Hello, I purchased an old Optimus 111T. After much trouble I managed to remove the jet with the special Optimus tool who comes with the stove. I wonder is there any better tool to use for this purpose?
Good morning and welcome. The nipple/jet of stoves with these types of regulating & self-pricking burners are a larger size than the majority of paraffin stoves. Thankfully the size is the same as the pump valve/non-return valve/NRV (all terms used on this site for the same thing!) of paraffin stoves. A non-return valve tool will make unscrewing the nipple much easier, and allow you to service the non-return valve too. You can make one by forming a 5mm slot in the end of a round piece of steel, or buy one. Commercial examples look like the middle tool here, I'm not sure if Fogas.se stock anything suitable?
Thanks a lot for the answer. I have the tool in the middle of the photo, but that is not possible to remove the jet with. But the tool to the left maybe.
Something isn't quite right here, a photo would help if you can post one? A No.111T should have a silent burner, if the outher burner cap is removed the nipple can be accessed directly from above. If your burner requires a tool with a universal joint, it would seem to be a roarer burner- so either not a No.111T stove, or a replacement burner from a No.111 or No.111B?
Jesus, I'm an idiot. I checked my burner and of course I can reach the nipple with the NRV tool. I was not aware of that. Thanks a lot for your help. ❤️ I've another question: I removed the NRV. See photo. Shouldn't there be something for sealing it.
Glad to have helped, sometimes it's easy to overlook the obvious! There is a lead seal visible in the photo- usually they can be re-used, and will form a seal when you screw the NRV/pump valve back in. While it's out, it will be worth dismantling the assembly and checking the internal seal is still in good condition, replace it if in any doubt.
That's inside the valve assembly. Unscrew the slotted end cap while holding the body of the valve in the NRV tood or a vice etc. Inside will be the spring, carrier and seal.
Erring on the side of caution against graunching slot with a screwdriver on the off chance it’s stubbornly tight, the longer cylinder portion of NRV can be nicely gripped with a keyless drill chuck (note dimple marks left by something chucky in it’s past), then cracked apart with the NRV tool.
Good evening. I've another question. Does anyone have any tips on how to make brass shine? I saw a YouTube video that recommended soaking it in acetic acid for 24 hours. I tried this with the burner. The soot disappeared, but the brass turned pink.
You're lucky you tried that on the burner, not the pressure vessel- the pink colour is due to the acid removing the zinc from the brass, making it closer to copper, a much weaker material. Not good for a stove tank! I don't do a lot of polishing so will leave others to advise, it's a topic that's been covered on here a lot in the past if you search. A lot of us avoid polishes which contain ammonia as there is a possbility they can also weaken brass.
Good morning, I'm now trying to remove the soot from the inside of the burner. There's a lot of soot. I put the burner in denatured alcohol during the night and I was able to remove some of the soot with a pipe cleaner, but not all. The soot is hard and I could scrape away some with a bit of wire. I need some advice here.
if need be you can always use a brass brush. Done that a bunch of times. You can also use Kerosene as its also a solvent..and a brush. Makes a hell of a mess though.
Thanks a lot for your answer. I have a brass brush, but it's far too big to fit inside those small holes. But I think I managed to remove most if the soothe with a wire after soaking the burner in denatured alcohol. I've also polished the tank, so now it's shining. Next step is to clean that brass net and the burner cap. The restoration work is progressing.
Some notes on burner cleaning from another thread. In the case of a regulated silent burner like yours, you'd need to dismanlte the burner first and replace the graphite spindle packing afterwards, so it's easier to try your best with some wire or a piece of braided cable and seen if you get good enough burn quality.
