Hi All Just bear in mind, here in South Africa, we do not have the luxury of having a large source of stuff... Fact is stoves and the such are extremely limited, so getting stoves is a huge effort... I Often quip......It's not the blooming money spent on the stove that's the issue, , it's the 500 miles walked up and down flea-markets - in and out of dozens and dozens of second hand shops and years and years looking for something.... So In December I was able to get a Coleman 520 / G-I stove, (on the East rand, and area East of Johannesburg) that's on the outside in pretty fair nick, but the plunger bits & pieces are pretty banged up.... It got it's full compliment of spares and the fuel tank looks to be OK, but I can't get it to build pressure.......So it went to the shelf Then yesterday, (On the West rand..... HAHA Diametrically opposite direction) on a Sunday auction line I got a second one! Imagine that! 2 of these fellas within 3 months of each other! So during viewing time, I made sure that the bits that are "not great" on the first stove are OK on it, and although visually it's a wee bit rusted at the top, again the tank looks OK and it looks like a winner, So I bid & landed it for 150 ZAR (about 10 USD)...... But here is the twist.... I haven't got a cooking clue about these units and won't be a fixing until I can either find somebody who will take me under their wing and talk me through...... or have a massive amount of time to "fettle myself" .... With work & home and doge & Landrover-ing & sleeping & reading, & grandkids..........THAT'S wishful thinking..... So is this going to be a "pensioner's project" in 10 - 15 years time? PS, my blooming camera refuses point-blank to download to my PC so here is NOT MY ONE but a picture of one on the net, that I downloaded from Granny Google... I would say the condition the first one outwardly looks like the unit in the picture, but the second one definately not, but all the inside bits look fine....
You have grandkids, perhaps even well behaved? And then, a Landrover? You might find fettling these stoves a breeze and relaxing.... Seriously, you will have to spend time reading up on it, and you will discover a fount of written knowledge here. And experience you might want to tap into if things seem to become complicated. Don't panick! Mike
Morning Dutchmike.... This you will well understand.... Their mum's Africkaans heratage. Africkaans is, well, (somewhat) Dutch heratage...... 2 matches and a Globetrotter high... Don't want to be messing with that one.... She & I have a good understanding.... When Aiden was 5 <and she & I were having an argy-bargy> I bought the lad a drum set for his birthday.... I'm also from Dutch decendant...... With a goodly dollop of the ol' Irish.... But back to things stove related..... Problem is, I did my technical apprenticeship in South African Airways... Ooooo.......... back in early to mid 70's, when SAA was.... well one of the finest airlines in the world. Technical discipline was <literally> beaten into you head.... You made damn certain you knew exactly what you where doing before you even started doing it.... Only the Good Lord above could help you, if you: - RULE 1 Had to ask for help..... there were technical manual's.. (let's re-phrase that)..... libraries...... books, several lever arch files thick on doing exactly what you were doing..... For that..... And, forthcomming from any timid query the first inquisition you faced was "WHY THE HELL DON'T YOU GO AND FIND OUT" <OR> "WHAT? YOU THINK I'M YOUR LIBRARY"? And got a clocking over the earhole for your troubles..... RULE 2 Lost / dropped / thought you did it wrong and had to ask for a review.... Oh hell no...... RULE 3 had "spares left over" after you where finished.... There were dis-assembly trays with numbered pockets for that.... Remove something, put it in a pocket... Remove the next thing put it in the next pocket...... You SKETCHED anything you remotely thought was more complicated than pulling a nut off a bolt, numbered it with the pocket number and put it in the pocket....... RULE 4 Did not have every single tool & every one of your tool-chits in your toolbox afterwards....... RULE 5 Had any "bright ideas" Whatsoever..... Damn fine apprenticehip.... Which Half-way through, this baby-bum-smooth,-timid,-cherub-looking,-blond-haired,-chess-playing,-descant-choir-singing individual had to do 2 years compulsary national service..... So bloody glad I learnt the above 5 laws of survival BEFORE starting that little lark..... NOTE <In the army> : - Rule No 2: - Happened when I dissassembled my R1 -FN assult rifle and re-assembled....... Rule No 5: - Was horridly re-inforced when: - a) I put on my uniform for the first time and had to assemble with the rest of the company, in platoons 4 to a company) on the parade-ground..... Resulted in this baby-bum-smooth,timid,-cherub-looking,-blond-haired,-chess-playing,-descant-choir-singing individual getting a bollicking from up-on-high and having to strip butt-naked in front of the whole company and become the example of "how-to-do-it-properly".......... B) I got the bright idea to strip the re-coil spring out of the blooming rifle-butt & well.......... it just wouldent go back..... THAT little lark cost me 6H on the obsticle course.... Anyhow, the-long-and-short of this rather disconfugulated post is....... Having had them laws pounded into me at a very impressionable age for nigh on 7 years....... They've never ever ever left...... I shiver in my shoes, at starting to "fettle" without knowing......... Have a fun day...
There are a number of collectors in your area that will be able to help you get the 520 running well and show you how to operate it without losing your eyebrows. Send me a PM and I will put you in touch with them.
