Hi folks I think I have the b version of this stove. It has two tubes under the burner. Does any one use one and what fuel is recommended. I am reading various things and people or some seem wary of using petrol/ white gas but stick with paraffin even though the b version is designed for petrol etc. thoughts ? I am in the uk I plan to use it camping trekking so don’t really want to go up in ball of flame
Change out the pip in the NRV before using. I've had four of this model and every one had a hard pip was either sealing poorly or not at all. No issue with petrol. I would research how they are using kerosene/paraffin. Duane
@Tez alkylate petrol designed for 4 stroke lawnmowers etc such as Aspen 4T or husqvana's equivalent is essentially the same as coleman fuel but a little cheaper. I get mine from a local farming supplies merchant. Don't get Aspen 2 though. its meant for 2 stroke engines. Some people use naptha based panel wipe too. The additives in regular petrol are likely to cause the burner to clog up. Regards John
B is usually for Benzine -- which is gasoline [petrol] -- white gas -- Aspen 4 -- Naptha -- not current Auto gas which has many noxious and toxic additives for pollution control or performance boost in internal combustion engines,
It probably won't be working very well if they are. The reduced number of tubes in the burner head mean that there will be less thermal energy being fed into the liquid fuel so the evaporation into vapour is compromised. It might give up as you increase the flow resulting in a fire, especially on a cold and windy day out in the wilds when you are relying on the stove to get hot food or drinks. Regards John
@Tez, the 'B' variant on paraffin is a bit of a funny one. It is not designed to vaporise paraffin, but many of them will run on it. I have had one which would run happily on paraffin, one which would run but was very edgy and always on the point of flaring up, and another which would not run reliably at all. These stoves are a poor design in terms of safety when using naptha, a leaking pump valve means highly flammable fuel can excape under pressure- less of an issue with the paraffin model but potentially catastrophic with the more volatile fuel. Whatever you do, you need to replace the rubber seal in the pump valve (called various different things on this site, non return valve/NRV 'pip') and ensure the seal between pump valve body and pump tube is in good order. The filler cap seal and safety valve (also called SRV here) seal also need renewing. These need to be quality components from a trusted source. Then you can safely use and enjoy the stove, but you will need to inspect and maintain it, i.e. replace seals in future before they fail rather than regret it when you have a fire on your hands. Don't let any of that put you off, they are safe when maintained properly, this just isn't a design of stove where you can safely fuel it up and 'check if it still works' like a total div. Replace the consumable serivce parts (seals) first. There are cheaper sources for suitable fuel in the UK- Aspen 4T as mentioned, evn cheaper is Holts professional brake cleaner in 5L tins which is equally suitable, there is another possibility too mentioned in the last page of this thread. To put it frankly, in the UK they are an enthusiast's stove- very expensive to run, and bulky and heavy for what they can do. No idea if it has sentimental value etc. but if you like the format but want something more economical then flogging it to part fund the straight paraffin version No.111 would be a better bet.
You only have the remains of a pump leather there so that will need replacing. Well done for getting the pump valve assembly out without damage. There is a seal inside which needs replacing with a new, quality, Viton component. It is hard to tell from the photo but there appears to be a lead sealing washer on the pump valve body- these are soft and deform on tightening. Very often they can be used again. You'll also need a new filler cap seal and safety valve seal. Reassemble, pressurise and immerse in water to check for leaks before putting fuel anywhere near it.
It should be nice and straightforward- you've done the sometimes tricky part getting the pump valve out!
I would recommend Aspen 4 or similar alkylatefuel. Not because of the price, here in The Netherlands it's the most expensive option, but for health and smell concerns. It has virtually no sulphur and due to it's production process out of gasses such as Butane no aromatic rings (aromatic compounds). Therefore the smell and risks of getting a headache are almost zero. My girlfriend immediately starts complaining when I use Coleman fuel or White Gas but with Aspen 4 it's no problem. A little bonus is that it burns fiercely due to the presence of butane gas still dissolved in the liquid.
Just double checking here does the nrv come apart and contain a spring and a pip ? Have seen it dismantled on a few videos but don’t think I have seen one yet regarding dismantling it. If it does I think bit of force is going to be required
Sometimes a Optimus 111B doesn't contain the brass pip holder but instead the pip has a special shape so that it fits directly on the spring. Fettlebox UK sells separate pip holders so that you can equip your NRV with a new soft Viton pip. Non-return valve (NRV) pip & holder (conversion) - The Fettlebox A was just about to type: Make sure you apply only a gentle force when you screw the NRV open. Otherwise the soft brass will likely break.
