Begging for ideas here!! I've got both a 1957 and 1958 Primus 210 and can't figure out what chemical or process will soften up the original burner to riser gaskets. I have them apart (which was quite a chore), but the residual material is really on there!! Soaked for days in kerosene......zero progress.........acetone.........nuttin.........auto trans fluid.......nice try dope!!!! Anybody????? I've got to believe this has been thoroughly discussed somewhere, but I'm not finding it. Thank you in advance!!! Brian
Hi Bryan, these washers, which may be asbestos-based, really "cook on" over the years of use and there is no magic solvent that I am aware of. I soak them in a water spray and whittle them away layer-by-layer using a Stanley knife or similar sharp tool. The water is to keep any asbestos dust from getting airborne and perhaps to lubricate the cutting action. Be careful not to cut yourself, and dispose of the washer pieces safely, in a sealed plastic bag. Have a read of this thread: https://classiccampstoves.com/posts/83257 Hope this helps, Best Regards, Kerophile
Everything Kerophile said above is stove wisdom. In addition, I find stainless steel dental tools to be effective in scraping away the old gaskets especially in the groove on top of the risers or in the base of the burner. For scraping purposes, I dull dental tools a bit so they scrape and don't scratch. I like this supplier: Widgets Supply But, you can find similar on eBay, too. Lots of water in a spray bottle helps keep things lubricated and "dissolving".
Thank you both for the links and the advice! Some good old fashioned patience is in order obviously!!! I used to have have some leaky VW bus head gaskets that were ultimately the result of some dope using a pry tool and tweaking the valve cover. Well, Mr. Smarty Pants here thought that if he could increase the gasket thickness a little by soaking in TRANSX, then he'd have the cure!!! TRANSX is a product that swells old gaskets in leaking transmissions and it worked beautifully on those head gaskets!!!!!! The only unforeseen problem was that the gaskets swelled three dimensionally. IMAGINE THAT!!! They were HUGE!! I had to laugh at myself as I tossed them in the garbage. Thanks again, Brian
