Hi Just looking at a Tilley of mine 246b which I bought as a general camping and garden use, it used to run very well then almost overnight I got an extra reddish flame burning from below the mantle almost covering it on the outside now producing really poor light and given it black parts on the mantle. New to the fettling game and had to admit as a bit inexperienced just started using a different one. The site has inspired me to try harder! So thanks. From reading some very helpful threads it appears the air and fuel mix isn’t right. Which I can look into see if any blockages etc. just a couple of questions if someone would be kind enough to help.. if I was to submerse burner into white vinegar (mixed?) how long for and should I put the whole hood in? Don’t want to damage the enamel. Obviously I would lose the mantle if doing this however if the problem appeared to be the control cock ( doesn’t leak) or vaporiser could I do the same to clean it and could the mantle be saved? I have two or three in this state. Any help appreciated. Rob
Ps. Got myself some pipe cleaners and an air blower too. Daft question but do you literally just try and poke through the holes stand back and avoid the consequences?
@RobP You might want to look at THIS post where I cleaned out a Bialaddin generator not unlike your Tilley’s. Soaking in vinegar solution is a bit lightweight to shift anything more than tarnish. You’re on the right lines with pipe-cleaners to poke out those holes ... ... but to do a thorough job of that the burner needs to be dismantled, mixing chamber dome and air tubes unscrewed. John
Sounds like you need a new vapouriser. Assuming the different one is another Tilley, before you start drowning things in vinegar (of any colour) and poking about with pipe cleaners; have you tried "process of elimination" ? Simply swap the tops over - there is no need to replace the mantle with black parts ! If the good mantle starts to get black spots, it's the vapouriser that is at fault. Conversely, the black spots should start to clear when the vapouriser is in good working order, though depending on how heavy the black spots are, it may take a while. Henry.
You don't have to subject the hood in a vinegar or any acidic baths. The enamel could lose its shine permanently. Some Tilley burners have been known to have somewhat limited working lifespans. The reasons are not particularly conclusive because they might not show any suggestive physical defects. No amount of the usual servicing would bring them back to satisfactory working order. I hope that's not in your case. If you intend to dismantle and clean up the burner assembly, be careful not to force loosen any apparently seized threaded parts. Sometimes the threads of the air inlet spigot have been highly oxidized or burnt out and you might not be able to tighten them back again. If they are not seized, remove them carefully and clear off any carbon build-up inside the assembly. Vinegar or citric acid are great for tarnish and rust removal. Hard coked-up deposits might require a little heat and quench in order to loosen them. There aren't any solvents that would dissolve carbon. This will give you some experience in the end. The vaporizers of the newer Tilleys like the X246B are not meant for servicing as the jets are not removable. Its easier to replace it if one is at hand. Nevertheless, you could attempt to clean them out as much as possible. If the pricker rod is heavily coated with carbon, it could also result in those symptoms you've described. Clean the pricker rod and flush out any loose carbon particles in the vaporizer and jet.
Thanks all, will check to see if air spigot and burnet are loose first, do they go clockwise or anti as you look at them facing outwards as such if that makes sense? What surprised me both my Tilleys that which did this they worked absolutely fine, it was the next time I used them (not both on the same day or even month) they stopped working as well Rob
They're standard threads i.e. righty tighty; lefty loosey... However, resist the urge to completely unscrew them and dismantle your burner because whatever the cause of the poor running, the burner won't have burned out virtually overnight as you report. In any case, not all dismantled burners go back together again. Don't ask us how we know... My bet would be on the vapouriser. They're not really meant to be serviceable but some folk here seem to derive immense satisfaction by spending hours heating and quenching them and them tapping out tiny bits of dislodged carbon from the hole at the bottom. It's possibly worth a try - you might get some temporary relief. You could begin by looking at the pricker wire. It that's got carbon deposits on it then there will be a similar build-up inside the vapouriser...
Hi @RobP I’ll chip in as above with potentially partially blocked vaporiser and also possibly blockage to the filter gauze at the base of the control cock. Cleaning the needle is a good start and operating the on/off action whilst lit may also clear out some crud. Try the simple things first and also try swapping complete hood/burner assembly as @Henry Plews advice. It is possible that an air feed tube is blocked by a dead spider. Regards Jeremy
Taking a used Tilley burner apart is just like "indirect suecide".... it's damn near impossible to get it back together!it's not worth the struggle. Believe me, I did take one apart once and it took two days to get the thing back together! Unfortunately, after all that time and struggle the damn thing still wouldn't work. Botton line: don't waste your time, just invest in a new one!
Thanks very much everyone going to have some time hopefully next few days to try some of the things suggested. Even if can’t get it going as well as before the site is inspirational and advice appreciated!
Try starting by taking the hood off, pump it up, & open the cock see if you get a strong jet of paraffin, if not turn off then on again & again ( have a good handful of kitchen roll ready to catch the jet ). if that works return to Jeremy's method of lighting it and doing the same again.
