I have a kero burning 214A Coleman lantern that has a pump assembly with the (nitrile I assume) rubber style plunger cup. it seems the cup has lost some of ability to pump as sometimes there is no resistance and it takes a bit of fiddling around to get it to pressurise the lamp. I have these style of plungers on the two Coleman stoves I own and once had to purchase a new assembly for one of them for the same reason. is there a way to rejuvenate the rubber cup? it doesnt seem worn but maybe aged and thus lost some of it suppleness can it be converted to a leather cup style plunger?
@bonza I usually ditch the synthetic pump cup when it gets like that, and covert to leather. What’s holding your pump cup assembly on the pump rod? Tony
not a star washer. the washer OD is about the same dia of the inner diameter of the rubber cup and the washer hole has been formed to clip onto the plunger shaft
Star lock or push fix washer ? It looks to have been made specifically for the pump? Possibly a one-use only ?
I’ve prized off the old clip and pump cup; flattened the clip-washer again, or once, bought a few replacements that do the same job; and put a leather pump cup on. Cheers Tony
+1 on the leather cup. You may have to trim it back a bit though as some leather cups are harder to pump mounted on the rubber cup assembly.. Take it a little at a time until it suits you.
@bonza thank you for bringing this up. I am having the same issue with the plunger on my newly acquired Northstar dual fuel lantern. The nitrile? rubber cup and stem look almost identical to the picture you have posted here. I'm wondering if anyone can suggest replacements for these that we can get locally. I notice some have suggested swapping over to the leather cups, I'd be happy to do that and welcome any suggestions. Thanks all for your contributions.
There’s a bloke on eBay Australia that sells leather pump cups for Coleman lanterns. Also see The Fettlebox on this site. Tony
Holding the pump rod with the cup up, use a pair of needle nosed pliers and grip the steel washer in line with one of the three tabs. Pry the tab up and outwards just enough to get the tab clear of the groove in the pump rod. Move to a second tabs and repeat. Normally the washer will pop off after the second tab is free of the groove. If not repeat the process on the third tab. A 220 leather cup will work as a replacement but is a bit snug in the newer lanterns with the plastic pump cap. Soak the new leather in oil of your choice for several minutes. To replace the washer simply place it on the rod with the tabs pointing to the open end of the rod and press down until all three tabs click into the groove on the rod.
@Reese Williams thank you for the cup removal tips, I'm a complete novice so that was very helpful. I noticed OCP also sell those neoprene cups for the newer lantern's like mine but as always the international postage makes it more feasible for me to wait until I find another unit at a garage sale that I can buy cheap and strip for parts. For those interested, I found that after removing the cup I steamed it over boiling water for about a minute and then gently pressed it flat for an hour or so. Refitted it and it works well for now. I suspect there's a danger that flattening it out with too much enthusiasm might split the neoprene, but it seems to have been a temporary fix. Thank you again all.
The neoprene cups will work most of the time. Their real weakness is cold weather. When they get cold they stiffen up enough that they won't seal. You can make your own leather cups fairly easily. Do a search on the Classic Camp Stoves site or the Coleman Collector's forum or here. Many threads on making leather pump cups. Scrap pieces from an old shoe/boot even heavy work glove can be used.
Good to see your posts, i'm a novice at this stuff up in North Qld. Have a similar issue with a 2nd hand Coleman 282-700 (1993) dual fuel lantern I picked up on Market place. The pump is not pressurising and almost certain it's the neoprene pump cup.
It might well be the plunger cup, but some trouble shooting will tell you for sure. Have you taken out the plunger and inspected it yet? If not, maybe start there. If there are any splits in the cup, its probably that. They need oil too. When pumping there should be a little bit of gentle resistance as you apply downward pressure as well which indicates air is being forced into the tank. Hope you get it burning soon.
Thanks for the feedback. I've oiled it, taken the plunger out. tried steaming the cup (it has no cracks) put CRC down into the NRV at the base, oiled the filler cap seal. opened closed the fuel knob. Sometimes it just pumps at the bottom of it's stroke but mostly just does nothing. and almost no pressure when fuel cap is released. The seller said it just sat unused in his shed for 10 years, but it's in good condition overall as it was in a Coleman carry case, probably since new. I compared it with my brand new coleman powerhouse lantern and Guide533 stove's pumps,) to see how a good pump should work.
I agree it's most likely a cup in need of replacement, but just to be sure, you are holding your thumb over the hole in the top end of the pump shaft while pumping, right?
Thanks, i'll try to replace the pump cup. Have looked at utube vids on how to make a leather cup, (and am slowly accumulating the materials/jigs) but was also wondering whats' the best source/price for alternate pump cups in Aust? (ps I'm blocking the thumb hole to pump it) cheers
TW Sands in Melbourne for a variety of pump cups. There’s also a bloke on the Aus Bay of evil that sells, among others, self-made Coleman pump cups. Tony
