Hi Team. As I mentioned, I scored an Optimus 22 today, filled it with kero ($2.59 a liter) to about a finger width below the cap, preheated with meths and....nothing. The pump didnt feel like it was doing the biz, removed and oiled the (bone dry) leather washer, plumped it up a bit and tried again. Better, as long as I kept pumping madly the left burner would settle to a casual, not very energetic rumble but die the second I stopped. The right one was less obliging, barely showing a 'blue' flame and stopping when I stopped pumping. There's no kero leaking from any joints and the filler cap seal seems ok. Now what? Can this all be put down to the plunger seal? If so, can I make one, since the chances of buying the right kit here is minimal, sadly....
Handi Albert in Oz is your man for pump leathers. You'll find his mail address here on the site. A most helpful person !
Looking at your position from a global perspective, you have a source of washers, seals, pump leathers etc. right on your doorstep. Have a word with Handi Albert; he will be able to fulfill your requirements, and for parts and such that Albert does not have or cannot obtain 'locally' you only have to ask and many items will often be forthcoming from forum members. Also investigate the Base Camp (site sponsor's) site and the links page elsewhere on this site. Just because you live off the beaten track, so to speak, there is no reason why your stoves should not function as well as anybody else's. As for your 22, I'd be inclined to dismantle it, give it a good clean out, leak test, renew all the seals, put it back together again and give it another go. Stoves that may not have been used for some time often work the first time you try to light them but then won't do so again until you have given them some loving care and attention.
Hi Mike It sounds to me like your first port of call should be the filler cap washer. It may seem OK but if the stove has been unused for a while the chances are it is hard and so not sealing properly, no matter how tight you close it. Albert I'm sure can supply you in NZ more easily than sending stuff from here. If the pump is now working then your next look should be at the burners themslves. They may need removing and cleaning - there is a post on how to clear clogged burners on this forum from Bryan Miller about this only a couple of weeks ago. You may not need to resort to such drastic action but can give them a bit of a clean out including the "filter" in the fuel supply tube to each. The filter can be unrolled and soaked in vinegar / citric and then finished off with a nail brush and hot soapy water. I assume that you have already tried clearing the jets with the in built pricker ? When you turn the control knobs fully anti-clockwise you should see a fine wire emerge from out of the jet. If not you may have a broken pricker in there blocking the jet and you will need to dismantle and replace as required. I suggest it's a good idea to rinse tanks out with the appropraite fuel before filling them for a first run ( always outside ) as you never know what gunge may lurk within. But come on admit it you were too excited ! I try and adopt a policy of "fettle and then fire" - but when I got my 22 I also fired it up just to see how it went ! Hope this is of assistance. Cheers Keith
Hi Team. Thanx for the reponses, some excellent leads I'll follow up tomorrow. Stove parts are stupid hard to come by for some reason here, awhile back I tried to get a flame spreader for my 8R , a bunch of fruitless phone calls later I experimented a bit with some beer can ali to get the proportions right then made one out of a tin lid. Seems to work ok, happily. One fine day I'll get some brass sheet and make a nicer one. Time to think global I suppose....
It is my sad duty to inform you that the 22 cannot be made to run, at least not in a satisfactory manner, in the southern hemisphere. This is due to the coriolis effect, the fuel runs down the feed tubes to the burners in a left hand vortex (like the water draining from the sink) and sadly Optimus only used right hand threads in the burners. As I see it you have two options: 1 - Find a good machine shop and have the threads re-cut for southern hemisphere use. or 2 - Sell it to me (51:38 North).
Mike They always do, give it a poke with something pointy, if it's as hard as rock then that's the problem. Getting the bugger out is good fun as the stuff won't flex to get anything between the bottom of threads on the cap and the edge of the perished rubber. It will also spin round as you try try to dig into it so watch those pinkies. There are plenty of threads dealing with suitable rubber compounds you can cut your own from, or raid a hardware shop for suitable size washers for shower accesories, they'll probably not last v long but are normally dirt cheap and get you going. Simes
Someone help me here; it would appear that Evil has changed not only his name but also his location. I swear the above discription of his problem is a direct quote from one of Evil's previous postings. 8) Don't listen to him, MIKE, the thread style and the location of the stove makes no difference atall. Something no one has suggested is a bad nonreturn valve in the pump tube. Read some of the other postings here about pressure loss and get it fettled proper and she'll brew up like the champion she is. lance
Hey, Brother Lance, As our Brother From Down Under would say, "Good on Ya', Mate"!! I was going to suggest the same thing, but forgot to do it! You may just be on to something, and checking the NRV is a very good idea. That's why you're the "Captain", Lance!! (OK, you're the CWO!!) Take care, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc Mark
I never considered the fuel feed might be affected by the Coriolis Effect. Rather than retooling all the threads to left hand, couldnt I just install fuel filters with an anti-clockwise twist in them....now I think about it, this could be why I've never seen American toilets for sale here.......
Pocket lint to you doc but to us folks that have to work for a living them is hard earnd dollars. lance
Hey, Lance, If EIGHT dollars isn't "pocket lint" to you, then you'd better sell that truck of yours and get a REAL job!!!!!!!!!!!!! God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc Mark
Right you are sir. As you know or should, doo doo rolls downhill and as you're down under already, it'd be a mess in the latreen when you flushed the Kohler. lance
Use a blow torch and burn the old rubber. This will make it soft enough to get a pointy thing in it. Or drill holes in the bugger. Mike put your stove in water keeping the pump out and then pump to see where the leak is. You may have to pump 20 or so times as fast as you can then put the pump under as well to see if it leaking from the valve. Seals Leathers and spreaders for burners are as close as Aust. You only have to send me an email. Not hard just click on the envelope at the bottom of this posting. If you have any problems people from here will help you out but look out for threads like left hand threads.
Thanx, Handi, whats an overhaul kit for the 22 worth? I suspect the pump had a very slow leak in it too, the stove lights ok now, but shows a marked reluctance to self sustain, a quick jiggle of the pump every couple of minutes gees it up nicely...and while we are on the topic, do you do kits for the M1950 as well? Mine seeps around the plunger enough that I wouldnt carry it on it's side......
The pumps don't leak fuel. The problem here is the non return valve leaking fuel into the pump tube. To fix this the valve has to come out. It is located at the bottom of the pump. some times it can be a buggar to get out. Kits Well I don't normaly suply these as a kit normaly but I will put all the seals you will require together and send them off as long as I have a stove here I can get the sizes for them.
There is a NZ supplier of Optimus bits Mike - he is the NZ Optimus agent. His name is Kevin and he lives at Waihi Beach I think. I have got lots of new parts from him. Have a look at the www.optimus.co.nz site and under contacts you will find his email. If you have any trouble, I have his email at work I can send you. The stuff is pretty expensive but I gues a lot cheaper without postage from overseas. He will have washers and pump seals.
Thanx, Grunter. I cliked on the link and got some outfit that does broadband and network type stuff, no mention of stoves at all I could see. Is that the right site or am I just trying to get in touch with a particular person?
