I purchased my first 530 stove and the fuel flow was erratic. So I refurbed the leather cup, replaced the fuel cap O-ring, took the generator out and soaked in carb cleaner and the screen in vinegar, used flivver's suggestion for the F/A valve (and dumped all the lacquer thinner out, refilled with fuel, pumped about 50 times (it holds pressure) turned the knob 1/4 turn and tried to light it. A huge burst of flame for about 15 seconds then it blew itself out. After that initial lighting only very sporadic bits of fuel through the generator. What am I missing? Thanks to everyone who answers.
Take the generator off and pressurize (but don't light) the stove. If you get good fuel flow before the generator, then the generator is still clogged. ....Arch
Thanks for the advice. I took the generator off and the fuel was sporadic as well. Could this be the f/a valve? Maybe I didn’t leave the lacquer thinner in long enough (it was only in for three hours).
Could be. Sounds like a longer soak in lacquer thinner may be a good idea. First, though, make sure it's pressurizing properly. You said you refurbished the pump leather and replaced the fuel cap gasket. (That gasket should be a flat washer, rather than an o-ring.) Pump up the stove and then open the fuel filler cap. There should be a loud hiss of escaping air. If you don't get that, it means a leak somewhere, probably either the pump or the fuel cap gasket. If you get the hiss, try again but wait a few hours before opening the fuel cap. This will reveal a slower leak. One more thing. I'm assuming you're familiar with Coleman pumps, and know to cover the hole in the pump knob with your thumb when you pump, and tighten the pump (clockwise) when you're done pumping. Post your results. Photos are always nice. We'll get this figured out. ....Arch
Arch, It pressurizes just fine. After I restored the leather cup I can pump it 30 times and the next day open it up and hear that very wonderful sound of escaping air. I’ll add some pictures soon. It has a very interesting history. I’ll try the lacquer thinner again but leave it there until the weekend. Thank you so much for your help.
Arch, Here are the photos. The stove comes with a little story. My grandfather worked for the forest service around the mid to late 40s. He would head to the mountains of central Idaho around late April early May and returning mid to late September. My grandmother bought the stove for him so he could cook his meals. My father entered the Marine Corps around the time the Korean war broke out. He fought in the Chosin Reservoir battle as a 18 y/o fresh boot. Naturally my grandmother worried about my father-no surprise. She managed to convince my grandfather (by buying him another stove) to send the stove to my dad. So my grandfather packaged the stove up and took it to the local Marine recruiters office. They manage to get the stove to him which considering all the logistics was no small feat. My dad was quite popular among fellow Marines who were doomed to eat their c-rations over an open fire or simply cold. Fuel wasn’t an issue and there was plenty to go around. The stove saw (in my fathers words) heavy action. As you can see, it has many dents and dings. It fell off my dad‘s tank and landed on some mortar shells. That bent the top supports downward towards the tank. One of the tanks mechanics realized my dad could no longer pump the stove effectively so he managed to jerry-rig a source of intense flame and softened the outer ring then bent it inwards allowing the pump to be pulled fully upwards and disassembled should it be necessary. When you put a pot on top it is fairly level. It served my father throughout his remaining time in the Korean War. When he served in the Vietnam war he got a completely different stove-the Rogers M-1950 which I also have.
Outstanding. Thank you for sharing your grandfather and father's experiences with us. Looking forward to seeing your stove running well.
