@JHvW@NL I've removed and re-installed many valve assemblies this past year and have never had to add thread sealant. The threads are tapered. Just re-install to the depth it was before the removal and you should be fine. You should be able to it feel tightening the last half turn or so. Some people on the Classic Coleman Forum use Blue Loctite. Mike
Thanks for this information. I use Loctite on most jobs when I want to make sure the bond holds, so I should have some lying around. But as you think a cold bond might be sufficient, I will try that first.
Finding gas-proof Schrader valve cores can be a problem, I found out. Nothing in the local auto stores except the regular tire models. One on line company had them but would only ship in lots of "a thousand"!!! Found my Blue Viton cores at www.schmidtyracing.com. Got a pack of four for $7.00 + sh/h. Good luck. Tom
Thanks for the advice. But before ordering in replacement valves (the postage and handling are going to be really expensive) I am going to purchase an extractor tool (they only cost a few dollars) and see if the valve is damaged. If that is the case I am going to ask around, there must be someplace that sells them in Europe. I was not familiar with Blue Viton, I now know that it is a solvent resistant synthetic rubber. You learn every day.
Well an update. I have removed the valve and cleaned it (with white gas). I then reassembled the shut-off valve and attached it to the tank (no need for a sealant). When I pressurize the tank, no fuel seems to leak out. I then reassembled the stove and fired it up. It now burns with a much hotter flame and the tank seems to hold it's pressure. The regulator however, still is a bit "dodgy" (sorry, I learnt how to speak English in England). But as the stove now does what it is supposed to do, I am worried that if I fettle anymore, something will break. It is a testament to the Coleman Company that they built such excellent products. After about two hours most of the pressure in the tank seems to have disappeared. Something is obviously not right. But hey, after thirty years I can still make coffee and heat my food!
Tom, I purchased the valves as well. My thanks to you for your research / searching. My recollection is that, until now, for us to obtain the fuel proof schraeder valve meant purchase of newest version of complete valve assembly with pick up tube. This is and has been a good option that OldColemanParts offers . Being able to buy just the inner works, shraeder valve itself (at 20% of cost), is now another option to consider. Hopefully it's *compatible and performs as advertised (it may be a better product?, it's use being a car's, pressure fuel system). thx omc TMI: Original coleman schraeder valves, the "seal" may be black or red or ? The color of replacemenst from OldColemanParts I dunno. RE: SchmidtyRacing's High pressure/high heat, nickel plated,viton or rubber seal schrader valve cores for small bore schrader valves (being "high pressure" the *compatibility question may incl. open/close spring tension?... we shall see). They offer THREE options / colors: Blue Viton: Operating range of (30 - 500) PSI, and (-40) - 450 degrees Green Buna: Operating range of (30 - 800) PSI, and (-10) - 300 degrees White Nitrile: Operating range of (80 - 4000) PSI, and (-40) - 225 degrees BTW, the tolerance ratings of the 3 color options re PSI vs heat are interesting. @Greeley , @BradB fyi
The "dunk test" I am familiar with. We use it to find punctures in bicycle tires (yes, we still use tires with inner tubes). But I am not going to subject my stove to that test as the stove seems to do the job it is supposed to do quite well after this "fettle". In Europe you can get Schrader valves which are used in AC equipment. They can probably withstand high pressure and solvent. Unfortunately I have not been able to find a seller which sells high performance auto parts. But as Schrader valves seem to be "foolproof", a good clean was maybe all that was needed. After all, my stove is 32 years old, so it was about time I cleaned it properly.
We use the dunk test quite often. You said that it loses pressure, so the dunk test would identify where, and what part is failing.
I would agree. But finding out is only the forebode to another "fettle". I can live with the current state. I have no need to find out if there is anything else wrong (which there probably is). Until the time the stove shows more problems, I am perfectly happy with the way the stove performs. If I am lucky, I will die before the stove does. Please do not get me wrong, I am very happy with the help I have gotten so far, it has put my stove back into service. But I am not a real "fettler", I just want things to do the job they were designed for. And as I have stated, the Coleman Company has made a product which excels, probably because of it's simplicity, but also because many people try to keep them alive. So thanks again, to everybody.
Thanks for this answer. There is a similar organisation in Europe, although I have the feeling that these Coleman stoves were never very popular in Europe. I was a convert from the day I saw one. I now also have a 424 and a 442. I buy old stoves when I can, for the parts.
It is probably a good place to get parts. But to give you an idea, shipping some small parts to Europe is going to take 7-14 days and will easily cost around $ 25,-. As the 400A was never really popular they can be bought second hand (in good working condition) for around $ 50,-. Then you have a working stove and you can canabalize the old stove. You can pick up old broken stoves for next to nothing (which is what I do), you just have to hope that the part you need is on the stove and is still in working order. My experience is that nowadays people just throw away things (or sell them) rather than fettling them. Good for us. And if you get stuck or do not know what to do, there are very helpful forums like these. BTW I like your lamp, that is a real classic.
@Greeley Thanks for the link to the Schrader valves. I now have some on the way. I have at least one stove I can remember that could use a new one, maybe my 400.
I've been fettling an old brown 400. It would not light but after a fairly steep learning curve I've now soaked the tank in meths/denatured alcohol (I suspected the pickup tube was blocked) and torched the generator a few times. It now lights and runs (nearly an hour tonite). There is a tiny leak on the flame adjust but I think it just needs to be a bit tighter. So, I'm happy. But, I still have doubts about the main red knob valve. If I pressurise the stove with the generator removed, and open the red knob valve I get spits and droplets ejected...and air. This is enough to run the stove clearly...as it burns with a strong flame. But should there be a plume of fuel spouting from the valve? Hope you can comment...thx. James
I should add that the red knob valve does not leak when closed and pressure is maintained just fine. My concern is that insufficient fuel is passing when the valve is open.
Coleman 400A stove has different fuel shutoff valve than 400B's. When I have dismantled mine, I have seen that the control lever only moves a brass piece up and down that push a Schrader valve placed at the top of the fuel tube. Normally if this valve is OK than no fuel should enter the generator when it is closed. A leak can easily remedied by simply screwing the nut at the fuel shut-off valve. This will squeeze the packing inside, which in turns will seal it. Another possible place of leak is where the generator is attached to valve assembly. Again squeezing its nut will stop the leak.
