I got a 111T in the mail today and of course could not wait to fire it up. After checking it out for any obvious flaws, I put some Coleman fuel in the tank, primed it and lit it. (It has the silent burner, BTW. Don't know if this is standard so thought I'd mention it.) The flame was quite yellow. I thought to myself, perhaps I had not sufficiently primed it, so I turned it off and let it cool. On 2nd attempt, I made sure to give it a good, long priming. Still has the yellow flames. I also noticed that there is an occasional puff of flame directly at the jet orifice. I wonder if: A. I am not pumping enough to get the pressure to really vaporize the fuel B. It has the wrong jet installed (and how would I find out?) C. If it just needs to run a while -- the manual for the new Hikers on the Optimus website says that new ones may run yellow for a while. This is not a new one, I got it from the Old Grouch, but perhaps whatever he does to "rebuild" them might have had this consequence. D. Something else one of you folks have run into before that I would never in my wildest dreams think up. TIA for the help!
Hi Brearnold. I also ordered one of those 111T's from the grouch and i must say i'm very happy with it. It works awsome,and the price is great. I use kero in mine i find it burns hotter. I must say i'm a little puzzled that yours burns yellow. Have you tried kero in it ? Did you make sure that the alcohol cylinder isn't installed in the burner? Give the tank a good rinse and check your jet. I have a feeling you have the wrong jet installed. The orphice on a alcohol jet is quit large compared to the 2509 Multifuel or the 2510 petrol jet. Keep us posted Take care
Open the control valve slowly or you will start to engage the cleaning needle which in turn will give a yellow flame.
Mostly (but not always ), the jets are stamped for the fuel to use. A = Alcohol G = Gasoline/Coleman M = Multi-fuel. Kero, gasoline/Coleman The A jet also uses some type of 'Restrictor', a tube with some holes at the lower end, slips down the burner tube
Where abouts on the jet would it be marked,mine isn't stamped. But it works great on kero so i'm assuming its the multifuel jet.Does anyone know if the hole on the multifuel jet is bigger than the Coleman fuel/gasoline jet?Just wondering. Take care
I will pull the jet next chance I get and see if it is marked A or M. Thanks for the tip. It seems most likely to me that this is the problem. Should be no problem getting the right jet from A&H if need be.
Although this is from an Optimus 99 stove, you should get an idea of how the jets are likely to be marked. All the best with the fettle
Thanks spudz. I think they should ALL be marked,how the bloody hell is one suppose to know what kind of jet they have... Take care
OK, I pulled the jet today. It was not marked. So I compared it with a jet from an Optimus 8R. The orifice was clearly larger. Just to see what would happen, I put the one from the 111 into the 8R and got the same result: yellow flames. So, says I, how about if I put the one from the 8R into the 111? Maybe it would work like a champ. Well, not exactly. While the flames are blue like they should be, they are not very strong. More like wispy and wavering. It is as though it is turned way too far down, when the valve is open to the fullest (and by fullest, I do not mean that I am turning it up so far that the jet cleaner is affecting things.) So, while I think I have the first problem solved (and will be ordering a replacement jet from A&H), now I am stumped as to why there is not a good, healthy flame.
Hey, Brerarnold, The jets are an odd sort of mumbo-jumbo, that can be extremely perplexing, sometimes!! I worked on a fellow's 111B, when he came on board here at CCS, and asked for help. He sent me his stove, and I just could not get it to work properly. I tried quite a few jets, and none of them worked well. So, I decided to use a jet from a known good 111B that I'd had for years. VOILA: his stove worked like a champ!! So, I returned it to him, and he was as happy as a clam with it's performance!! However, now I had a previously good 111B that had become a dog, and no amount of jet substitution worked for it. Brother Spudz, from Italy (by way of Ireland) sent me some jets to try, and those didn't work either. So, I returned them to him. Those jets have been around that world, that's for sure!! 8) 8) Finally, I did what I should have done in the first place: I ordered several new, and proper, 111B, gasoline jets from A&H. Guess what? The stove was back to it's old self, and once again roaring defiantly into the night!!! Yippee!! So, my advice to you is to go ahead and order the proper 111 jets, and make sure you tell Bob and Shirlene, exactly, which 111 stove you have: 111, 111B, 111T, or 111C. That way, they will certainly send you the proper jet. While you're at it, you might consider ordering a few spare jets, just for grins. Been there, done that, best course of action!! Take care, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc
Brerarnold, first i would check the pump. If you have one of the newer 111T's it'll have a o-ring style pump in it. If this o-ring is just slightly worn down you won't get a decent flame even if you pump it 100 times,trust me i know.Second i would check the gasket on the fillercap it would'nt hurt to check your NRV too and lastly the fuel pick-up tube to see if there's any blockage in there. Hope this helps Take care
Regarding the jet, I am definitely going to order the right one. I appreciate the suggestion to let Bob and Shirlene know what I need. They have been so helpful before. I believe I will give them a call. As far as the pump, yes it has the O ring. I pulled it before putting any gas in the tank and it is fine. If anything, it is a little hard to pump. The gasket on the filler cap is brand new also. Since I got a good strong flame with the A jet installed I don't think there is a problem with the fuel pick-up tube. Insufficient combustion, but a good strong flame!
