This stove was given to me as a gift by a Fine English Gentleman named David Cooper. It is probably the best running silent burner I have, and it is used daily in my kitchen.
Hi David Nice stove. I have have one of these Valor 55s. I whould not say it was one of the best silent burners out there though out of the British makes I whould say the Monitor brand was one of our best. With my Valor I have to nearly half fill it with fuel before I can pump any fuel in to the burner. I don't know if it is a fault with the pick up tube in the tank, made smaller and not reaching near the bottom of the tank, or was it designed so when it's used and the fuel used there's always just under half a tank of fuel so it can't over heat so easly? Is your stove the same? But never the less, I do like the Valor stoves. I have a nice Valor Pack Away also, but that doesn't need half a tank of fuel before any fuel can be pumped, but a very nice stove you have there.
Brian, I've never run mine below half full, so I can't answer. I didn't mean that it's one of the best silent burners, only that it is my best running one. Thanks. Best, Al
Interesting. I now have 2 of these 55s. One was rescued from the local tip and I seem to be dismantling it further every time I fiddle / fettle. I'll probably take the burner off soon and "dip" the tube to check the length. I agree, it goes better with a fullish tank. I'll let you know the result. I might feel an unauthorised modification coming on...........
I used one of those stoves for a four week camp in France about five years ago. I had it inside a big cube biscuit tin as a windbreak. Worked perfectly every time and I usually had an audience watching me use the stove with amazement on their faces.
Hi Algentry I've also got a Valor 55 and it seems to run fine even with approx 1/4 tank of fuel. Bought off ebay and only needed to replace NRV pip to get up & running. Flame spreader is non original and marked Coleman.
I bought a 55 from a bric-a-brac stall recently but find when it is running that it leaks kerosene fumes from around the little trough that you fill with meths. Should there be a fibre washer there, and if so, can they be bought? The burner is quite tightly screwed into the top of the pipe, so I think that trying to tighten it further could be counter-productive. Any advice warmly appreciated! Cheers Jim
@Jim McLay It requires one or two fibre washers where the burner, spirit cup, and riser meet. Usually the best solution is to use two washers, one above and one below the spirit cup. Clean the adjoining parts and get rid of any residual washer material. Tighten firmly, but don't overtighten as this will distort the washers. You might need to tighten a little bit more after first lighting. The Fettle Box (link from this site) has the washers you need. Cheers Tony
Hi Tony, Many thanks, that was quick! there actually was a washer ther but I decided it was a bit ancient so I swapped it for a new one. I did try 2 washers as well as just the one but I suspect the ones I am using are perhaps too hard, no "give"in them, or perhaps I should have used some Red Foliac sealing compound. I'll try the Fettle Box as you suggest, although I'm now wondering if the metalwork is cracked. Cheers Jim
Hi Tony & Kero, I think I have a problem. I tried the cleaning and 1 / 2 washers ideas without success. There is always a tiny tiny wisp of vapour escaping from above or below the spirit cup when it is lit, with that noxious smell of unburnt kerosene. Delving in a bit, I see that the stove tank is marked "Valor Pressure Stove #55". BUT I've discovered that the burner screwed into the feed pipe is marked "SVEA Made in Sweden". Could there be a small incompatibility between these two makes? The threads seem Ok as the burner screws in all the way without tightening up in any way. It may be that I could use Red Foliac sealer but I don't feel comfortable with relying on that solution. Any further comments? Maybe I just need to find a working stove! Cheers Jim
Hi @Jim McLay. 1. Did you read the instructions in the link I provided? 2. Did you purchase the correct washers and fit them as instructed? 3. The Svea burner should be compatible with your Valor stove and you say the threads appear to fit well. 4. If the answer to all the comments above is yes, and you still have a paraffin vapour leak you could try a non-permanent thread sealer, as long as it is fuel and heat-resistant. Best Regards, Kerophile.
Hi Kerophile, 1. Yes! 2. Purchased new washers from Juliands on eBay which look identical to the one that was on it originally. 3. Good news. 4. I will try this, visit our local plumber & get a teaspoonful. I will report back as soon as I get a successful solution! Thanks Jim
I need to refresh the old washers on my Valor 55. Can you supply the washers that you designed still? If so, I would like to have some Dave
