Two stoves I'm presently working on have stuck NRVs. I've tried the usual tricks like fitting the tool in a vice to exert downward pressure and even filling the tank with boiling water to expand the threaded joint - all to no avail. So, it looks as though I'll have to unsolder the pump tubes. I'm quite happy to attempt this and even relish the prospect of taking my fettling skills up a notch with one of the stoves: my mangy and seriously neglected Valor 55 as the world would be unlikely to shed a tear were I to make a mess of it. Unfortunately, the other stove is the pristine 1937 Primus 96 I'd waited so long to buy (and not cheaply either):frown: This stove came from a collector and was so good perhaps many here wouldn’t even have lit it. But I like my stoves to be in working order so this one needs the pump tube removing. I wouldn't even dream of attempting it until I've honed my skills by successfully repairing the Valor but even then don’t fancy it. The pump tube is very, VERY close to one of the legs and I can’t see how I would be able to keep it cool enough to avoid melting the solder. I’ve read the tutorials and understand the process and even have a fair amount of experience soldering plumbing fittings together but fear the 96 may be beyond me. All words of advice, encouragement or caution gratefully received. Cheers, John
Hey John, if you use a pencil tipped propane torch, not that big brass one sold at OSH or Home Depot you should be able to work on it with minimal effect to the stove leg. As Berniedawg did, he had a wet towel over the leg to keep the solder cool enough not to melt it away. I too just got hold of my 96 with a "Z" and its also had a difficult NRV to remove. I had to put the stove between my legs and the NRV tool I clamped on a visegrip and with enough force I hear a snap which almost gave me a heart attack, but the NRV came loose. Even with the tool, which was not that snug against the head, did a bit of bash on the corners but not enough to make any real damage. The pip was made of cork and after replacing it with rubber nitrile it works like a champ. Good luck on removing the pump tube. I think you will do quite well. Ron
Hi john removing the nrv is not as bad as you think i had to remove one last week with my burmos touring i used one of those small butane micro torches ihere is the link showing the torches i used https://classiccampstoves.com/threads/13461
Thanks for the replies and words of encouragement guys. I've just ordered a pencil flame butane torch as I'm keen to have a go at the Valor myself as, being bigger, it's less likely that I'll melt the leg off which seems a certainty with the 96. I also have a jet to silver solder into a burner. But, despite getting 'tooled up' for the job, where the 96 is concerned I'm dispatching it to one of our esteemed members who has kindly offered to fix it for me. As Dirty Harry said: "A man’s got to know his limitations" Cheers, John
Hi I'm sure I'm not the only person who has had NRV issues but I would like to pass on what I have learned from experience. The standard NRV removal tool is Cr*9 but there may be method in their madness I'll explain. I've made my own tight fitting and tube filling tools to remove NRVs' and these are great in theory. I can clamp the tool in a vice, press down on the stove to ensure the NRV doesn't get cammed out of the tool and totally knack the the pump tube in the process or crack the tank where its soldered to the tube. Pump tube removal is not a last resort for a precious stove but a prudent course of action as the alternative may cause a lot more unrepairable damage. I have now learned that if my NRV tool doesn't work in the hand then the tube has to come out. So the manufacturers may have been right if the NRV didn't come out with their tool take the stove to a service centre for a "proper job". This reminds me of the super NRV tools available for coleman products where a central screw locks the tool to the NRV if the NRV just won't come out something has to give and the tube and the tube tank joint are the likely sufferers. I'm sure there will be some scrap coleman tanks as a result of this although I may be wrong.
