Several weeks ago I fettled a Coleman 502 by putting in a new/used CV, a new generator and pricker rod, and a new valve. I lit it up today and let it warm up and as I was adjusting the round knob, it squirted hot Coleman fuel on my hand which burst into flame. Fortunately, I blew it out but flaming fuel continued to spew from the knob. I got got that fire extinguished and turned the knob off. Apparantly, the packing in the valve body gave up. This was the only part of the combustion system I did not take apart because to get it off, you need to remove the grate, the burner plates and wind guard. So, Rats. I will re-fettle the stove. Grumble grumble, never had that happen with a brassie. Just for the record, this is the "USED but fully functional" eBay stove I mentioned earlier.
Sounds like the Coleman 530 I got. Seller said it was fully functional, after a week of soaking parts, it worked! It was worth it, a nice stove in great shape.
Glad you are ok! Sounds quite scary. As far as the stove being "ok" by the seller... it's like grandma syndrome: "It worked just fine until you used it!" Probably hadn't used it for years.
Well, I bought an old rusty 502 for $6 for parts and that is where I got most of the donor parts for the FULLY FUNCTIONAL 502. I un-screwed the valve stem on FF502 and found the needle point had a groove worn into it. I have heard that it was not necessary to use an impact wrench to shut the stove down. So I pulled the valve stem out of Old Rusty and it was like new. Swapped valve stems and the FF502 is now FUNCTIONAL. I shook the stove like a child abuser and then dumped the fuel. It was brown with a lot of particles. I put fresh fuel into it and it burns fairly well. If I would actually fill it up I am sure it would develope a lot more pressure and burn more fiercely. I hope this is the last of the problems with that stove as I am out of spare parts!
I'm glad your quick reactions saved you from a nasty burn Sparky. ... like a scene from an action hero movie ... Stripping down a Coleman 502 John
I got this 8R that "LOOKS TO BE IN GOOD SHAPE". The control knob is in extra good shape... Thankfully, there are people at CCS that have extra parts to fix these problems... sam
I was thinking the last guy that used it on a campout forgot to bring food. Knight84 describes the knob as a cookie cutter, maybe the camper thought it was a cookie? ok, that was dumb. sam
Sparky, glad to hear you're enjoying your 502! I got mine at a rummage sale in northern WI, hadn't been used since Jesus was a journeyman, worked some petroleum jelly into the leather pump washer, tanked 'er up, and with a little cleaning to get the spider outta the burner manifold, off she went! Ran a mix of CF and carb cleaner through it , no probs with the NRV, like most Coleman stoves. Still was under the impression it wasn't answering all bells, so I replaced the generator with a NIB unit, and then I had a stove to be reckoned with! The base of the fount is marked 65 4, so for needing a spot of tuning for the first time in 45 years isn't anything to kvech about, IMO! Murph BTW, how old are your 502's?
but i thought the thing with the 502 generators (unless the jet is messed up) is that these can be cleaned to full working condition a *lot* easier than others? but they are cheap enough... Hilton's Tent City has 'em for $10 (along with lots of old generators and lantern globes) i love my 'new' 502 (wish i had never gotten rid of the one i bought in the late 70s and sold for peanuts 25 years later)
And you can clean one rather easily, but given how old this was, and a dent in the generator tube, I put this one out to retirement after 45 years, and installed a new one. Murph
Next installment of the story: the old 502 was burning very poorly so I decided I needed to clean the generator tube. I actually had two tubes so I figured I do them both. I set to soaking them in carb cleaner over night. Nothing. After a week, the spring came out of the tube from the stove that bit me (the tube had cracked around the flare) but not the one I wanted to use for a replacment. I soaked it a week. Nothing budged. I boiled it and dipped it in ice water. Nada. With nothing to lose, I broke out the trusty propane torch and heated and quenched the tube several times and the spring came out. It was a solid block of coke. It had a tiny hole down the center where the pricker was but other than that, it was just a solid block. Got it all cleaned up, re-installed and the second 502 is working fine again.
Sounds like someone was burning gasoline in the 502 stove instead of Coleman fuel.... That will clog up the generator in no time! I just picked up my second 502 complete with heat drum. A 7/1967. It lit up right out of the shipping box.
