Just replaced my lost 123R -- need a new pump cap.

I lost my trusty 123R into the lake while ice fishing last winter (freak bad luck: dropped, bounced off knee, bounced off sled, rolled into hole! SCUBA'd for it last week with no luck.).

I have a mini-pump that I liked to use and now realize I need a pump cap for the new stove. I couldn't find new ones for sale in my searching. Does anyone still make them?

Thanks for any leads or info,
Bob

 

Can we see it? What is the pump size of the hole that enters on the valve?
Should work with a 8R !!!

 

They come up on the bay now and then, saw one last week. Poor responses here when posting to the buy, sell, trade topic area.
Duane

 

There is a OEM one on eBay for $18 clams and a Taiwanese seller offering reproductions for under $20 plus the ride

a seller from Japan is offering them for under $15 but shipping is more than the item value so I would go with the oem part.

 

Thanks, gentlemen.

 

The opening in the aluminum pump body is 11mm, reduced to 10mm by an O-ring seated inside the opening.

I believe the same pump-and-cap combination fits the 123 and the 8R.

 

Who’s the guy who found the Titanic? Ask him! There’s some good marine archaeology being performed these days, side-scan sonar and what not. Don’t give up so easily!

 

When my 123R went in the drink, I marked the spot with the GPS on my fish finder. I was pretty confident it could be recovered. On returning to that waypoint, anchoring the boat and dropping to the bottom in 34 feet of water, it was frustrating to find that the layer of nitella (aquatic plant) on the bottom was much thicker and denser than I thought. Making matters worse, the wind was causing my buddy's boat to drag anchor.

What I had thought would be fairly easy was not! It didn't take long for me to realize I needed to order a replacement.

 

Ouch!

Since you've still got that waypoint, one of those salvage magnets on a rope might hook onto the pot supports (if it went into the drink with its windscreen), or to the key and chain (if they were attached.

....Arch

 

They do indeed come up new and used on ebay.
Just be cautious as they differ slightly in size between Optimus, M&H (or was it A&H? The US supplier's own-made pumps), and the Taiwan example.
So if you have an optimus branded pump, grab an optimus/original pump cap.

Oh, and maybe change the o-ring/pip while you have it fresh in your hands as well

Alec.

 

Could follow the rope down if the magnet clings to the stove.
Duane

 

Good tips! Thank you.

 

I ordered this one... I hope it's the correct version! Optimus SVEA 123 99 199 111 8R Stove Fuel tank Cap Early Version | eBay

 

That’s what you need, have never seen another size for the external pump.
Duane

 

Thanks for the reassurance, Duane.

 

Key is the long piece below the top, easily spotted.
Also, Russian clone cap will not work as a normal cap, threads differ.
Duane

 

I’ve purchased the Taiwanese cap from “Super Corse Lantern” on eBay. Works fine with my Optimus mini pump.

 

An issue with out-of-country eBay purchases are the new tariffs in place. I just had an order for a reproduction 8R wrench cancelled by a UK seller for that reason.

Hopefully this situation will smooth out in the future.

 

My pump cap arrived today. It looks well-used. Initial trial showed I could not pump air through it. I sprayed silicone-based solvent/lube in each end and tried again with success.

My happiness quickly faded when I held the stove to my ear and heard the quiet hissing of air escaping the cap. I wet my finger and covered the penta hole to find air leaking there. It also seems to be leaking from the large cap gasket as well. Bummer!

I now have two of the caps; a properly functioning one is on my 8R. Is it practical to buy the penta tool and materials to rebuild the one leaky cap? The stoves are rarely used. Does anyone here offer a rebuild service?

Thanks for any advice,
Bob

 

Contact Katadyn. They will sell you a new cap. My brother bought one a year or two ago. That one will come with new gaskets so you should be good to go. My brother's message to me a year ago:

"If you need a cap just go to the Katadyn website and use the contact us feature asking about a spare cap for a 123R. I discovered that I don't have a spare so I did that. They responded within an hour and asked where it was shipping to. They sent the final sales order within several hours of first contact and I called to complete the order - she picked up right away, I didn't have to wait on hold. $10.95 for the cap, $12.93 for shipping."

Another option is to get the cap seal and PIP seal from eBay. Search for Svea 123 gaskets, seller is spinnakerspar. I got some from that seller last year.