Any recommendations on how to secure the fount on a Coleman 400a backpack stove to remove the valve assembly? I got a little to over zealous and dented the sides of the fount when I placed it in a bench vise. Don't want to do that again!
Sorry you dented fount, live and learn. May want to first check and see if you have damaged the joint where sides and bottom joins? If it hold fuel you are good. Place valve in vice and turn fount. Try a few drop denatured alcohol to the thread joint and let it soak in. Some have used heat. Try boiling water first before torch to valve body. The thread locker they used can be very very tough to loosen as you know already. Daryl sunny SoCal
@Kevin D Ewing Bummer! Sorry that happened to you!!! I've never had one so tight (in the 400-family) that I couldn't remove by holding it by hand and using a large crescent wrench. But there are always exceptions to everything. But that's neither here nor there. If you still have that problem I would think a "rubber" strap wrench would work perfectly for you! No heat! No chemicals! Just a little APPROPRIATE force. Here's a pic. Often used to remove auto oil filters that can be on very tight! They work very well and come in a few sizes. The strap can be rubber or nylon, etc. I would imagine the cheapest one you can find will have more than enough holding power. Remove the valve-stop bracket to get a good bite on the valve flats! I am sure you already know how to approach the wrench portion but I'll mention my thoughts on it. I have a bit of a technique that involves a LARGE 10" crescent wrench. Put the strap low on the fount. I would twist the valve with the wrench. Make sure the jaws are tight on the flats of the valve. NO SLOP! This valve must succumb to these tools. The valve WILL turn! If NOT, then you have a "true problem". Now you have to get really serious! Try twisting the fount. Get a buddy as an extra pair of hands to hold the rubber strap wrench and fount so you can get serious with the crescent wrench. If you have to torch it, apply the flame to the generator and the nut attached to the valve keeping the flame pointing upwards and away from the fount and the PAINT/DECALS! Personally I've never found their thread locker or whatever that "tough" so this all sounds incredulous to me. I've probably just been lucky. But it is a small threaded valve. GOOD LUCK! Let us know how it goes!
