hi all: my new (old) optimus 00 arrived from england today. it looks to be in pretty good shape although it will need a little attention. definitely the leather pump cup. i don't know about the pump valve, i'll try the stove after i get the new leather cup installed and see what happens. the nipple where the gas comes out was clogged pretty badly and it took a little bit to clean that out with the wire pricker. i poured some solvent in the burner tube and it drips out of the nipple so it seems to be clear. can anybody tell me real quick how to remove the pump assembly from the tank body without damaging it, it looks like it's soldered in or pressure fit in..do you have to heat it up with a torch to remove it?? also i have a question on operation...do these stoves self-pressurize after a few minutes of operation and keep itself burning or do you have to keep working the pump after ignition to keep it going? this is my first stove of this type so please forgive my ignorance. thanks! tim
Hi Tim, if the pump leather is intact, soak it in oil, olive oil will do (no need to take the leather of the rod), let it soak a couple of hours Don't take out the pump assembly until you know its blocked Small stoves like these can self pressurise, but don't count on it, prime with alcohol first, and pump up a little just as the alcohol is burning off once the stove is hot, and you have pumped the tank, you should not really need to pump anymore Nice stove, well done. As usual, light the stove outdoors
Tim, Congrats on acquiring your new 00. A fine stove. Full instructions on using these stoves can be found on this site, like here for example Many of the Forum members reckon this size stove to be the perfect balance of power & portability . Enjoy the Flame Spudz
thanks guys appreciate the info again. (quote:once the stove is hot, and you have pumped the tank, you should not really need to pump anymore)______ yes this was what i was looking for...i read the instructions and the previous posts about lighting, i've gotten used to lighting my R8...so the lighting sequence seems simple. just wasn't sure about keeping her going once lit. the leather is totally shot.....it was wet with kero/oil, but basically crumbled in my hand when i inspected it. i'm concerned about the pump valve on the inside, i blew into the pump piston, but could feel no air moving into the tank. maybe i just can't generate enough pressure to get past the valve with my lungs. so when i get the new leather on and if i cannot get any pressure into the tank i'll have to replace that. that's when i'll need some help getting the pump tube body out ot the tank. can't wait to fire this baby up! it's pretty clean and looks really cool. the flame ring was a little deformed so i reformed that into more of a circular shape on a hard surface using a sharpie marker plastic body believe it or not to put the forming pressure on it. worked really well. took out the kinks and uneven spots nicely. thanks again + i'll be sure to let you know how it goes and post some pictures.
Hi Tim, Unless you're Superman, you won't be able to blow through the NRV. Get yourself a new leather pump bucket, either from a supplier or make your own using instructions here: https://classiccampstoves.com/threads/4391 Once you have the pump bucket, you can probably get air through the NRV. If not, it's easier to try putting some kerosene in the pump and trying to force that through. It's easy to mess up the NRV when removing it, so best to try less invasive measures first. Have fun. The 00 was my first kerosene stove, and is a great performer. ....Arch
Hi Tim You shouldn't have to remove the pump tube - there's a tool available to get the one-way valve out if required, but I think the valves used to be fitted by Hagar the Horrible himself, as they can be tight as you like, so any reason not to remove them is good - soft brass plus ill-fitting tool equals disaster. I've found that a bit of kero down the tube, plus one good pump flushes the valve and bob's your uncle. Report, pictures... yadaa yadda. Paul Edit: What ArchMc said.
Hi Tim Pump tube removal should be a very last resort ! As suggested paraffin ( kero ) and a bit of pumping often works, let them soak a bit in it as paraffin is very invasive. If still no joy try hot water in the tank and in the tube, and then pumping, before admitting defeat, and removing the NRV for service or replacement. As has been mentioned you need a serious pair of lungs to pressurise a tank ! I suspect you are the first to try Good luck with the stove, its one of my favourites. Cheers
hi all: photos of the new stove at: http://www.artprintco.com/webpub/STOVE.htm check it out. put some elbow grease into it last night and a bit of Brasso. it's lookin' good. enjoy thanks for all the input! tim
hi all: finally got the 00 fired up the other day. it works great! boiled a large coffee pot of water in less than ten minutes. it's definitely tempermental. you have to do things just right or it starts spewing kero out of the nipple in liquid form, then i had a big old fire and a burner head sooty mess to clean...i think i put too much kero in the tank the one time i had problems like that... the first time i lit it it ran good with no problems until the wind blew out the flame...then it was smoking like an S.O.B. until it struck me to open the screw valve and let the pressure out of the tank. the vaporized kero was spraying up against the hot burner plate. anyway having a lot of fun with it, my girlfriend thinks i'm crazy, out on the picnic table in the backyard with it heating up coffee on saturday morning.... BTW i posted in the "wanted" section, I am in need of a windshield to fit this stove, can anybody help? it doesn't need to be an original, just something that fits and works. it's been real windy here lately and having a tough time keeping it going in all the wind! as soon as i get me digital cam going, i'll post pics of it in flame... thanks + best regards tim
Tim - as for a windshield - have you thought of using one of those small tins, say something like those canned espresso come in, or maybe one of those small cans that you get tomato paste in? Might not work, but then, it just might and the cost to give it a try would be low too.
Nice stuff - looking very sweet indeed. There are two types of windshield for these. Firstly the small one which wraps around the lower half of the burner and is used to keep the flame from the meths (priming fuel) in next to the burner - there is an official part but if that is missing you can cut down a beer or soda can. But the stove can blow out for this you want a cooking windshield - people have been improvising these since god was a lad - My first, and reasonably effective, attempt was three eight inch squares of three sixteenth ply and some duct tape....
Tim, I doubt you had to much kero in it. Most likely you pumped to much pressure into it to fast, that is usually what causes that. Let it heat up and just give a pump maybe two and let it simmer upto temp. See how that works for you. Rob
This is as good a description as I've seen of the malady known as American Stovies' Syndrome (ASS). It's common among populations that have a dominant Coleman gene. We have to think about the cause(s), instead of just lighting the stove. To the ones mentioned so far, I will add my favorite: vaporizer tube not hot enough. Solution: Prime some more, or use a windscreen. (Don't feel too bad, you probably don't suffer from Brittannic Stovies' Syndrome (BSS), which is characterized by a curious difficulty in lighting a white gas appliance without producing a major fireball.) ....Arch
And thank your God with constant prayer that you are not afflicted with Pastaland induced Stovie Syndrome (PiSS) wink: ... You can acquire the stoves, but not the fuel ! : (well, it's easy to get alcohol / meths and auto unleaded petrol, even Green-Flame inducing Dry Cleaning Chlorinated Hydrocarbon stuff , but don't look for kerosene or Coleman fuel ) Enjoy the Flame Spudz
Nope - yer actual Brit, in the presence of C o l e m a n F u e l AKA " The Devil's Spirit." is to be found worrying about the health of his wallet or bank balance. He knows that a single gallon of the stuff will relieve him of seventy or eighty of your "Dollars". I might just be the only Scotsman who owns two eaters of C o l e m a n F u e l . But, you know what they say - a Fuel and his money....
