I found this excellent forum while searching for replacement parts for 20yo Coleman 533 dualfueler. I bought this stove while stationed in (the former) FRG with the US Army. I thought I would report my first, early successes. This will be trivial for you guys but it was pretty exciting to me, as I've never fettled before. Maybe you'll get a chuckle out of it. Issue #1: no fuel/airflow to burner. Hmmm. It pumps and holds pressure (although see #2 below) but no hissing sound when turning the valve. I loosened what I now know to be the generator and noticed that some fuel bubbled up from the valve. Pumped gently; yes, there is pressure. So the problem appears to be in the generator. Took off the generator and a tiny metal doodad fell out. I later realized that this was the connector that held the thin generator wire to the valve assembly. The wire was completely seized up in the generator. I used pliars to unstick and remove the wire. Air flows through it now. Reinstalled. Stove lights and settles into lovely blue-green flame within about 30 seconds. There is only off/on control via the valve (no finer control) now; I assume this is because I removed the thin wire from the generator tube. I'll get a new gen, hook up that little wire connector to the valve and see if the fuel control returns. BTW, where do folks buy coleman parts in the US? I see Coleman.com has them but would prefer to find them at some amount of discount if possible. Issue #2: check valve The pump did not hold pressure unless the hole was covered or the pump was locked clockwise. My reading on this topic suggested this was a check valve (NPV?) and that it would likely have to be replaced, but sometimes carb cleaner will devarnish the little ball. Took off the cap and unscrewed the air stem. Shot a bit of carb cleaner straight down into the check valve and let it rest for a few minutes. Reassembled. Pumped up; the check valve appears to be working as designed. I dodged a bullet on that one. Issue #3: Saw pics of neat older stoves in the Reference Library. Dangit! So then I placed a couple of bids trying to get a functional 502 stove on eBay. They seem to be plentiful so I will keep low-balling until I get one. The 502 seems to me to be a nice compromise between history, function, and plain/pretty looks. Might have to get a simple single-mantle lantern, too... Anyhow, I thought maybe this might remind you of how you felt when you fettled your very first stove. Thanks for all the great reading on this forum.
Fratermus, Welcome to the CCS, I am one of the newbies here and know how exciting it is when you figure out how to fire one up. and if not, there is tons of knowledge on this site when it comes to pretty much any kind of stove. I am not sure if you have a manual for your 533 and I am not familiar with your stove. (the manual is from Coleman) http://www.coleman.com/coleman/images/pdf/533.pdf I have a couple of 502s 1, I got at a yard sale and 1 at the local flea market, you might try yard sales or craigs list in your area as they are usually much cheaper that ebay. One I had added a new leather pump cup and the other I had to go with a new generator. For Coleman stuff there are a couple of good sites other than Coleman. 1 is Old Town Coleman which is the same site you read about the NRV or non return valve info. The other is in the links section of the same site. http://www.oldcolemanparts.com/ I had an old 513 Cat heater that I need some parts for and Bob is a great guy to work with. Hope this helps. Well done and again welcome! I am sure others will chime in as well.
Hi, You can often get generators for Coleman stoves on Ebay. Also check around at hardware and outdoor sporting goods stores; the ones that have been in business for awhile often have generators for the older stoves. I think that the Coleman 502 Sportster is a great stove. I bought one about five years ago (1969 model) and have used it quite a bit while camping. It isn't great for large pots, but for one person it is fine. It is really good for simmering.
I have a 502 it is one of my favorites. Lots are listed on Ebay. Mine is 41 yrs old and looks almost new.
Hard to go wrong with those little guys, hard to beat Coleman's reliability...although, you've now entered the realm of the flame and it is all over my friend. Before you know it, you'll be buying stuff made in places you've never heard of, torches, heaters, lanterns and of course more stoves and anything else that burns fuel.....you've been warned.... WELCOME TO THE CLUB!
welcome Fratermus, this is a great place to learn with many a wise head in attendance and they are always willing to help us newbies. The 502 are good little stoves, try and get one with the cook set. I have been scanning eBay US tonight and there are quite a few knocking about. My next coleman has got to be the 500, One will make it across the pond soon, I can feel it.
Thanks for all the friendly feedback. I feel right at home. Today I picked up a 1964 220F lantern to play with. A few bucks off craigslist: some fellow was parting out his deceased grandad's hard-used fishing kit. Won't win any beauty contests but I bet the old latern has a few more decades in her... Granddad would be proud though. Swapped out the gen and pump and she lit right up. Got it running after sunset so I sat on the back porch with the lights out and the lantern hissing away and blasting light at the darkness. My latest batch of ordinary bitter is just coming into it's own so I got to enjoy a pint of my own brew by rebuilt lantern light. All was right with the world. (You might be surprised how many of us yanks are making bitters, milds and porters over here.) I'll look for the cook set with the 502, thanks for the tip.
Please forgive the self-quote, but I wanted to give an update. Installed a new generator, and hooked up the cleaning needle assembly; that appears to be working. The flame is pure blue, not green-blue as before. However: there is still no ability to simmer. It runs full blast as I rotate the fuel valve from the HIGH/START position down to LOW. No difference. As I hit the cut-off point it dies. So it's all or nothing. I assume the problem is in the fuel valve itself somehow. I reviewed the OTY troubleshooting FAQ and didn't see anything listed. I'll look at the exploded diagrams again and see if anything jumps out at me.
