Coleman 530 fettle - a journey into the unknown...

Elsewhere in the pages of this august organ, I've described the problems I've been having bringing a Coleman 530 back to life. I've got so far with this little adventure and eventually, I'll record my progress towards what I hope will be a happy conclusion...

But for now, can anyone tell me what the free length of the spring in the fuel/air tube ought to be?

 

To begin at the very beginning...

Some time ago, Trevor (shagrat) very kindly gifted me one of these stoves, lightly used, with the cookpots/storage container and in the original box. I took it to the Coleman weekend photoshoot�



...and gave it the once-over but, unsurprisingly, it had 'issues'. Then was neither the time nor the place to fettle it so it went back into it's box.

A few days ago, Pete (darkgael) asked in another forum about priming a Coleman 530 because his was prone to flaring just after the valve wheel was opened. I thought I might have a look at mine and since it was near the top of the 'pile', out it came...

I poured out the fuel (the usual stinky US gasoline) that had been left in the tank for decades, probably. Both the pump leather and filler cap seal were rock hard so the former was dumped in olive oil to soften it and the latter was replaced by an O-ring. On re-assembly, all appeared to be in order - the tank pressurised nicely and there was a satisfying hiss when the valve wheel was opened. No leaks were apparent so it was time for a first try-out. 8-[

Unlike Pete's stove, mine had the exact opposite problem - only air and no fuel when the valve wheel was opened 1/4 turn. Bugger! With Coleman lanterns, this is usually a problem with the fuel and air tube. I knew I wouldn't have an opportunity to investigate that for a couple of days, so I used the time to repeatedly rinse and flush out the tank. An amazing amount of grey/blue gritty stuff came out of the tank.

This morning, I removed the fuel and air tube from the tank:-

Not too difficult to see the cause of the problem!

I cleaned the outside of the fuel and air tube with a brass-bristled wire brush and dismantled everything and cleaned it all up. The tube itself went into some vinegar for 20 minutes which was sufficient to loosen the remainder of the crud.

(I took photographs of the dismantled tube, spring and rod but they were blurred so I deleted them, fully intending to take others. However, I forgot... )

Anyway:-

The fuel and air tube with the valve wheel at 1/4 turn open - the end of the central rod can just be seen poking through the fuel port. It doesn't fully retract until the valve wheel is opened about 1 1/2 turns - is that right?

With the fuel and air tube out of the tank, I gave it a final rinse out and drained it through the central hole:-

The last of the crud - this is about 2% of what was in the tank.

So I put it all back together and lit it again. Same as yours, Pete - very, er, 'lively' when the valve wheel is first opened! I think this is the fuel in the line from the previous use being pushed through the nipple without any air mixed in with it. It settled down quickly when the valve wheel was opened through 90 degrees, though.


There was still a fair bit of crud in the fuel path and the nipple needed frequent clearing - hence the lop-sided flame pattern on the burner bell.

So, back on with the pan support, quickly followed by the kettle:-


I did as the instructions suggested and boiled some water in the cookpots to get rid of the gasoline smell:-


By this time the flame had settled down very nicely:-


And inevitably...

A bit of CR...


How's that..?

Thanks to Trevor for giving me the 530 in the first place and to Pete for providing the stimulus to fettle it...

Success! \

The free length of the spring? - oh, I just stretched it a 'bit'...|imgRemoved|

 

=D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D>

EXCELLENT!!!! =D> =D> =D> =D> =D>

Well done David, and a big thank's to Trev aswell - He's a true gentleman!!


Best Regards,
Magnus

 

Good stuff David . . .it's amazing how much fettling can be achieved by just cleaning out all the muck !

 

Um... What's with the snake? Is it a biblical reference?

 

Hi David

Great fettle - this thread should probably be put in the 'Fettler's Workshop'.

Paul - that is my friendly Adder which keeps the local cats at bay.

 

i'm with keith on this..for something this old and nasty it sure came back to life with
just some easy fetteling..no parts buys..making new bits..so on..nice work

 

Trevor, I think you'll find that your 'adder' is a 'rattler' - if you look closely, you can see its maracas...

Pesky varmint...

 

That pesky rattler has had me fooled for years that he was an adder.

When I first encountered him, he was saying, "One add one equals two, two add two equals 4, . . . . . . . . . ."

