Yellow flame

Discussion in 'Fettling Forum' started by intelekt, Sep 6, 2012.

  1. intelekt

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    I hope you don't mind me starting a new thread on this :oops:

    It's about my British no2 mk2 modified with silent burner.

    I've successfully brazed the leaking holes in the vaporisation chamber, threw the thing back together for a test, and just can't seem to get a blue flame :rage:

    I've spent ages on this, so it's disappointing that the bloody thing won't work ](*,) it seems to run fine with nice flowing fuel and as it gets hotter it gets more stable, I've run a couple of tanks of unleaded thru it to see if it would stabilise as it was spluttering liquid fuel thru the jet occasionally :-k this was just the water that may have been left in the pipes and tank from cleaning I think.

    I also cleaned the fuel pipe with carb cleaner and wire 8-[

    Are there any links to a good answer to the yellow flame problem? I can't seem to find any :-k

    If not....... HELP [-o<

    Maybe I should just convert to paraffin so it's not a total loss, but I do like its silent burner... And it did burn blue before I brazed the holes :-k
     
  2. intelekt

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    Forgot to add:

    The daft thing won't turn off either, I turn it all the way to the right and still the thing hisses!!

    Ho Hum
     
  3. intelekt

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    Ok I've been thinking: yes that was the earth tremor you felt =;

    Pondering on how to change this gauze stuff in the vaporiser chamber :shock: my thoughts are to drill a large hole to one side of the top, pull out the rubbish and then using my new found brazing skills (thanks BD) and my new rothenberger torch and map gas :D/ braze a plate over the hole, after filling with wire wool of course... Hmm it's a first thought, not doing it yet, but I want to learn how to make these stoves usable seeing as I was (cough) foolish enough to buy a job lot of another four of these things from the bay :-# :-#
     
  4. BernieDawg Banned

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    Heya intelekt
    Sorry I'd forgotten about this post until now:
    https://classiccampstoves.com/threads/14505

    If it helps, great.

    If you do decide to replace the mesh in the head (vapo chamber) of the #2, I'd suggest 304 stainless mesh or brass mesh. The original mesh seems to have been steel and the rusted sludge is the result. This contributed to the holes you had in your burner, too, no doubt. Either of the suggested mesh materials will do the job. Stainless will be slower to preheat, but will last longer. You don't need a lot. Gas (Coleman fuel) is pretty volatile, so the head only has to get hot enough to vaporize it. If you think you might want to run it on heavier fuels, maybe more mesh might be in order.

    Best of luck.

    Cheers,
    Gary.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jul 1, 2015
  5. bajabum

    bajabum R.I.P.

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    +1 on the stainless sponge, use a dish scrubber...

    - 1 on steel wool, it burns!
     
  6. intelekt

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    Thanks once again for the link Gary, it's a great help, :clap:
    It's fantastic to be able to see the insides of this burner, your posts are inspirational :D/

    Bajabum, I was actually thinking about a pan scourer thingy, but I'm wondering if they are stainless steel and how you can tell without submerging them in water for weeks to see if they go rusty!

    The ones I've got aren't as fine as the wool though.

    How do you shut these things off? Currently I'm using a wet cloth :-s

    .
     
  7. BernieDawg Banned

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    Oh. Sorry. Forgot the shutting off thing. :oops: :lol:

    Your cleaning needle is likely set too low. Remove the jet. Crank the valve all the way to the left. Remove the needle. Reinstall the jet. Try the stove and see if it doesn't extinguish nicely now without the needle in place.

    If the stove valve is properly closing without the needle in place, reset the needle to between 3 and 5 clicks. I demonstrate the setting of a needle in this video where I work on a Svea 123. Try to start watching at about 16:44. That's where I start the needle setting process. Even though your needle looks a bit different, your stove operates the same way.
    [media=youtube]-svgLuqyGG4[/media]p

    Good luck.

    BD
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jul 2, 2015
  8. intelekt

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    Thanks Gary, I'll watch your vids...

    I forgot to say :oops: that I have tried removing the needle and it still Won't shut off :?
     
  9. dwarfnebula United States

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    About the pot scrubbies, the copper ones aren't all actually copper. I got some to pack a still column and they disintegrated quickly, seems they were merely copper plated steel wool. Bring a magnet with you when you buy them if you go that route, anything magnetic is no good at all.
     
  10. intelekt

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    Top tip there dwarfnebula !!
     
  11. BernieDawg Banned

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    OK. If it's not shutting off when the cleaning needle/rack has been removed, then:
    1. you have dirt/crud in the spindle housing that is keeping the tip of the spindle from seating
    OR...
    2. you have a damaged spindle tip or spindle seat.

