aux burner I open the main valve more to compensate. The aux takes away from the main.