Good morning. After lurking here for a few months, I was inspired to pick up an old Optimus 111 stove to compliment my Hiker+ and Trangia stoves. From my reading, it looks like a kerosene burner. The SRV is unfamiliar to me, with a slot for a flat bladed screwdriver; steel windscreen heavily corroded; embossed case is missing most of the paint on the lower half. However, I did something stupid - in the process of pulling out the needle, it seems like I stripped the pricker and left it behind in the burner head. In retrospect the needle came out pretty hard, but I thought I was just moving the old graphite packing. Shipper included a hand pricker, so I didn't think about it. Darn! So my question: how do you remove the jet? Is the (missing) spanner wrench the only tool that will fit between the vertical pillars? Thanks for your help. Tim
Some U-joints will work, the small spanner that may come with these or a 8R will work, needs a slotted end, then takes time to move it from opening to opening or flipping the spanner. Part of collecting. Duane
If you don't plan on owning other old stoves than you could make do with a small spanner but it will be a bit tedious. This is the ideal tool for the job: https://www.ebay.com/itm/PRIMUS-STOVE-JET-REMOVAL-KEY-CAMPING-STOVE-OPTIMUS-STOVE-/112486109675
That's a pretty nice tool Metropolitantrout, but after looking hard I found a small 5mm spanner in the unused tool section of my work bench! So far so good. Now that the pricker is out, do I need to replace it? Seems kind of finicky. Also, I'd like to clean up the burner head. Sounds like the recommended method is to drop the whole thing into citric acid bath? Thanks Tim
@Timothy Epp Some people run their 111s without a pricker. The pricker has the advantage of always being there and the ability to clear the jet while the stove is running. If you decide you want the pricker, make sure you haven’t damaged the ratchet teeth on the control spindle too much. Get back to us and we’ll let you know how to set the pricker. If you’re going to put your burner in citric acid, keep a close eye on it: don’t let it go red. Cheers Tony Edit: A good engine clear will clean your burner.
Best and original method for burner cleaning is to burn coke/carbon residue off from the burner: https://classiccampstoves.com/threads/ab-dcs.31915/
Would a heated ultrasound bath clean and de-coke the burner ok? This seems easier than the burning method.
The burning method is actually pretty easy. I use a standing blow torch and hold the burner in the flame. One hand on on the pliers that is holding the burner, and one hand on the piston blowing into the burner. All you need is a blow torch, an air compressor and pliers. It doesn't look as sophisticated as the link above, but it works just as well.
From this thread: https://classiccampstoves.com/threads/ultrasonic-cleaning-of-stove-burners.27409/#post-279373
Thanks for the encouragement @afoton and interesting link @kerophile. My flame seems decent with mostly blue and lots of heat. How do I know if it needs a decoke? I was planning on using the citric only for a cosmetic clean up.
Hi @Timothy Epp that looks like a good healthy flame to me, so no need for a de-coke. Good Luck with your Op.111. These are great stoves. Best Regards, Kerophile.
Thanks for all of your help. Now I will clean it up, polish the brass and maybe paint the box. Then I'll post a few pictures. Then I'll get it dirty again on my canoe trips into northwest Ontario this summer. Tim
