Hello. I found an (AL) 1947 Primus 51 at a thrift store for $10 today. I'm not familiar with it nor any of the similar models. Its looks to be in very good condition for being over 70 years old. Looking at the posted photos here at ClassicCampStoves, its missing the chain and its attached fuel cap for portable travel. Also it will need a flame spreader and new leather pump cup. Is there a good source in the USA to purchase parts like the nrv tool, any gaskets, pips, flame spreader, and fuel cap & chain? Will my spare Svea123 viton seal work on the Primus 51? Does a parts list/owners manual exist for this stove? How does one properly set the fuel cap bleed screw? In the mean time I will browse the forum for info on it. Thank you much!
I don't know of any US sources. I get my seals and washers from Fettlebox. Shipping from England is fast and reasonably priced. You can get the flame ring and pump leather there too. I believe there is a kit specifically for the 51 that should have the seals, burner washers, pump leather and pip. The Primus 51 most often used the smaller 14mm pump leather that also fits the pint sized stoves but I don't know if all 51's over the years were the same. Best to measure your pump tube before ordering. Missing reserve caps are quite common on these old stoves. The reserve cap and chain can be found at Base Camp UK. I don't know if they are a full time operation. Send an email and be patient. They may get back to you either the same day or a few days later. They have a lot of stove parts no one else has. The 123 cap seal you have is a slightly different size than the 51 cap seal. The 123 seal is the same as the reserve cap seal that you are missing. There is nothing to set on the bleed cap screw. You close it when pumping the stove to desired flame and open it to shut the stove off. If you are at full flame and want to reduce the flame to a simmer then you'll open it to bleed off some pressure and close it again at your new desired flame. Hope this helps. Happy fettling. Ray edit: I checked the Base Camp parts list and the reserve cap is #P4311. The Primus 210 uses the same part. I don't see the chain listed so you'll have to ask or compromise with an alternative piece of chain.
@olive Edit: crossed with Ray. There will be parts diagrams for Primus in the Reference Library. I don’t know about US sites for the seals and parts you need, but you could look at The Fettle Box (in the UK: sponsor of this site) and see what they have. A travel cap can be bought on eBay. Cheers Tony
Hi @olive here is a link to a Primus No.54, the silent “sister” of your stove. There are some comments which likely explain the lack of reserve cap and chain etc. https://classiccampstoves.com/threads/primus-no-54-1938.9467/ Best Regards, Kerophile
Thank you all for the help! I forgot to mention it did come with a large old metal burner ring that sits on top. Also it has a brass silent cap that goes over the burner head. I doubt that is original as it has the name of Optimus stamped on it. The metal burner ring has Sweden and Primus stamped on it. Is there any risk of ordering from out of country? I see a seller in the UK by the name of juliands on ebay sells a Primus stove tool kit that looks to be useful. The kit has a knuckle key and the long straight jet key along with a bunch of other parts for $15. I'll check out the fettlebox as well.
There was a US supplier that had a limited range of parts -- they are still on Ebay in a minor way. I used them exactly once. Not very good service, not very good quality (Indian, curated for cost, not quality) and at prices that were equal or more than ordering from Fettlebox or Julian Shaw, but with slower shipping. Regarding washers, seals and the like, Fettlebox has top quality stuff. Now that pump cup master Sefaudi is in Bosnia, I will not order a pump leather cup from anywhere else than Fettlebox. It's the difference between having a stove that performs as it should, and one that is frustrating. Likewise, the viton cap washers are the real deal. A buck more, perhaps, but if you use the stove hard, you may have to buy one every ten years or so. Mr. Shaw has a wider range of parts, but some are old stock and well beyond their useful life. While it may be charming to contemplate an original gasket set to complete a display or museum piece (a worthy endeavor), for a stove that is going to be used with any frequency, give me the high-tech materials. There is a reason modern stoves use kevlar, carbon felt, and the like.
@olive I've made several purchases from Fettlebox, Base Camp and Julian without problem. Shipping takes a little longer with purchases from England. Even though they all ship right away, everything goes through Customs in New York where they delay things for a few days. Expect 7-10 days before the parts show up at your door. It looks like eBayer Julian has the reserve cap you're missing. Primus stove reserve cap A slightly higher price than Base Camp but quicker to order. Fettlebox has a Primus 51 rebuild kit. Looks like it contains all seals you need. Most of us order from Fettlebox unless we have an expensive concentric punch set and the materials to make our own seals. The Optimus part you have is from a different style burner and not for use on a 51.
On the concentric punchrs Ray mentions, Garrett Wade recently had a sale on quite nice ones. The punches have spring loaded center pins, a nice feature. Viton sheet is very expensive, though. If you only need a few washers, it doesn't make sense to buy it.
Thank you. I do not have a paypal account, so I lean toward ebay sellers. WHich brass flame spreader is the right size for the 51? Julian has a large or small?
Also, where can one find proper legs for the 51? It seems the last owner used some legs that were a bit too thick, as the top of the brass tubing of the foot is opened up a tad.
Remember, these haven't been made for a long time. Either you'll need to make your own or possibly find them on eBay. Couldn't you reduce the size of the present legs where they enter the tubing with a file or grinding wheel? Can you post a picture of what you have?
Thank you for all the help so far! I do not have a grinding wheel, but I suppose a file would do. I noticed one of the legs is different than the other two so it would be nice to have all three match. Would the legs that fit the primus 210 and 45 fit the 51 as well? I see them for sale in England online for about $10.
It may be the difference between English and metric. I picked up some 1/4" round rod for a legless Svea 105. It's slightly too big for the sockets -- the original legs are probably 6mm or something. So long as you're not using stainless steel, it should be pretty quick work, even with a file. ....Arch
Primus 51 and 210 legs are not interchangeable. The 210 is a smaller stove, the legs have a flat area and a bend where they fit the holders. Optimus 45 legs will probably fit. It's still best to ask the seller this question before purchasing.
I use 6mm for Op45, Op48, Pr100, and Op00 legs, and it fits perfectly. I'm sure I learned that from a thread somewhere around here. @olive, I just built new legs for a frankie Pr100/Op207 hybrid. It isn't too difficult. (P.S. Where are you in the PNW? PM me.) Alex
