Hello all. Been a while since I posted but I continue to take in all of the insight. I just received one of the military XGK models optimized for JP8. It includes both an XJ jet for JP8 and an XD jet for diesel. All of my liquid stoves run on white gas or kero. Can I use other fuel with these jets? Or, is there a cleaner fuel I could use with them? Lastly, is there a way to purchase jets without the whole service kit, or does anyone want to trade a GK jet for my XJ? Any advice would be appreciated! PS a year went by without getting a new stove and now I find myself with an Omnilite and now this! I have to keep this in check.
Hi, as diesel is basically kerosene with added dopes my guess is you can use the diesel jet to run your stove on kero. Worth a try before spending your hard earned cash on new jets! Best regards, Wim
I have not tried this so my opinion is of minimal value. JP8 is a jet fuel and diesel replacement; it is a lesser volatile kerosene base with a slew of additives. I would try both jets with kerosene and see what happens. I'd guess one or the other, if not both, would work with kerosene. White gas should also work. However, it is likely that the jet size is smaller than a jet designed for white gas. As a result you may not get the max btu's the stove may be capable of -- but you will use less gas and still get plenty of heat. In either case I would not rush out and buy more jets until some tests were run.
Well, mthirsch, you are the one who has those jets. How about trying them with a couple of prickers and letting us know? BTW, my source for various thicknesses of prickers is a bunch of different pitch steel guitar strings. I bought them really cheap (about $1 each) in a nearby music store. See my post here: https://classiccampstoves.com/posts/25724 Yonadav
Yonadev, Thanks, I'll have to try that. In the meantime I tried the JP8 jet with Coleman Fuel. It burned hot and blue (as far as I could tell in daylight) but the bell quickly started glowing red. I don't think my Svea 123R does this, and the Omnilite doesn't glow as much. Not sure if there is some sort of bad burning condition, or if this is normal for an XGK. Please see the below photos. In any case, the stove is really nice, super rugged and easy to clean with that huge cleaning wire. I'm going to try it with K-1 when I get a chance. Hmm, maybe right now...
Great! Thanks. I tried it with the K-1 Kero... It burned super hot. After a slowish start (should have primed with more alcohol) it started blazing... definitely the hottest I have experienced. And the loudest. The last photos shows it in the dark with White Gas again. Burns very nicely but I think it would have more power with a bigger jet. Basically all the results confirm the above advice. Amazing so many fueld can burn clean with one jet. I did call MSR to ask about ordering a GK jet and they are sending one - outstanding customer service. I don't think this is the most efficient stove but it might just be the one I turn to if my life depended on it. The only thing that gives me pause is the pump but I am going to treat it well.. First three are Kero, last photo is Coleman Fuel. All on the JP8 jet.
I received a GK jet from MSR and now it burns super hot with Coleman fuel. I have been playing with the stove a lot and really like it. For kicks I tried charcoal lighter fluid (worked pretty well) and Tiki citronella (not so great). One more question: I have been flipping the bottle to extinguish and purge fuel, just like my Omnilite. Will this cause significant wear on the fuel line joint? Is there an o-ring in there? That is the only part that cannot be field serviced so I don't want to put too much stress on it. Any thoughts? I did a search and found a little information on this from Hikin' Jim. Thanks, Marcus
The old manual said to invert the burner (I interpret that as the whole stove assembly), after extinguishing. See it .... HERE ... Page 2 - Releasing Pressure. That way there isn't any wear on the parts. Ken in NC
You could also do this, which is not in the manual and seems to work. Invert the burner while it is burning so that it extinguishes the flame itself by running out of fuel and releases pressure. Then turn the valve off. I do this with my XGKs so that no fuel ends up in my backpack, especially kerosene, which stinks up everything. The principle is the make sure the fuel pickup only picks up air instead of fuel. Air will release a lot quicker than fuel does but it still takes about a minute and half to two minutes to burn off fuel in the stove and fuel tube and release the air pressure from the tank. I read this in earlier MSR instructions or articles as a way to do simmering by reducing tank pressure. But those instructions said to turn off the stove and then quickly release pressure and then quickly ignite the stove again before it cools. I couldn't find a reference, but it does work. sam
Sam said: "I read this in earlier MSR instructions" Hi Sam, it said that in the next paragraph of the instructions I linked to. Simmering. Also, I think 'almost all' the fuel is run out when the valve is closed, so I do see an advantage to burning it away 'when upside-down. Again, especially kerosene. Thanks, Ken in NC
Thank you for the tips. So even though the fuel bottle on the EX can be rotated while leaving the burner in place, the consensus is this causes undue wear on the fuel line swivel connection (or whatever it's called)? Marcus
I don't think anyone said anything about undue wear. Just that the instructions said to invert the burner (I interpret that as the whole stove). I agree with Sam that it is a better way to empty the fuel line before transport. Were you able to read the instructions? I hope that helps. Ken in NC
There's just one problem here - when you invert the burner, the shaker needle clogs the jet, and almost no fuel goes out. I do use the stove inversion procedure with my older (non-shaker) XGK. Yonadav
Thank you for bringing that up, "MY Error" I don't have a shaker jet MSR stove, I never thought of that. So, I was wrong again. Not the first or the last time. If using kerosene, a sealing style bag would be wise for carrying the stove. Ken in NC