    - Remove the spindle nut and the spindle from the spindle housing. Be aware that doing so may necessitate obtaining a new graphite spindle packing should the existing one crumble away. (Still available from Base-Camp last I checked.)
    - Examine the spindle tip. The tip should be a smooth tapered cone-shape. It should have a bright ring of wear where it seats in the hole (spindle seat) inside the spindle housing. If the tip has a burr where it seats, you will need to remove this burr with a needle file or 400 grit wet/dry sandpaper. If the tip is badly worn, or, if the tip is broken, replace the spindle.
    - Blow into the opening in the spindle housing with compressed air to remove any debris from the interior of the spindle housing.
    - Use a flashlight to examine the spindle seat inside the spindle housing. You should see a hole with a bright ring of wear from the tapered tip of the spindle. Look for dirt, debris or burrs.
    - Burrs on the spindle seat can be reduced/removed by twirling a drill bit between your fingers against the seat. Go easy on this and pay close attention that you are only cutting the burr out.

    - Reassemble the spindle, spindle housing, spindle nut, spindle ring and graphite spindle packing. Install the jet - don't install the cleaning needle/rack at this time.
    - Firmly turn the spindle all the way closed (clockwise) several times to properly seat the renewed spindle tip into the spindle seat. The surfaces are brass and should deform into a tight fitting seal with a small to moderate amount of force. Don't overdo this. You can always try again later.

    - Fuel it. Fire it. See how well you did. The stove should shut off now. If not, you can consider redoing the seating as described directly above.

    - If the stove is now shutting off, remove the jet and reset the cleaning needle/rack as already discussed by others and also in my video on the Svea 123.

    I discuss and show spindles in my Svea 123 video as well. Maybe worth watching the whole reassemble and also the disassembly video. Procedures and parts are essentially the same.

    If, after all this. the stove does not shut off, then something is very wrong with either the stove or with your techniques. Please do not take offense at my suggestion that you are doing something wrong. As the "court of last resort" for many stove owners I have found that 50% or better of stove problems referred to me are caused by lack of cognition to what is going on with stoves and are no fault at all of the stove in question.
    That said, if it's still not working for you, I cannot diagnose the problem further without you providing a bunch of detailed photographs of the parts in question. Digital cameras are relatively cheap, your iPad can take digital photos, too. Perhaps you could sit down at the computer of a friend to load some of your photos here at CCS. Alternatively, you could email me your photos from your iPad (it's got *two* cameras!) for analysis or posting here at CCS. Just drop me a PT to make such arrangements. Further, if you'd like me to solve the problem for you I am willing to do so for no charge as long as you pick up the return shipping. Likewise, a PT would be in order. Yes, I realize you are in the UK. No you don't need to send the whole stove, just the burner and fuel supply tube.

    Cheers,
    Gary

    PS - In the posts above I am not suggesting the use of kitchen scrubbies to fill the vapo head of the #2. I am leery about how well that would work - material standards, durability, etc. I suggest actual stainless steel or brass screening. That's what I mean by "mesh" and that's what I used in the thread to which I linked. As always, YMMV.
     
  12. intelekt

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    Just a quick reply for now 8-[

    Thank you Gary for very detailed instructions :D/

    I've tinkered a bit with my burner, done what you said with pointed tip and seat :-s it still hisses through though!
    I had the idea of putting the spindle into my cordless drill and spinning it slowly while pressing some very fine grit wet dry against the tip to remove any scratches and undulations :whistle:

    It still doesn't work so I'm going to fettle a bit more, I have some more of these stoves on the way so I will compare them all :whistle:

    I'm wondering though if the brass mesh im considering on eBay is the right one to get, it's just a fine brass mesh in A3 size... How much would you say you need to stuff this chamber? And how tight?

    I'll keep you informed as I go 8)

    Thanks for the offer of repairing it :-k but I'm going to try and conquer this beast 8-[

    Laterz
     
  13. presscall

    presscall United Kingdom SotM Winner SotY Winner Subscriber

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    Welcome back from your sabbatical Gary.

    I'm taking one myself at the moment.

    Your comprehensive replies in this thread and that classic post featuring surgery on those junk challenging burners demonstrates what's been missing while you've been away.

    Don't know if it's a saying that means anything in the USA, but as far as that particular stove design and construction is concerned, I'd resigned it to the category of "No point in flogging a dead horse"

    Goodbye No.2's

    John
     
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  14. BernieDawg Banned

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    Thanks John. Always a pleasure to see your master fettler self here on the list. You post some awesome stuff.
    Cheers,
    Gary