Svea #53 ?

Just picked up this burner, it appears to be a Svea #53 Range,slightly different though, the gentleman I bought it off of stated that he used it on his clam boat for years, that it burned alcohol and that when his boat sank in the harbor off the East Coast of the U.S. that he salvaged it.
Picked it up for $15, going to clean and polish her up, soak the pump leather and see if it will fire up, does anyone know what fuel this burns, alcohol,kerosene or Benzine (Coleman Fuel here in the states) ?

Will post pics of it cleaned up a little later

Svea

 

Hi, I think you might have a Svea 154:

https://classiccampstoves.com/threads/8426

Whichever model you have, it was sold as a kerosene burner which, if fitted with a suitable nipple and resrictor tube, could burn alcohol.

Please don't try Coleman fuel in it.....

Best Regards,
Kerophile.

 

Hi vwbusman,

I agree with Kerophile, don't use coleman fuel until you know more. And are sure you can cut the flow of fuel. Unless you like fireballs in your face.

Here is another link about "Burners for Alcohol" The burner no 1815.

https://classiccampstoves.com/threads/10188

Jeff

 

Thanks guys, figured it runs on alcohol since the tank still had some left in it, the pump leather is hard as a rock, soaked it in Neatsfoot oil to no avail, the NRV leaks pretty badly, going to try to free it up.
Removed the pump rod from the cap a few minutes ago, screwed the cap by itself onto the tank and pressurized it to 10 P.S.I. from my compressor, she lit right up on the alcohol that was still remaining in the tank.
Several questions ;

1)If this runs on alcohol why does it have a spirit cup for preheating ?

2)How do you remove the NRV, I looked down the pump tube and saw a brass plug that appeared to have a widened flat bladed screwdriver slot in it, does this require a special tool ?

I appreciate all your help.........

 

Heya vwbusman

I'll have a go at at answering your two questions and I'm sure others can correct me if I got it wrong.

The spirit cup preheats the alcohol burner. I just pump up the stove, open the valve, let some dribble into the cup and close the valve. Then, torch it and open just before it goes out. Maybe not really necessary with alcohol burners, but it gets 'em hotly operating right away without any flaring.

The tool for those sorts of NRV I made from an old 1/2" bolt with a 1/4" bolt handle soldered in place through a hole. If you didn't want to mess with the handle you could just clamp on a big pair of Vise-Grips instead. I made mine with a hacksaw and a file. Low-tech.

Screwdriver blades are tapered and the slot in the NRV is not. The tool fits better and keeps you from mucking it up.

Pics:


Happy fettling! I like your stove.

Cheers,
Gary

 

Thanks Bernie, my NRV does not look like that, I described it incorrectly.

 

That looks like the standard NRV.

Here are some links of guys that have made their own tools

https://classiccampstoves.com/posts/64230

https://classiccampstoves.com/threads/9543

You can also buy one from Basecamp. http://www.base-camp.co.uk/Optimus.html

I made one out of a short bar of rebar.
Long 10mm bolts work too.

Jeff

 

Wow, that's a real good illusion, looking down the tube I swear it looks like a slot,not a nub !

Thank for all your help, I'll go into my workshop tonight and fabricate the tool.

 

Oops, forgot to post a pic, halfway through the cleaning process.

 

Wow awesome work! I am going to have to find one for myself to fettle.

The NRV tool is easy to make with a file and a saw. I used a drill and then filed close to the 5mm size. It helps if you have a drill press. but whiskey works too.

Glad I could help.

Jeff

 

thats some nice work!! get a kero jet and i'm twice as jealous.

 

Thanks for the good words on the cleanup, after restoring over 150 lanterns I found out what works and what doesn't with the help of my friends over at a lantern site I frequent

Castrol Super Clean for degreasing and gunk removal before disassembly

Citric acid...Excellent rust removal (Kool Aid)

Vinegar......Carbon,gunk removal

MAAS polish for Nickel

Neatsfoot oil for leather renewal

I'm sure all of you know these tricks 8)

I'm trying to figure out what to use on the galvanized grate assembly, want to clean it up nice without removing any of the galvanization.

 

I have used a alkaline cleaner on galvanized metal for my boat. I forget the name of the product. But I think mineral spirits work too.
I remember there being some homemade cleaner you could mix up using milk and something else.

What do you use for brass? I am looking for a replacement for brasso.

Jeff

 

Jeff :

I strictly use MAAS metal polish on all my metals, does better than anything I have tried including Mother's, brasso etc.

Click me

 

Thanks, I will have to try that out.

Cheers,
Jeff

 

Here is a Link for people who would like to try it and live in the UK.

 

Nice stove

I agree with Kerophile, it must be a 154.
Have a look here.

The standard version of the 154 burned paraffin/kerosene. Replacing some parts would make the burner run on alcohol.
The parts needed for this conversion are shown in the lower right hand corner of this instruction sheet (same link as in Jeff's post) : Outer burner cap, alcohol jet/nipple, restrictor tube and a warning sign to put under the filler cap.

 

Thanks guys, definitely has the alcohol parts on it, have yet to make the tool to remove the NRV, still have to order the pump cup as well.