My 8R never really ran a full potential so I thought I'd give it a fettle. Everything looks nice and clean, but when I removed the nipple the needle just fell out. "OK, no problem", I thought, the PO probably just installed it incorrectly. Problem is, I get the same result. It never clicks more than one spindle at a a time so in closed position it is not engaged. IOW I press on the needle (using BD's pencil eraser trick) and opening then valve it clicks once, but I have to keep turning to get another click but in the process the next spindle pushed it out, so only clicking the one tooth. Am I not pressing hard enough? Is something not aligned? Is my needle or spindle bad (assume if teeth were worn it would click too much/easily)? Or am I just misunderstanding the procedure? Thanks!
You'll have to experiment, it will take a few "clicks" +/- to achieve the sweet spot. You'll observe that the needle will descend farther down, when the spindle is in the closed or OFF position, than it was prior. Then test it out. It is correctly installed or clocked when there is a full range of adjustment from low to high, AND there is positive fuel shutoff when in the closed or fully OFF position. Might take a couple iterations and futzing with it, you'll get it.
No pressure’s required, just the weight of the pricker rack - maybe the pencil too if used. The pencil eraser is helpful to keep the needle upright but isn’t intended to be a means to exert downward pressure on the rack.
Should the needle be unengaged in the closed position? IOW, should I be able to just pull it out or should it still be locked and have to remove the spindle to remove the needle?
No, and yes, the spindle pinion teeth engage with the rack teeth valve shut or in the ‘clean’ position but of course the jet nipple prevents the needle rack from disengaging when installed. Jet nipple removed, rotating the spindle fully anti-clockwise will raise and subsequently push the needle rack out of the cavity.
OK, that's what it's doing. Sorry I was figuring it would "lock" into place and spindle must be removed. I'm good then, thanks.
One more. I accidentally over rotated the valve in the tank by 90 degrees (wasn't paying attention), so now it is loose when i back it down. Am I better to loctite it in place or keep going around the remaining 270?
Which valve are you talking about here? - the 8R has only one valve, and that is the Safety Return Valve (SRV) in the filler cap?
Sorry ,I mean the main burner, where the fuel tube with wick enters the tank. I rotated it with valve pointing "up".
Ahh - I would be carefull as the tube is fairly soft. Better unscrew - lube the threads with a wee bit of Copper Grease and reassemble it correctly again - making sure the wick is not scorched at the end closest to the burner
Good question. Grease yes - over-rotating is difficult to evaluate from a distance, as I can’t feel, how much torque you already have applied - so no promises as to the best way ahead for you. If you’re not sure of the present torque, you can either use a brass/copper version of Plumbers Tape like this in 5mm Nonstick PTFE Adhesive High Temperature Resistance Tape, Length 10M | eBay on the threads, - or you can give it the remaing 270 degrees turn. In the latter case I would fixate the burner-tubes HEX-nut with a proper sized wrench/key secured in a vice and then carefully turn the fount in place. (Does that makes sense?)
Here's what I did: the burner arrived in it's usual place at hand tight at correct clocking -90. I wrenched the final 90 degrees into the correct posiition, but mistakenly thought I needed to go another 90, which I did. So I already applied extra force to get it to correct +90.
@elcarlstono You need to back it off. Another 270 degrees will be unobtainable and damage would certainly result if you attempt it, most likely shearing off the burner or rounding over the hexagon flats. I recommend unscrewing the burner feed pipe, removing it from the tank completely, then cleaning the external and internal threads thoroughly. Lightly oil the threads and reassemble by tightening by hand to the point at which a wrench would be needed to establish how much more rotation will be needed to align the burner on the tank correctly. It’s a judgement call at that point, but I’d suggest no more than 90 degrees would be achievable. The stove here is an Optimus 8 without burner feed pipe hexagon flats but I’d use the same method to assemble/disassemble an 8R’s components, not relying on a wrench which can easily ‘cam’ off the flats (round them off).
If this were one of my Coleman lanterns I'd be using Loctite 242 thread locker, or Permatex blue. it goes up to 300 degrees F, but i'm guessing that's likely not going to be sufficient. I've also got some muffler cement that would do the job, but may never be able to get it back apart again. Lastly I may be searching for a new part. Do you think I likely compressed teh burner threads, or stretched the tank threads (or both)?
I doubt it. Don’t use muffler paste, but a light smear of the Loctite would be fine and would lubricate the threads for reassembly.
OK, loctite it is (and watch it carefully). This was a pretty dumb move, but I'm committed to moving forward.
This would do it. https://www.amazon.com/Vibra-TITE-19960-Temperature-Threadlocker-Translucent/dp/B07XW2ZTZL Loctite 263 is good to 360F Good luck, let us know how it turns out.
