There are levels here. 1) Replace. Buy a new one. 2) Pay someone to do it for you. 3) Fettle. Clean it. Look at it. 4) Master Fettle. Rebuild, braze, make parts, make springs, replace prickers, form shapes, etc. Easy to see where this repair fit.
@JP2 The answer to your question depends on many things including the type, shape, construction, and packing of the generator, and your skills and tools. Do you have a particular generator or style of generator in mind? Tony
Yes, Coleman 400 or 508 The idea is to modified it so it is easy to remove but if the serpentine is weld by inside then not good.
Well done Sir. This forum is stunning, lots of ingenuity and work for things considered waste elsewhere
@Toby Garner Yes very nice, so much I have had to fire up my Coleman 400 even if it is -10 outside . Love it. Have a look. Have a good day everyone.
I’m hoping to make a similar repair with this brazing rod and want to get a solid pencil torch or something. Anyone have any good rec on the pencil torch or on an alt rod? Hate to splurge on 20 rods when I need a drop but.. ?
@MyDearFount when you say pencil torch, are you referring to a butane torch? I would be concerned you would not get the object being repaired hot enough. Might on a gen tube like I have here, but anything substantial, I have my doubts. A propane torch would be plenty though. I guess it depends on how thick of a piece you're brazing. Don't forget you need some good flux too!
Gotcha thanks! Yes I should use propane. I’ll be brazing the generator crack on mine much like OP’s. I ran a test on my other stove today - it’s a 400 (brown root beer one) with same gen as 400A. Anyway I boiled a big pot of water (10” diameter pot) and took some temp measurements on the generator nut that holds that flared end onto the fuel tube. Even after running on max for several (8-10?) minutes the temp reading on the generator nut was 160-250 deg F. Why the range? Well I have a simple touchless temp meter with the red laser dot and you can’t be certain what you’re aimed at. So I took the measurement across a small area. I’m pretty sure the nut was the low end of the area I pointed it at so I’d bet that the gen nut runs at a paltry 160deg F. And the flared tube end is under it with cool fuel running through it so if anything it’s even cooler. For safety purposes I’d still use brazing material that can take 500deg F to be confident.
