Optimus 45A (Alcohol) with Sea Swing... need help with burner!!

Hi,
I have an Optimus 45 that I bought that was mounted to a Sea Swing that came with a paraffin burner. A friend of mine gave me a 45A (alcohol burner for the 45... which had been previously impossible for me to find). I am trying to get it set up in my sailboat, and can't get the alcohol burner to work properly. Anyone have a refurbished one I could buy with trade on this one that needs refurbishment? Anyone out there refurbish the 45A burner?

Thanks,
Scott

 

Hi Sott Abbot Do you have the silent burner caps that should be with this burner?​

From this thread:

Optimus 45 Sea Swing in small boat

Best Regards,
Kerophile.

 

I think I do... they fit and I think are correct.

 

Additionally to what @kerophile asked, those two bolts blocking a couple of air inlet holes shouldn’t be there.

 

Primus 535 A - Late model marine stove

Please see comments about cleaning up all the component parts of the burner....

 

Thank you. I will remove...
Know anyone that refurbishes these or has a ready to go Optimus 45 with a 209 burner? I would be happy to trade what I have plus cash for purchase of working unit.

 

Bluewater Stove Restoration

 

Thanks!

 

Which symptoms are you experiencing with this burner?
Yellow flames, flame blows itself out, not enough vaporized fuel, no fuel at all?

 

can't get the flame at all... I hear the pressure rising up through, but that's it. Using denatured alcohol with a somewhat good condition Optimist 45. think the whole thing needs to be broken down and cleaned.

 

Hi @Scott Abbott

As a first check, remove the burner caps, pressurise the stove and open the regulator valve. Do you get a nice powerful jet of liquid alcohol rising from the burner?

It occurs to me that the deliberately blocked ventilation holes, indicated by @presscall suggest that a previous owner might have tried to run this burner on a fuel other than alcohol.

If so it is possible that the jet was also changed, and might now be unsuitable for a “free-breathing” burner.

Please check the aperture diameter of the jet and let us know so we may comment.


Best Regards,
Kerophile.

 

I have a 45A, came in a Sea Swing. I figured out that I had to use Green Strip denatured alcohol for it to work, regular denatured alcohol wouldn't work, flame acted like it was blowing out. I have all three caps shown.
Duane

 

Good Morning, Scott (@Scott Abbott),

Does your outer silent cap have two small tabs on the bottom edge? These are supposed to fit into those two small slots on opposite sides of the burner bell. The Optimus 209 burner is sometimes hard to make run properly. But, patience will pay off, and if you persevere, you will have an excellent burning 45A stove!

Here in the US, those burners are not always easy to find. So, consider yourself lucky that you indeed have one!! Properly running, that burner is "fairly" efficient at burner Methylated Spirits, too, when compared to other alcohol burners. Good luck, and do make sure you answer the question that @kerophile asked, about the orifice in your jet. That could be your problem. Take care, and God Bless!

Every Good Wish,
Doc

 

I don't have a tool that can measure that type of diameter. Is there a new one I can order? Is there a source for a refurbished 209?

 

removed the caps but do not get a stream of alcohol at all, regardless of the amount of turns I make on the valve adjustment... however, do hear air moving

 

I got it working! I removed the screws, rinsed out fuel vessel again, pumped it up well, ran raw alcohol through the valve and then restarted the normal lighting process. Success! Blue flame on denatured alcohol! Sea Swing on line!

 

@kerophile It’s sorted George.

 

Hi @Scott Abbott ,

Some background: this post will show you the inner workings of a regulated burner so you may see how it works:

Regulated burner cutaway

The closed position is achieved with the regulator knob fully clock-wise.

The "cleaning needle fully up" position occurs with the regulator knob fully anti-clockwise.

The maximum stove power position on a regulated burner of this type is mid-way between the closed and needle fully up positions.

There is only about 1/4 to one-third of a turn between these two positions.

You should never use the needle of a regulated burner as a throttle because you will get rapid erosion of the needle.

If you have fuel leaking out of the jet when the regulator knob is fully clockwise, the cleaning needle is preventing the needle valve from fully closing. You need to remove the jet and cleaning needle and then re-set the cleaning needle to 3 or 4 "clicks" before re-inserting the jet.

Hope this helps,

Best Regards,
Kerophile.

 

Bravo!!!!

 

Thanks to all for all of the help! Any idea where I might go to try and find a backup 209 Valve? Here is an action shot this past evening. I plan to get it installed back to the Sea Swing today. Thanks again!