What spare parts should I lay in for a looks nearly new (but 30-year-old circa 1974) Coleman 425e. Model is 425E499. I bought the stove for emergency use during power outages etc. My assumption from reading past postings is that I will need a pump cup leather and filler cap (which presumably comes with a seal). Thanks much. Tim
Essentially if you keep the stove empty or with fresh clean coleman fuel, the stove may last forever with very little or no maintenance. I like to leave them empty of fuel so I can leave the cap loose to prevent the gasket from getting hard and taking a set. I have an old suitcase that I bought in the early 70s so I know it's history well. I have never really done much preventative maintenance on it other than in recent years I have started to leave the cap loose and no fuel if it is stored for a long time. Only fix I have had to do is replace the gasket in the cap. A nitrile O ring will do in a pinch so you don't even need a spare cap. I have never had to clean the generator or anything else. The leather can usually be restored just by soaking it with oil. Some like Olive, some engine oil, I just use whatever I have on hand, like 3 in 1, motor, etc. Even a worn out hard leather can often be restored by soaking it and turning it inside out and maybe roughing up the leather nap with a dull knife. I still use this as my main car camping stove and expect it will continue to do so for my offspring long after I am gone, probably to the hot place, more stoves I think. I even recently bought a Model 2 Coleman that must be at least 70 years old and as far as I could tell before I disassembled it for a restoration, it would have fired up just fine with the old decrepit fuel that was in the tank. It pumped up and held pressure just fine, for many days. I should have fired it up for fun before fettling it. Only real fix I think this stoved needed was that the cleaning pricker was stuck inside the generator so after a couple turns of the valve, it got stuck. BTW cleaning the generator is fairly easy. If you want to prepare for the end of civilization I would buy a new cap, generator, pump leathers and that is about all I can think of that may go bad. The tank can get leaks if you leave dirty fuel in it for long periods of time, but I have never seen this in any stove I had in my possession. Just my experience so far. Jim Henderson
That's it. You won't need anything else. And you can get those at most any Wal=Mart. Or your local (read old fashioned) hardware store. Caps usually come two to a package and the pumps one each. All for less than 12.00 USD. Oooh and don't forget to lay in some fuel. I consider anything less then 10 gallons as not enough. lance
Tim: Does your 425 stove have the 2pc fuel cap(identifiable by the screw in the middle of the cap) or is it a solid 1pc? If the earlier 2pc, I would change it to the 1pc version for daily/emergency use keeping the older cap for show or whathaveyou. While gaskets made of Viton can be had for the earlier fuel cap, it's kind of a hassle to change out and it has to be done correctly or it will not seal properly. Anyway, I always recommend a spare fuel cap, spare leather cup is always a good idea and an extra generator. All of these parts are easily obtainable. Nowadays, new pump cups are made of rubber. Your leather one can be kept in good shape by using neatsfoot oil and keeping the pump tube lubricated with a few drops at least once a year and working it with the tank air pump. Others on this forum may have other ideas as to type of lubricant but neatsfoot is the recommended one. Speaking for myself, I always store any liquid fuel appliance with tank empty and the fuel cap barely tightened on so as to preserve the seal. And check for spider webs, being as they love to spin a web inside the burner chamber/manifold. Just inspect the stove all over and light it off to make sure everything is in working order, much like you would when preparing for a camping trip. These little stoves are very rugged and very little goes wrong with them, if at all. Usually, it will be one of those 3 parts mentioned, if not insect problems. And those little buggers are equal opportunity. They hit anybody and everybody, no matter where you live or how the stove is stored.
Several months ago I asked some questions about my Optimus 8R which I pulled out of storage after 40 years. I got the same great response I received to this question. I really appreciate the help from the experts on this forum. It's a great internet resource, and reflects well on everyone who helps out. Thanks. Tim