 

I've got four of those stoves of the 530 design and they all had issues when I got 'em. Like you did, a good cleaning, oil the pump leather and a new fill cap gasket got 'em all running like new.

I use 3in1 Oil. I think having a can of 3in1 at hand is mandated by Federal Law. If it isn't, it should be, along with a good flashlight.

You will likely note that these stoves are basically a vertically oriented blow torch equipped with a pot stand. Excellent for boiling water. Not so much for cooking, as they usually do not simmer well at all.

The only one of mine I've ever actually used was issued by Civil Defense in the very early 50's and has four absolutely loverly little folding foots which stabilize it quite nicely.

Why four and not three is a mystery.

Gerry

 

I have had several 530 and 520,s they are great burners. usually pretty simple to get going and have very few problems. They do however have two settings ...Burn and Incinerate. Great for making a brew horrible for simmering. I have been told to use the cleaning needle as needed to simmer. I am thinking that it might burn it to a crisp so I have not given it much merit.

 

Well that's the conventional wisdom alright - but when I looked at the Coleman 502 instructions it says you can regulate the flame on that stove with the cleaner regulator lever...

Maybe the 502 works on a different principle or something...

 

Same principle, different geography. The 502's needle is further from the heat source. Also the 502 is a Civilian. The 520's and 30's are GI and designed and intended for different, more utilitarian service.

I seriously doubt the engineers who designed the 520-30 series of stove foresaw some poor dogface gently reducing a Sauce Bearnaise while crouched in a shell crater half full of filthy ice water with 8mm bullets from a Kraut MG-42 screaming inches over his head.

That's my story and I'm sticking with it.

Gerry

 

Now that makes sense, Gerry.

In lantern terms, the 520/530 pricker is similar to the Tilley/Vapalux/Bialaddin principle, whereas the 502 must be like the Petromax arrangement...

 

David there should be a thin metal plate inside the stove containers. This is used whenever you use aluminium pots or the canisters for heating. You can achive some degree of simmer but using a thicker and greater diameter plate to heat your food. I have one which is about 6 inches in diameter and 1/8 inch thick and it works a treat in allowing me to cook up a soup. If you can't get one or would rather not, be sure your pots always have water in them. The 520-530 type stoves burn hot enough to melt through the bottom of your aluminium pots.

In simple terms what happens, the pure aluminium of the pot melts and the thin coat of aluminium oxide which melts at a much higher tempture can no longer support the weight of the melted aluminum, thus the bottom of your pot falls apart.

lance

 

Ah, now that explains why there are a couple of layers of bubblewrap in there to stop the stove rattling about inside - the simmer-plate is missing!

What thickness is it, Lance? Hopefully I can get some alumin(i)um sheet and cut out a circle to suit - otherwise do a 'Robert' and cut the bottom out of an old saucepan...

 

if memory serves it is about 16 gauge. Alumin(i)um will not work as you are in the same boat again. i have some stainless steel which i have cut to rounds and will supply same to you, no charge. Using the stainless one does not (or so it seems to me) need the larger and thicker material. If you can't wait until i return home to send it off a local sheet metal shop should have a bit of scrap they will part with at a nominal charge. The smaller plate fits inside the can and of coarse the larger will not. Of the two, the smaller and thinner plate will be the most usefull to you so long as you are using the canister for your pots. Even larger pans can be used with the simmer plate so long as you understand the the flame is impinging on the pan in a circle a bit smaller then the outer diameter of the pot supports. A proper fitting simmer plate will be a tad smaller in size than the outer edge of the cutouts on the pot supports.

"otherwise do a 'Robert' and cut the bottom out of an old saucepan"

Nothing against Robert in this, but i'd hate to see an otherwise usefull fry pan so damaged.

lance

 

Thanks Lance. As it happens, the place where I get my paraffin also sells steel and I'm going there today. I'll see what they have in the off-cuts - might get lucky! Cheers...

 

You are welcome. Do check back and let us know how it works out for you.

lance

 

Hmm - no offcuts...

But 3mm steel sheet is only £2.60 per square foot and I'd get four simmerplates out of that. However, I think that the "16 gauge" you mentioned, Lance, is only 1.6mm thick (1/16") and the 3mm is the thinnest stock they have. I'll look elsewhere...

As an aside, paraffin from the pump there has gone up from 65p/litre to 77p/litre - about $1.60/litre...