Go to Old Coleman Parts (OCP) for spares. Mike is great to deal with and he ships world wide. The rubber bits in your stove will be dried out beyond use. The fuel cap gasket being hard is the most likely cause of not maintaining pressure. The generator and packing (a hollow graphite cylinder) in the spares should be good. Pump leather can be soaked in any oil. I use 30w motor oil. If you need a new one it is the same as a 220 lantern. The fuel cap takes the standard 3-piece cap gasket, both will be listed under lantern parts on OCP. On the OCP website are exploded diagrams and some disassembly instructions. https://www.oldcolemanparts.com/diagrams/520.jpg Look on the Coleman Collector's Forum and search on 520, plenty of info there. Look at a few diagrams or explanations of how the 520 works. The fuel/air tube for the lighting circuit is the same as on any of the lanterns as is the valve and generator. All work the same. As soon as you understand the working principals you'll be able to fettle your 520, they are not nearly as complicated as an aircraft engine. Check back and report on progress.
Afternoon CHB. Thanks for the vote of confidence! I'll definately be looking at all the info I can possibly find, before I launch into this, I've not had either a Colemen lantern or stove before....... The closest I've got to pressure stoves is my Optimus R8.... Which STILL need's new wicking, and a WW II petrol stove, which actually works... Surges like hell but that's probibly because I can't get unleaded..... So yes, this is a whole new janre' for me...... But I really do enjoy tinkering. Just reciently, I did quite a sweet upgrade to a Trangia by modifying a Maple - leaf remote canister gas burner so that my tranny now works with spirits / solid - fuel tabs and gas.... Anyway, it'll take a wee bit, but I'll fan the flames on this from time to time, looks like Pheadrus will be able to inject a big dollop of sweet help help into this trifle as well... Thanks again.... Warren
@It'l Dodat Warren, the fuel/air (f/a) tube is attached to the bottom of the fuel valve. When the fuel valve is opened 1/4 turn the F/A supplies a mix of air and fuel, acting as the opposite of a choke in a carburetor, it leans the mixture. Once the generator is up to operating temperature and is vaporizing fuel the valve is opened fully the F/A supplies fuel only. Using a light look into the tank and you'll see the bottom end of the F/A tube. If it is corroded or encrusted with dried fuel residue you'll need to remove the fuel valve to clean it. If if is simply discolored but looks clean then you can leave it be. If you remove the fuel valve I recommend applying some heat with a micro torch to soften the thread sealer between tank and valve. Mark the position of the valve relative to the tank prior to disassembly so you can put it back to the correct depth. I use Permatex 2A non-hardening thread sealer when replacing the valve. Any thread sealer you're familiar with will work.
Life is so blooming demoralising....... Just when you think your'e the new Einstein......... BOOM ! As a side-slip to my post above, currently I’m engrossed in a different project which has been on the cook for quite a while and has suddenly come to the boil. A while back, I got the bee in my bonnet to go hiking again after a 30+ something- year- hiatus.... But realising that mentally I’m sill 18, but physically.......... Well that’s an entirely different kettle of piranhas now I’m 3 X + that..... And lugging a backpack well.......... That’s gonna really suck... These creaky old bones gonna seize up big time... So I “cooked up” the idea of carting a backpack rather than “toting” IE carrying the backpack... I zoomed in on a golf-push-cart as a cart and after a few different carts / false starts & trials I came up with my current configuration, which meets all my “design” parameters including <if necessary> I can fold the cart down and put the whole conflaburation on my back & walk the difficult bits... BRILLIANT ! There’s me, for the longest time believing I’ve done an exceptional job of inventing something entirely new..... HA.... Just found out, there is an entire community of “wheelie-backpackers”.... With umpteen different designs that can be purchased... Including <gut-punch> a DIY jobbie using exactly the same cart as the one I settled on.... Bwawawaaaawhaa There goes my entire world...... I’m nowhere near the “first” ....... Fact is I’m waaay at the back of the queue..... Anyway to bring this back to matters stove related...... For the last while I’ve been “improving” the stuff that I have dedicated to my “wheelie-backpack”<Sniff>, because I want to go somewhere over the Easter break.... Started with improving the cookware.... (Still keeping to canister-gas as primary, but have upgraded the burner, changed to a Trangia spirit burner as secondary instead of Esbit tabs) But you know how these things go..... One thing always leads to another, and the scope of the improvements has gone beyond just the cookware.... It’s now into eliminating “torque-force”, harnesses, different backpack............... SIGH........ So anyhow, fixing the 520, somewhere in the queue.... (Don’t judge, we all have a queue”)..... "Wheelie bacpack <sniff> configured for carrying" Wheelie backpack <Sniff> configured for carting....
Put some folding nylon wings on it, and you'll have a hang glider. Then button the leading edges together, and it's a tent.
Morning all Been away here for a bit, negative input aside, I take it frome whence it comes.... Yet again I've had a touch of luck with this, On Sunday I "bagged" a set of billies on the auction that, by the latching mechanism of the two billies, I'm convinced are the billies for the 520... Photo's are a touch problematic but I'll postem as soon as I can....
Afternoon all, Well, Going back to the Coleman 520 / G-I stove, (as above) Come Sunday past, on the auction I got the billies for it! Came together with: - A self modified globie, on a canister, one 190g unused canister And a set of Globie billies & a (What looks like a Chinese knock-off) Pot set, that's actually quite nice. Think if I DON'T start "fettling" and getting one of them working, At the rate I'm going I may even snap a working one!
Search for Marios “Lampies en Stofies” on Facebook, i bought same stove from him and he might be able to help.