It's great to have stoves with a family history, especially with a history as notable as you describe! Thanks very much for telling us those stories. The reason for flat washers is that o-rings can crimp when over-tightened and fail to seal properly. Unfortunately, I can't find a washer size listed on the site. Perhaps someone else will chime in with that information. I'm sitting here looking at mine with a pair of calipers. Looks like OD 19mm; ID 13mm, but the calipers don't fit too well inside the cap, so this is eyeballing a bit. Be sure to get Viton or another fuel-resistant rubber. I'm going to agree about giving the carb cleaner longer to work before tearing into the valve assy. ....Arch
An update......I let the lacquer thinner sit in the pump tubing for a week. I didn’t re-inserted the pump housing and push the lacquer thinner into the fuel tank. Dumped it out in a separate container. Waited a couple of days and then reassembled the pump chamber I let the lacquer thinner sit in the pump tubing for a week. I re-inserted the pump housing and pushed the lacquer thinner into the fuel tank. Dumped it out in a separate container. Waited a couple of days and then reassembled the pump chamber. Added fuel and pumped it 40 times. Again, fuel flow was sporadic. I took the generator apart again soaking the screen in vinegar in the generator housing in carb cleaner. Blew it dry with my air compressor and reassembled it. Still not getting adequate fuel out the generator. Any suggestions?
Did you run the lacquer thinner through the entire fuel system and let that sit, or just the pump and tank?
@brewguy I read and re read all threads in this post so I will attempt to add my thoughts here. First I would replace the screen and the generator. OldColemanParts.com :: Just Generators :: Vaporizer 530 OldColemanParts.com :: Stove Parts :: Vaporizer Screen This stove did not take into account the design feature of a pre heater cup used in European brass kerosene stoves or the 520 stove that was in the US army supply chain before the opening of WW2. This European stove ( the Brassies ) ran on kerosene and the 520 ran on unleaded gasoline. They have what is called a pre heater cup mounted just below the Generator that you would place a small amount of Alcohol in and ignite to heat the generator preparing it for flame combustion. Its purpose is to get hot enough to flash the liquid fuel into a vapor. Your stove, this 530 does not have a preheat-er cup. However it does share a similar Burner Bell. the difference is the 520 bell has a hole drilled into the bottom to allow a small amount of fuel to drip into the preheat-er cup that is very sufficient to ignite the stove easily. Your stove the 530 does not have the preheat-er cup and does not have the drip hole in the bottom of the burner bell. There is just barely room enough to open the valve to allow a small amount of fuel to irrigate the burner bell and fill the bottom of the bell before dripping out and onto the tank. You have to stick your face in close enough to see the fuel enter the bell bottom and close the valve so it does not leak out the sides. Applying an ignition source to this bell bottom will give you a sudden desire to retreat, just make sure no one is behind you or in front of you or to the sides. Your going to get a 2 ft flame that will die down in a minute or 2, as the flame is about to go out open your valve slowly 1/4 to 1 turn and the stove should ignite. Long stick matches or a small butane torch igniter works well also. Regulate the valve wheel as the flame turns from yellow to a nice blue color. Now you may add some pump pressure to the tank. The 520 heats the generator from the bottom up where the 530 heats from the top down making the 530 little more difficult to preheat. 40 pumps is too much pressure, that guarantees a flame blow out. Start with 25, then ignite your burner bell to preheat the generator. Once the stove settles down to a blue flame you can add 10 more pumps and let it be. All this comes from personal experience with the 520 and 530 stoves. Rest assured GI,s did not ignite these stoves at night or in proximity to the enemy because of the start up and the noise. But you can scare the family, friends, bears and cougars away. There are instructions on this site for this stove. Nice vid here on lighting your stove. Note the shock effect.
My understanding is that your blockage is in the fuel system, so to get it to clear, you'll need to run the lacquer thinner through the fuel system.
@Marc No disrespect Marc.. Contrary to what the instructions describe, he pumped 50 times, manual says 30 at the most, Huge burst of flames for 15 seconds and blew itself out. >>> air has over taken the liquid fuel from entering the valve due to over pressure. Sporadic bits of fuel now after initial lighting>>> still has over pressure of air... No preheat of the generator??? 530 has no preheat cup, just a limited space inside the burner bowl for preheat. How is the generator supposed to work when it is cold? Over pressure a tank and no sustainable ignition will proceeded with out a generator heated for liquid to vapor conversion. That is why they publish manuals. It is best to read them than not to operate any GPA with out the instructions.