What about the puff of flame from the spindle area ? I have the same problem with my manky 111T. I must admit I took the valve apart and all the graphite packing fell out. I stuffed it back in and cranked the nut down hard, but I still get flames coming out. Have I done something wrong ? Do I need mroe grahpte packing ? Thanks
I've been reading this thread with interest.....my 111T is in the mail from Old Grouch. I believe these stoves are ex-US Marine Corp, and I strongly suspect that during their working lives they've been run on diesel or mogas (US military term for automotive gasoline). That might mean nasty additives or their residue in the tank. Just try and imagine a group of Marines in the field in some god-forsaken place. There is probably not any kerosene / parifin or alcohol and definitely no Coleman fuel. They'll use whatever is handy, and as long as it heats, they don't care about the yellow flame. Paul
Optimist: The puff of flame from the spindle area has been gone since I replaced the jet with one from an 8R. So my guess is, too large an aperture was allowing enough fuel to escape that it occasionally burned down there. Ulysses: I was thinking about that last night. You are quite right in the scenario you suggest. It is possible that there was some residue that had to be burned out. I rinsed the tank first but did not give it what I'd call a thorough cleaning. Could have been something in the wick also, which would be more recalcitrant. Anyway, with some further fiddling about -- taking things apart and putting them back together -- it is now working just like it should. What a lovely flame! And it cooks so much more quickly than any other stove I own. I am still going to order a new jet, and some other spare parts from A&H. But I thank everyone for their help, and glad to have such a wonderful stove.
I'm probably going to get some flack for this but i believe the 111T to be the best stove Optimus (yes even more so than the beloved 111 kero) produced in the 111 series. You have there a burner that is quiet, burns as hot as a blasting furnace and can simmer your sauces with a delicate touch What more can we ask for? A flame that is more wind resitent...connect both pot supports with a couple small pieces of foil works great. I use my roarers when i want to scare the animals away Take care
Hey, alnl1996, As much as I love my 111 and 111B stoves, I actually agree with you about the 111T! I've always been very partial to multi-fuel stoves, and for that reason alone, the 111T is head and shoulders above the other 111 stoves. Some say it's harder to light, but I've not had that problem. Certainly, with care and skill, which is needed for ANY stove, the 111T can do just about anything that needs to be done with a stove. It may even be possible to jury rig it into a true backpacking stove! I'm still working on an idea that I got while reading a 1960's book on camping. In that book, it was suggested that, using a Sigg Tourist cookset and a 111 stove, the pair could be combined, with careful attention to the process. The way it reads is: Take the 111 fuel tank and burner out of the steel case; carefully using a pair of tin snips, enlarge one of the windscreen holes in the base of the Sigg Tourist kit, so that the burner fits inside the windscreen, with most of the tank on the outside. If properly done, this should result in being able to use the 111 stoves for regular backing, as you will lose the weight of the steel case! However, I'm not sure that the tank and burner will then fit into the Sigg kit, as the book promises it will do. Thuggy donated a damaged Sigg kit for this project, as I was somewhat loathe to cut-up a good one, so I'll have to dig that out, finally take snips in hand, and give it a go! I'll take photos along the way, and post them here. In any case, no pun intended, the 111T is a very versatile and reliable stove, and I love mine!! Take care, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc
WOW! What a great idea Doc if you do this you will have the best backpacking stove known to man bar none. If i had a Sigg Tourist kit i'd be jumping on that right away. Take care
I have found the diamtres on the jets for 111 and addid them on my home page at http://www.geocities.com/dagskarlsen/parts.htm This wil make you able to identiy the right jet. dsk
