My wife just got me an old Taykit pocket stove; I can't get it to stay lit! I'm using Coleman-fuel, and cleaned out the jet, repeatedly. The first time it was going okay, not great, but now, it just won't go. Do these get clogged; it looked like it was new, but I don't know for sure. When I do get it lit, it sputters, and for a few seconds it burns blue, but then it goes, yellow/white with just a bit of blue. I can hear it has pressure, but the flame will go down to just a nub and just glow like a tiny candle; any suggestions? Does it need to be really warm to burn right; yikes! Is there just one jet?
Check and make sure that you have a good seal under your filler cap. I have a few of these and have not had the problem you describe with any of them. The tank will heat up to create pressure but not excessively so. Once you get blue flame it should sustain itself without sputter, etc. I think you have an air leak above the fuel level in the tank. To check for leaks, try emptying the tank, making sure the filler cap is on tight, place the stove in the fridge, once it is cold take it out and stopper the "nipple" hole. Immediately submerge the stove in warm water and see if you are getting any bubbles coming out. There should be none. Gordon
I've not got a Taykit, but in common with other coil burners it will have a wick that goes around the coil and into the tank. If following the recommendations in the previous post you find no obvious leaks the wick will be the next suspect. To remove the wick in a coil burner will probably require major surgery. Not being familiar with the Taykit specifically, I'll leave it to Taykit owners to offer any advice as to whether wick replacement is feasible with this model?
Yeah, I think it is, um, new; N.O.S. as it had what was left of the box with it. We got it at an antique-store in San Jose, California for 18bux. My wife saw a piece of the box about four-feet away, and called to me, but I told her that I saw something really cool, and told her to wait, but she insisted. She told me she found part of a Taykit box, and I told her I thought I found the whole thing! On a side note, she also got me an old 12-gauge shot gun on Wednesday; it's a Canadian made Tobin Arms side-by-side. Judging by the serial, it was one of the last ones made before the company went out of business in the 1950's. My goal is to use all my old stuff on a "vintage hunting" trip. When I take pix, it will look quite old time and authentic.
you know of course that a $18 Taykit is a steal --i have one and i would think the cap seal is leaking,try that first.you may want to try and let it set for a bit after its filled to let fuel wick up in a stove that sat unused for so long-and i assume you are giving it a good per-heat--that coil needs to get hot to vaporize the fuel so it self starts and keeps up pressure.
Dave, yeah, I know; I was trying very hard not to get too excited when I found it! From every thing I've heard, they go from anywhere between $50-100; ha! I think it's the cap; I had it out in the sun for a while so it would get warm and then I tried it, nuttin'! I do hear it hissing when it gets warm, but it just peters-out to a ity-bity flame. Got any ideas as what to do to fix the gasket on the cap. It says it's guaranteed for life: I'll take it back, SNORT!
Gordon, thank you sir! That was it, you were right about the leak; I cooled it and put it in warm water and watched it bubble. It had a leak in the reservoir. For now, I put some epoxy on it and once that cures, it should work just great. I noticed that when it was cold, it had a nice blue flame but once it got warm, nuttin'! So the metal would expand and make the hole bigger and the pressure would bleed off. Thanks again Hoss! Jaybird
when you get it working right sent as photo.. i'm also working on a vintage trip mine will be by canoe..
Congrats on hopefully having it figured!!! Neat stove....I'll now have to keep my eyes open for one....like I need another...yes, of course I do.....
Thanks for all the help fellas! After patching it, I found it works best if I put it between my knees after my hands get cold from the gas drawing away the heat from them. So this should work better in the summer, eh? I don't think this would work well in the snow or when my hands are cold. Question: when I soldier a patch on it, can I use a propane torch to heat it up, or will that make it explode from fuel residue? The generator-coil will have gas in it even when the reservoir's empty! Thanks again, Jaybird
It can be primed by lighting a bit of gasoline poured into the depression under the coil. I am not a big fan of hand-warming stoves when my fingers are freezing. My uncle gave me his taykit years ago and I used it summer and winter (in Minnesota) for many years.
Holy-cats; that wind-screen/"flame control" really works! I lit it and when I decided to put it out, I had a heckuva time trying to get it to go out; I started to get a little nervous as I couldn't think of a way to extinguish the flame. It's a good thing I have good lungs: YIKES!
The trick is to pull the stove out of the stand and knock the wind screen off using a stick or knife etc, then you can blow out the flame without expelling lung fragments. This approach also reduces the chance there are some hidden red embers clinging to the sceen that could ignite the gas fumes when you open the cap to vent the tank. The flame on your stove looks great!
