Bought this today locally at a low price. The seller claimed it was an Optimus 8r, but it is obviously a 111. I think it is a 111B and the instructions with it say 111B or 22. Could someone confirm the model and if anything is obviously missing? The seller also said that he had test fired it and that it works, but it smells like it is full of very stale gasolene. I'll proactively replace the fuel cap gasket and the SRV pip. The pump seems to be working ok, it makes pressure and the handle doesn't creep back out. Should I proactvely replace the NRV gasket or wait and see? I know I'll need to buy/make an NRV wrench for that. Thanks.
111B from what can be seen in the first photo. A better picture of the burner without the flame ring and shield would make it clear. The 111B has two vertical supports for the flame spreader. The kerosene burning 111 has 4, 2 (I think) of which function to vaporize the fuel. I wouldn't fix anything that aint broke, but others feel differently. Although these were designed to burn gasoline you are better off with camp fuel/white gas of choice long term.
@Ziradog I've not had much luck replacing the SRV pip in the cap. As long as the cap gasket isn't hard and it seals, I would not worry about it. I would replace the NRV if the tank will not hold pressure. I normally pressurize my 111B for a few days and if the pump rod does not move and it holds pressure i go about my business and use the stove. If it does not, then you'll have to do a dunk test unless the problem is obvious.
Every "B' that I have or had, needed the pip in the NRV replaced, gas seems to do that on these. May work for a bit as is, but would hate to see fuel leaking when you really need the stove working safely. I too never replace the pip in the SRV unless there is leakage there. Duane
If you intend to put a volatile liquid in a pressure vessel next to a source of ignition, please replace the consumable, time-expiring service parts which keep it safe. Especially with the Optimus No.111B which arguably has a design flaw (no locking mechanism for the pump) which makes it inherently dangerous unless maintained properly by somebody competent. If you take the attitude of 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' you will have at best, a stove you can't rely on because you know it will fail at an unexpected time, at worst, a fire or even explosion affecting you or innocent people nearby. The stove will be safe when all seals are replaced with items of known quality, and replaced again at a suitable interval before they become untrustworthy. A dunk test is a very good idea. If you are going to chicken out of replacing the safety valve seal, at the very least poke something through the hole to make sure it is not stuck like they sometimes are, which could potentially cause overpressure and a ruptured tank full of aformentioned pressurised petrol/gas next to the source of ignition.
The NRV pip and seal are important parts in this stove. If the NRV starts leaking, the fuel will rise in the pump tube. At the moment the fuel vaporizes by getting hot, a sudden fire will occur at the pump tube. After replacing the NRV gasket, the NRV must be checked frequently. The gasket settles over time, and the valve must then be retightened. The safety valve gasket and the lid gasket also tend to age and harden. In particular, the small rubber gasket in the safety valve is often overlooked because it’s somewhat hidden and requires a pentagonal tool. As Blackdog has already noted, this gasket tends to stick. The safety valve then becomes blocked. As they are cheap parts, I would highly recommend to replace them all.
Wow, wide range of opinions. The gasket in the cap & the safety valve gasket look similar to my Svea ones, I will definitely replace those. I was hoping to try firing it up (pun intended) with the current NRV set up since it doesn't appear to be leaking (still sitting under pressure, pump hasn't risen), but maybe I will wait. The burner does have 2 uprights so I believe that makes it 111B. Is Fettlebox still the best source of parts given the current tariff status (I'm in USA)? Thanks,
The rising pump handle is not a reliable indicator for a leaking NRV. It rises only, when the pump leather is sealing off perfectly and the amount of leaking fuel or air is immense. With a slowly leaking NRV, there will be liquid fuel at the bottom of the tube, accumulating slowly. When it reaches higher temperatures, this fuel will vaporize and expand suddenly. With a source of ignition nearby.
@Ziradog if you need a tool or whatever you can also make one and there are plenty of posts on that. pretty simple with long bolt and a slot cut in the end. a punch set and some viton...you can make your own pips
Geez Louise. Every white gas stove on the market, outside of Coleman stuff, has the same pump issue. @Ziradog You are not going to blow yourself up if, using some common sense, you try running the stove as is. A leaking check valve in the pump is obvious once you pressurize it.
You can also pump up the tank with no fuel in it. Then only air is released if there is a leak. I would not dunk the assembly with the pump installed anyway.
What would that prove though? That the pump valve seal hasn't failed yet but is going to in the near future at an unexpected time? That if you turn your back on the stove even for a few seconds you could turn back round to a fire? That if you take the stove out and about as a result of it 'not leaking yet' you could start a forest fire, or injure yourself or others in the wilderness well away from the emergency services? I really struggle to understand the mentality of 'try it and see if it still works'. Most schoolchildren could make and fit seals to a No.111B with suitable guidance. There is suitable guidance on this forum. You then have a stove which is safe and can be trusted. Have a search for the report of the Tilley floodlight explosion caused by a fuel leak. That was paraffin (kero). Things can go wrong very quickly with liquid fuels, and suggesting a careless approach is simply poor advice.
I'm not suggesting a careless approach -- @Ziradog already has an eye out for potential problems and the pump seems to be working, and it sounds like he has plans to replace a few parts in the future. Further tests with fuel and pressure will reveal if the stove is can be fired up or not, as is. Chances are we like to fix stuff that does not need fixing because it causes a feel-good dopamine release; it is just fun. There also seems to be a matter of "risk perception". You can replace pips in stoves on a annual basis to try to preempt some imagined wilderness disaster fantasy (of which there is a statistically-insignificant number of examples) but it is far more likely to be the drive to that wilderness that will maim or kill or you.
No, in this case it we're not fixing things that don't need fixing for a dopamine release, we're fixing things which do need fixing due to the poor design of the stove, the inherent danger of the fuel and the need to know you can trust the pump valve seal to use the stove safely, let alone reliably. You are already taking a risk using a stove where- by design-a speck of deteriorating pump leather could cause a pump valve to leak volatile fuel. It is certainly careless adding to that risk by not replacing a service part designed to be regularly replaced which deteriorates with time whether the stove is used or not. The original question in this thread was whether the pump valve seal should be replaced as a matter of course or take a 'wait and see' approach. Of the three perishable consumable rubber parts on the stove, the pump valve seal is arguably the most important- a slight leak from the fuel cap or safety valve seal will produce anything from a candle to small blowtorch flame, if the pump valve seal fails you're looking at a pool of burning fuel which could very quickly make the stove impossible to put out without a fire extinguisher. Not fantasy, it's a distinct possibility and not everybody will think clearly when a petrol/gas fuelled stove becomes engulfed in flames. If you're serious about owning a No.111B, you will need a pump valve tool and the willingness to change the seals every few years, it is part of keeping the stove safe. If not flog it on and buy something where a casual attitude won't have the same potential problems.
Howdy, All, This is a great thread! The 111B , along with the 22B were my first powerful Optimus stoves, and I have used them for years and years, without a single problem! However, I did replace all the necessary parts, once I learned how to do that task! As I've not used either the 111B or 22B for many years, now, when I do choose to use any of them, I will most certainly replace the seals and pips again, as a matter of course. NO need to "wait and see", as I know those parts get hard and will need regular replacing. Once done, the 111B, and 22B are stellar stoves, and well worth owning and using. IF, for any reason, an owner of these stoves does NOT want to take the trouble to do the necessary regular maintenance on them, I would suggest selling, or gifting, them to someone who WILL do what is required in order to use them safely. That's worked for me for many trouble-free decades, and I'm sure it will work for other "B" owners, too! Have fun, be safe, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc
