Disclaimer: I have to admit that I have not ever been really all that interested in MSR stoves. While I can see the appeal historically, they just never really seemed to move me. Anyway, the other night I was messing around on the evilbay, and came across an MSR stove that looked old and the price was, to say the least, very right, so I did the buy it now and waited. I thought what the heck, maybe I will appreciate them more if I have one. A few notes back and forth with Doc Mark helped confirm that it is a "G" model, and also that it is missing the snap arm, and there was no pump. It arrived in the mail today, and here are some pics. While it looks like it may have been gold colored at one time, that is just the reflection of the material. It is silver aluminum colored. Questions to follow the pics. Ok, here are some initial questions: -Why is there a split pin in the burner housing? It is not attached to anything. There is a hole in the burner that looks to be original. -How do I get the rod out of the fuel tube, or is that even necessary? The end of the rod is recessed in the tube. I can blow through the tube (with much resistance from the rod) so I know it is not totally blocked. -In the picture with the red arrow, what is that thing that the arrow is pointing to? It is loose in there, but will not fall out. It looks as though there are threads on the side of it. Do I need to remove it? Thanks for any help.
The rod ... I have heard they used a rod (before ?) they used a cable. It restricts fuel flow. There are posts of that rod being difficult to remove. Split pin .... I don't think (?) it is supposed to be there. The hole would allow fuel to drip down for priming. I have a G and 3 GK's I can bring to Asheville, with the Taykit. Mine have cables not rods. I have several yellow pumps we could use, but any MSR pump will work. But, for safety, you will want the bail attached. I know several more experience MSR qualified members will have more info. Jon, are you getting snow??? We have over an inch (9:30 PM) Ken in NC
The split pin is so fuel dribbles onto the priming pad. You should be able to suck on the end of the tube versus trying to blow, much easier. Is that the sintered thing down there under the jet? All my old MSR's run so good, I have not taken them apart. Duane
hey Ken: thanks for the input. next time you get to town, i hope we will be able to get together for some stove chat. remember, that coffee shop in west asheville is very close to my house. i guess if i really had to remove that rod, i would think about drilling and tapping the end of it, threading in a bolt or screw, and using some kind of puller to remove it. hopefully i won't have to do that. Duane, thanks for solving the split pin mystery. yes, it looks like something in the bottom of the burner that is under the jet when the jet is installed. i looked at the instructions in the gallery and it says it is a "surge protector". i guess i will leave it in there and see how it works. i'm looking forward to seeing how this thing works. is there any way of telling the year of this? the block is not date stamped, but I am wondering if any of the features might suggest a manufacture date/range other than the general production run time.
I guess a split pin would do that very well, good job Duane. If it is a surge protector, it will look like little pieces of brass pressed together. The photo doesn't show it that way. It looks like an end of a rod. A surge protector would be easy to remove, I think. Aw yes, Waking Life Espresso shop. Great pour-over coffee, too. A place I found this last year in Asheville is Dobra Tea on Lexington. A wonderful tea shop with awesome tea and great atmosphere. Ken
Hey, Hazet, Congrats on your Model G. Those are great little stoves, and I like them quite a bit. As to the surge filter, I would spray something down the throat of your burner, and see if you can loosen it, it that is, indeed, what it is. Then, noting how it came out, you can clean it completely by either heating and dropping it into water, or scrubbing it with an old toothbrush using citric acid, or you can do both, just for grins. That filter keeps your stove from "surging" in use, and I rather like them, actually. Again, way to go, and have fun with your new MSR. Take care, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc
Hazet, It's a nice stove that you got. I assume it will burn perfectly on first attempt. Try to look up the MSR patent drawings for details of the rod and surge protector. They are somewhere here on site (posted by snowgoose). Yonadav
I have bails, pumps etc for a test burn. What is a good day to meet, Jon? Here is a picture of a surge protector ... Link Ken
Thanks for the pic of the surge protector. There is definitely not one in there. I tried removing the mystery piece, but it will not come out. It is loose, as I can move it back and forth with a screwdriver tip. I really don't want to do anything to it until I either a) find out what it is and/or if it's supposed to be there (or if it even matters), or b)see an actual stove (Ken's?) or a clear pic of how it is supposed to look under that so I would know how much to remove if I end up drilling it out. Not sure when a good time will be Ken, I'll let you know something after this weekend. Thanks again. Jon
I fired up a bunch of my old MSR's this afternoon. The G I picked up late Summer with the box, pump, cup, red fuel bottle, instructions had a small leak around the jet so I let it cool down and took the jet out. The surge filter fell out and I failed to catch it in my hand, so it rolled under my work bench. I looked at it and it was sooted up some, so I scratched it lightly with my finger nail and reinstalled it after applying some graphite paste I got from Ron to the jet threads. The leak quit, but the stove surged for about half a minute, then settled down to nice blue flames. Duane
Evening, HikerDuane, Looks like you need to do what MSR used to call "decoke the surge filter". Easy enough to do, and I've described it here before. But, just for grins: Way #1 - Heat up the sintered brass surge filter, and when nice and not, drop in a bucket of cold water. It's like a heat and quench, and you may need to do it a couple of times to clean all the soot and gunk out of it. Way #2 - soak the surge filter in a citric acid solution, and use an old toothbrush to remove the deposits on the outside of it. Keep at it for a bit, and it should come out nice and clean, and ready to rinse, dry, and use. I've tried both ways to do this, and like the citric acid one best, though the heat and quench can sometimes get more junk from inside the surge filter to exit. Try both, and see which you like best. Hope that helps, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc
Good morning Doc. I've read mention of the heat and quench for the sintered filter. I thought it would be fine, the stove may also not have been primed long enough too. Duane
I met Jon, and he does not have a surge protector in the stove. It is a rod. I always have the right thing to say .... After the right time has passed. Now I think I should have given Jon a surge protector while I was there. QUESTION: Have any of you used a "G" without the surge protector? Ken in NC
Seeing the rod in the fuel line, yes it does appear to be a Model 9A. Seems we have learned more about the "Field maintainable" feature of the "G" and the "GK" that used the new cable one can remove for cleaning.
I have the same stove and have owned it since new. My original Model 9 and the white pump were replaced at the old MSR shop at SEATAC. I went in to have them check out my Model 9 in the summer 0f 1975 and they asked if I would rather just swap for the latest generation, the model 9A. My Model 9A came anodized blue, with a yellow pump. I have a later model X-G/K that had a gold anodized housing and has the cable in the fuel line. Interesting that in all these years and all the trips the stove was used on, the only thing ever replaced were pumps. I still have the yellow pump that came with the stove, all parts are present but I have not been able to successfully replace the air hose on the end. I use a current MSR pump and the stove still functions as it did in 1975. The rod in the fuel line has never been removed, not sure it was ever meant to be. It has not been a problem. I recall the information that was sent with the Model 9 and 9A describing the cotter pin in the burner acting much like a wick to help priming fuel to travel down it to the fiber pad. I do know my Model 9 had that and the Model 9A also. I have a few later models of MSR stoves and they have the hole without the cotter pin, not sure if previous owners removed the pin, or if it was never used on the later stoves. Although I haven't used the Model 9A for quite a few years, I have fired it up and she still works perfectly.
Evening, All, Yes, indeed, this stove IS a model 9A, and it should have a surge protector. Jon, do you need one? Give me a PT shout, and we can talk about this. Glad to help you out, if you still need one. Take care, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc
Hmmm, 6 year old thread...... Thanks for the offer Doc, but I don't have the stove anymore. I believe snwcmpr owns it now.
The surge protector is “the thing the arrow is pointing at”. It’s a small piece of brass all thread that’s been called a helix plug in a post about the model 9/9A
