I would say that it could be by design, the size of oring specified, or by assembly, the wrong oring used.
Hi Ken, You are correct. All it takes is someone not paying attention to the details to make life difficult for someone down the road. Cheers, Norman
I'd like to know how you accomplished that simmer. I've never been able to get a true simmer (the ability to hold the water temperature at or just below a very low boil) out of my Muka. You can turn it down a fair bit, but not a true simmer. It would be difficult to disagree with you on this point. HJ
Hi Jim, I said a decent simmer not a good or true simmer. You are correct the Muka doesn't do true simmer, but it can be turned down quite a bit so one is careful the food doesn't burner. This is about as close to a simmer as one can achieve with the Soto Muka. This is one of John's, @presscall , pictures. Cheers, Norman
That's actually pretty good. I had trouble with mine with the flame going out. I found it difficult to keep a steady flame at low levels. HJ
This stove has not had a let down on ebay selling. There are plenty available, and I assume they sell for the list prices. I have not seen the prices drop. Still a desired stove in the market. This stove simmers with full pressure in the tank? @presscall @teckguy_58
Well, the usual trick is to reduce pressure to get better simmering. I was afraid to try it with a Muka for fear that I might gum up the works. The Muka has a very precise fuel-air mix, as I understand it, that it is designed for. They went out of their way to install the "pop up" indicator on the pump so that one would know when the pressure was adequate. I just wasn't sure what I'd be mucking with if I reduced pressure although it certainly did occur to me. HJ
Yes Ken. The sequence in my write-up of the Soto Muka that Norman took that photo from included a confirmation shot of the pressure indicator fully out [visible in this photo too] and this setting of the control dial that it could be repeatedly achieved at. True, a bit of a cheat insofar as the setting is in-between detent positions, but it's not difficult to remember to position the indicator arrow at the point where one of the grip indentations begins.
From Soto's website: Alas, fuel seepage from the pump could result in a very unwelcome 'flaming device' and not one to attract an industry award. Also from their website, 'Troubleshooting' for a range of their products can be found HERE And for the Muka, quite a lot of potential sources of 'trouble' are O-ring related. After dismantling of the Muka pump and encountering so many O-rings I can't say I'm surprised.
Hi, I finally got around to setting up my Soto Muka with the new fuel line, generator with jet and new pump. The stove runs great at mid range and high, but I'm having the same problem as @hikin_jim with not being able to get my stove down to a nice simmer. It must have something to do with the new pump because I could get the stove to simmer with the pump I sent to @presscall. The only way I can get it to simmer now is with this setup and using just straight butane. Cheers, Norman
@teckguy_58 Interesting to hear that about the new pump's reduced simmering capability Norman. I doubt there've been any internal revisions to account for it - surely Soto would incorporate significant changes in their forthcoming Stormbreaker stove and carry out no more than the cosmetic tweak of a metal control knob on the Muka? Also, the external fuel/air metering barrel housing hasn't changed, suggesting it's business as usual inside. I wonder whether the tiny O-rings on the sprung-loaded plungers bearing on the fuel/air metering barrel have yet to 'bed in'? Time will tell. News from me is that my original Muka pump has developed the identical fuel seepage symptoms yours did before the repair. As the second pump known to me presenting the fault it makes me consider the possibility that the durability of that 1st generation of Muka pumps is compromised. I wonder @Doc Mark whether as one of the first owners of a Muka, your pump is still fuel tight? Symptom is seepage at the base of the control dial on shut-down when the dial is switched to 'Air'. John
Ha ha! That's quite the butane set up, @teckguy_58 That looks like the line from an aquarium, but actually that's a stroke of genius to just press it on like that. The fuel line of the Muka almost looks like a hose barb. @presscall that's rather disturbing. I have two Mukas. I shall have to pull them out and see how they're doing, and yes I am curious about @Doc Mark and his Muka. His is exposed to colder conditions I would think, assuming the "Hobbit Hole" isn't heated. Mine probably to warmer conditions. HJ
@presscall ,@hikin_jim , @teckguy_58 , Good Morning, John, Jim, and Norman, I haven't had time to play with my Muka stove for a very long time. The Hobbit Hole is not heated, but stays a fairly reliable 45-50 degrees, even in deep Winter. I will have to dig out my Muka and check to see if it's leaking, John, and will get back to you with whatever news I find. I love the fact that we share such reports, tests, and information with one another, here at CCS!! To me, it's what makes collecting and enjoying stoves, so much fun, and so satisfying!! As soon as I get Sweet Bride ready for her next job, I'll check my Muka, and report back. The fuel pump has been stored in it's fuel bottle, with some Coleman Fuel in it, for some years, now. So, it should be a good candidate for examination. Take care, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc
@Doc Mark Thanks for the response Mark. In your own good time. I hope my concerns that the pump seal failing isn't a 'one-off' (two so far) are unfounded! Best wishes to you and SB. John
@presscall Good Morning, John, I went down a found the Muka pump in question, but alas, my memory on it having been filled all this time, was faulty. The pump was on it's proper bottle, but no fuel was inside. So, I filled the bottle, affixed the pump, and gave the obligatory 100 pumps. It's been down in the HH for two days, now, fully pressurized, with no leakage detected. I turned the control dial to the same place as you show in your photo, and still no leakage, so far. I'll grab the stove, later today, and attach it to the pump, and check for leaking once more. It's possible, of course, that my Muka simply wasn't used enough times to wear the o-rings, and that they are still doing what they are supposed to do. But, after reading, and rereading your excellent post on this, I am suspicious and a tad wary of this pump. I'll report back after I've had time to affix and test the stove. Take care, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Mark
@Doc Mark That sounds promising Mark, though the seepage appears to manifest itself specifically after the stove has been started, run and shut down - having therefore created a flow of fuel and air from the pressurised bottle through the valve. Do take care with any further test, though on both failed pumps the fuel has not been a gusher. To avoid any hazard, I suggest running through the 'start', 'run' and 'air' (to depressurise the bottle) settings without putting a light to the stove, catching the liquid fuel out of the stove jet by popping the stove in a shallow dish. That would reproduce the operating conditions where a leak showed itself without the danger of a flame near any possible leakage. John
@presscall Hi John, That is very sound advice. I never thought this would turn into such an interesting post. Thank your for making this post so interesting. Cheers, Norman
