I have two Tilley X246 Guardsmen. One (my parents use to own, circa 1950) is stock standard (for Australia). The other I bought in the mid 1970s and was fitted with a 246b control cock. In fettling these lamps back to life I noted that the second lamp had an unusual 'work around' to allow the 246b control cock to operate in the X246. Both lamps are working very well, now, but I am converting the second lamp back to original X246 fittings. I thought you might be interested so I will post a series of photos that show this odd arrangement. It might be some Aussie work around. The two Guardsmen: The 246b control cock fitted to the X246 The fittings for the X246 standard compared to the X246 with the 246b control cock. Note that the parts are in descending order. The bottom washer for the 246b arrangement I made myself from engine gasket to replace a very withered one. It sits below the aluminium bush inside the shaft in the font.
Hello Tony, it's new to me. Was the lantern second hand when you bought it? You got it right the first time, it's an X-246B control cock not an X-246A, Jeff.
Yes, I bought it second hand like that. I've edited my post to correct the references to 246b. Thanks, Jeff. By the way, does anyone know if the aluminium bush in the last photo was ever a Tilley part for anything, or was it made here just to do this conversion?
Hello Tony, that conversion may have been done by a previous owner, anyone who could use metal working lathe fairly well, could make a bush like that. As I stated in my previous post, that conversion method is new to me and in my opinion it was not done by Tilley, but I have learned over the years that with Tilley one is never sure! Jeff.
I've got a a few of those aluminium bush's sure that I knew which lamp their from. But right now not in a position to look sure someone else will pop up with that info.
I have fitted an original #2563 control cock and #337 locating bush to the Guardsman to replace the control cock pictured in the post above. It is working magnificently!
Hello Tony, those bushes are being sold on Ebay. I now think that Tilley did make them, it would have meant that they only needed to make one style of control cock. The link below shows the Ebay listing, Jeff. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TILLEY-CONTROL-COCK-LOCATING-BUSH-FOR-BRASS-TAP-UNIT-/260680862006?pt=UK_SportsLeisure_Camping_LightsLanternsTorches&hash=item3cb1ca4936
So that means it is a bush that is used to fit a #777 control cock for an X246B to a standard X246 tank. When it was fitted to my X246 it had two rubber washes: one at the base of the bush, and one under to top lip of the bush. I think I saw a post on CPL a while ago that asked about a rubber washer under the bush on a Tilley... Maybe it was one of these bushes.
So that means it is a bush that is used to fit a #777 control cock for an X246B to a standard X246 tank. When it was fitted to my X246 it had two rubber washes: one at the base of the bush, and one under to top lip of the bush. I think I saw a post on CPL a while ago that asked about a rubber washer under the bush on a Tilley... Maybe it was one of these bushes.
I have similar arrangement on my 1954-56 Guardsman DeLux and 1954-56 BR49 (which I'm currently fettling). The bushing is nickel plated brass. Not having any others, I assumed this is what came with all Tilleys. Is there a different one? One thing which I don't quite understand with this bushing is how its a "locating" bushing. Seems to me you screw down the bushing and then screw down the control cock and it ends up where it end up. How do you change the location of the control cock with this set up? (other than being able to squash two washers instead of one). I must be missing something obvious. Regards, Dan
Dan The normal locating bush for the X246 is the one in the top of the third photo on this post. It is Tilley part #337 and is used to fit, for example, a #2563 control cock as I have done in this post. Because, in the normal set up, the bush does not form the seal (the rubber washer on the control cock does) you can use the locating bush to vary the point at which the control cock finishes being screwed in relative to the locating bush. That means you can locate the control knob away from the pump, for example. The arrangement with the non-337 bush that you have is not the same - at least not the way it was set up on my Tilley X246 (see above in this post), and I had to make the seal tight by manufacturing a washer to sit below the non-337 bush; and I had to use plumbers' tape on the outside of bush's thread - a rather unsatisfactory arrangement.
Thanks Tony, I think I have this figured out. I mis-spoke when I said my Guardsman DeLux had this adapter, I looked and it does have a 2563 control cock and a 337 bushing. I then looked in the 1955 Tilley catalog and the BR49 has a 777A Control cock (with the extra needle valve for the lighter) so it needs this bushing to fit the Guardsman font, but is more of an adapter than a locator. Interestingly enough, I could not find the bushing in the parts list; perhaps it came with the font for this model. So when assembling the lantern, if I need to locate the control cock, I'll try first to just compress the washers by tightening each of the two parts, more or less (sometimes you get lucky), and otherwise, I'll use some different thickness washers. With two washers, you should not need to seal the threads. Dan
