I was wanting a replacement for my trusty rusty butane can back up stove. I thought I need a stainless steel stove that can burn butane, methylated spirits, shellite and kerosene. A general stove one can swap out to be adaptable, hopefully dependable. I had years ago made a Sigg firejet into one using adapters , but the pump finally cracked and replacements not easy to acquire. Everything sort of went wonky and old after a lots of use. This time I thought l will try a Whisperlite and find out if they are any good. I have an old yellow pump that still works, but hate the MSR later pumps. Looking on evil bay I bought a $15 US stove (MSR045). Figured it was hopefully a shaker jet model and ordered an expedition service kit, mostly for the jets and I needed orings anyway. Simple and expensive way to get spares. Well I didn’t know about the new Universal model being happy in my stove bubble and unaware of new stuff. Anyway it has come to pass.I fixed my old yellow pump up good and proper. Made an air throttle tube with a lever for the use with metho and gas. The legs don’t fall off when I change the jet, now. I slightly bent the vaporiser tube slightly down and to the right and now it sits a bit lower and I don’t have to do the through the leg twisty this way and that to get it back in. I took to the top of the legs/ pot holders with a 60 degree file and now the pots don’t go sliding off. I also added some stainless tube which I ground with a cut off wheel so theysit on top of the pot holders and the centre or the burner so I can use my favorite coffee pot when needed. I made up an adapter for gas. Out of my junk bin I found what looked like a stainless bolt and drilled the end to 1/4” then had to open it up a few thou so the Msr line would slide in. I followed the MSR pump and bored a square faced end for the oring and keeper sleave out of the service kit. I drilled a through hole so as the red plastic keeper sleave is drilled half way though it’s thickness, just like the old yellow pumps. I didn’t have a small enough drill to hold in my chuck so I used a 1/8 bit and a broken drill bit shank as a pin. The other end has a though hole and the gas valve feed line is brazed into it. A linden to butane adapter and Bobs your uncle. Ohh I found an off cut of aluminium to use as a sleeve for the keeper wire on the stove hose. I have an old xgk and thought the width might have varied over the years but they are within a few thousand of each other. Luck maybe. AND I can twist the fitting to align the butane adapter up to the vertical. Phew.
How does it work. Well I’ve tested it out and It is wonderfull to cook with using metho and simmering is not as issue or gas as it can be tuned up or done as needed. I made my metho jet 0.022” and stamped A on it for alcohol. It works better with the IG jet on butane than the universal fancy long one. swapping out jets is a breeze. I can use the G jet with metho pumped up and air tethered a bit if one need to but I think the A jet worked heaps better. Used the metho mod on my Omni oven and cooked up some fabulous scones and a roast with it. I think it will be a keeper. One day I will make up a proper fancy looking gas adapter, but hey who’s gunna see it anyway. If you are game to go there like I have done, be it on your own merits and make your own assessments. I have just put five more orings to do what they do to keep from making a huge fireball. Probably the little biddy oring sealing the butane canaster is the most scary. I lube with a lick or oil or whatever I have before mate the orings up. All that and I could have bought a new one for a couple of hundred with a aluminium riser tube and pressed legs. Some mothers do have’em
