So I got my hands on a Coleman 502 recently. It hadn´t been fired up for some years and I quickly realised that the generator was completely clogged. So I got that cleared. Emtied the old fuel and flushed the fount. The burner rings were rusty too so they went in some deruster stuff. I blew out the bunsen as well, it seemd clear though Anyway before assembly I pumped it up - turned the wheel a 1/4 = air and a bit of fuel spewed up. turned the wheel all open and fuel spewed straight up. So all ok I think. Every time I light it it burns better and clearer and it got a nice blue flame. But I must say it has been a learning curve to light it only using 1 match - without burning my fingers in the end :-) Over the last couple of days with temperatues in the 0-5 degrees Celsius range I have lit it at least 15 times from cold and I have tried the different methods below: I have pumped 30-40 pumps - cleaning lever away from stove and there after one of following actions I have lit the match (as I do with my 414 powerhouse) and turned the wheel 1/4 turn - that takes a complete match and a burned finger and then it goes nice and blue... Then I have tried again light the match then turn the wheel well open and after it catches fire turn it back down to a 1/4 isch = flooding = big yellow flames = no good Then I went to what seems best at least in the temperatures I got here now. Turn the wheel 1/4 turn a few seconds till I see the vapour at the burner head - shut off again - light match turn wheel 1/8 then instant blue flame. and after a bit I can open the wheel completely away she goes. It also seems like the output is getting better every time. A bonus info when running on 1/4 or less open the pressure drops faster than when completely open, so to me it seems like the F-A tube is ok. What is your experiences regarding lighting theese 502´s
@Danskeren , I've had several, with a clean generator, they fire right up like the kitchen stove! The longer and more often they're run, the better they run. Seems to clean everything out of the lines and such. Now, I put a spark lighter on mine, so I open the valve 1/4 turn, count to two, and give the spark lighter a spin, and it's lit! 30 seconds or so of pumping to keep the pressure up, and then open the fuel knob to full throttle, and off I go. The cleaning/control lever is pointing out during all this, leave that alone for a minute or two until everything warm up to the proper temp. https://classiccampstoves.com/threads/coleman-502-with-spark-lighter.18783/ It's a right handy modification, makes it easy to fire one of these up, even blindfolded or in total darkness, no worries to be had in the least! Murph
@Murph I´ll just have to put an effort in burning a few tanks after all it seems like my (lighting) timing is near what you do - just old style Mads
@Danskeren I use a long lighter or long match, pump 10-20 times depending on how full the tank is, turn the valve 1/4 turn and listen for the gurgling sound that tells me it's air and fuel, then I light it and start pumping more until it's blue. If you pump too much at the start you get fireballs. You could even dribble some fuel into the middle of the burner cap and preheat the generator if you feel the need, it does go bluer faster. Hope this helps Mike
@HunterStovie I´ll give it a try pumping a bit less from the beginning. As you also mention it is quite easy to hear when the fuel is getting dragged up and ready to be lit. You may have a pointe in the low start pressure - its like the match is nearly blow out when it´s pumped too hard. But it´s getting better and better every time now and I like it more and more Do you gain significant more power by doing your HunterStovie upgrade? (of course there is a gain, otherwise you wouldn´t do it I asume) I got another 502 that needs a bit of care on it´s way , I will see how much is needed to get it running, and then make a combined parts order after that. (thanks for your offer anyway). Mads
@Danskeren I guess that depends on one's definition of significant. It was enough of an improvement that I have done it to all of my user 502's. It could have just been an increase in flow from a restrictive burner. Mike
@HunterStovie @Danskeren , I've use the depressed center of the burner with meths for a preheat, works well, but if I do that, I start with no tank pressure, crack open the fuel valve full throttle, light the prime charge, and give it a minute or two and then start pumping pressure into the tank and get 'er up to full throttle. Murph
@Murph @HunterStovie I see the point regarding the "preheating cup", and understand your technique. But i´d say it would have to be a fair bit colder before the stove need that, when burning Aspen/RUG. For me it has been a matter of learning a good/efficient lighting procedure, which I now, due to you guys input have nailed. So here it goes: Low pressure open around 1/4 wait till you hear the air-fuel mix in the burner head - light and away it goes. pump and turn to full open. My impression is that with the low fount pressure the air/fuel mix is more even, than with high pressure where it blows air then a drop of fuel then air and so on... I now think me and 502 are going to be best buddies Mads
@Danskeren , Mads, you'll find out why the 502 is loved here, yes; it's a fair bit heaver than the other Coleman single burner stoves, but it lasts forever, easily serviced on the rare occasion it needs it, flame control like almost nothing else, along with telling the wind to shove off, for a silent burner, it's at the top of its class, IMO. Murph
I recently bought a 502 from CraigsList. Eight bucks. Guy said it works fine. Went to pick it up. He had it in the back of his covered pickup truck, and he wanted to light it to show me how well it worked. Pumped it up, opened the valve, had a problem with his lighter. Left the valve open, finally got the lighter to click. Now the very-flooded stove became a huge yellow fireball! Had to grab a stick to pull it out of his truck and onto the ground to burn itself out. I let it cool, followed the proper lighting technique and it worked fine. At home I took it completely apart, cleaned the reflector of most of the rust, cleaned the burner rings, generator, and manifold. Back together it works like a charm! 502's are great stoves. Happy Thanksgiving to all! Tom
Have you removed and cleaned the fuel air tube in the font? It sounds like that's where part of your problem is Jan
@scouterjan I dont think i have a problem - it just lights a different to my powerhouse. By the way it is acting both when lighting and running I think the F A is ok. To put it on the line the only problem has been, that when pumped too hard the match is blown out when added before I hear the F A mix in the burner rings - When opened 1/4 turn I get air/fuel mix up it will light and run a lean flame on that (it even runs on 1/8) and needs pumping often when opening the wheel full open the burn gets rich and hot- after pumping here it holds pressure for a impressevly long period. In the 1/8-1/4 open range I get the hissing sound of air and I also get fuel up - the stove runs nicely in this range - so in my view both upper and lower holes are ok. But no I haven´t pulled the F A tube out, and i´m not saying it couldn´t do with a cleaning - for the moment I´ll just burn some fuel/injectorcleaner. Eitherway the flame instantly goes blue when lit Mads
I wouldn't worry about the fuel air tube unless warming up takes forever to calm down and turn blue. I had one that was doing that and after I replaced the F/A tube assembly it's been fine ever since. The problem was the orifice was worn too large for the rod/needle that rides inside. Mike
@HunterStovie I´m with you. Yesterday I got the 414 out of the camper and fired it up like I usually do with that - pump around 50 times (a good fount pressure) - lever up light match turn the wheel up more or less to full throttle instant blue flame - and liftoff . Anyway my point is that there is maybe the double burner surface or more on the main burner thus less air speed at the burner rings, compared to the 502 in case it is pumped too hard, that's the reason I blew out my matches in the beginning Anyway I got it now - apparently I´m a slow learner Mads
It all takes time to get the learning curve process and every stove even same models all act slightly different Jan
@scouterjan Well it sure took me a "few" lightings, to get used to this 502 - 2 lever singlebuner stove
