Coleman 243B

I picked up a Coleman 243B at a second-hand shop on Friday, in very nice condition, for 20 Euros. I have seen videos of Americans running them on paraffin with no modification except that they fitted a pre-heat dish. Do you think is OK, or can I use unleaded petrol to run it?
What are the problems to look out for before I put a match to it?
I have to reduce the size of the pictures before I can upload them.


Jim

 

The additives in unleaded petrol will clog the generator pretty quickly which is why it's better to use Coleman fuel (if you can afford to re-mortgage your home), Aspen 4 (still quite expensive) or panel wipe...

 

Thanks, David, I live in Luxembourg and I can't buy kerosene here, except the expensive 1 litre lamp oil, I would not know where to find coleman fuel!
I tried it with paraffin, preheating with a propane torch and it lit quite nicely, though it pulsed quite badly and eventually went out, presumably because the heat from the mantle (a petromax 500 cp type) did not maintain the temperature needed for evaporation of the fuel. Any suggestions would be extremely welcome!


Jim.

 

Ah, sorry - I'd assumed you were in the UK. Apparently, in Europe, you can obtain something called 'waschbenzine' quite easily and cheaply in supermarkets and such. Try that - but it would be good to hear from some of our members in the Benelux countries to confirm this. I'm right at the edge of my knowledge here and don't want to give you bad or even dangerous advice...

 

Thank you, David, I was not aware that Waschbenzine was kerosene! I will make enquiries!

Jim.

 

"Waschbenzin" is NOT kerosene!
Beware of using it simply instead!

Waschbenzin or panel-wipe is similar to petrol/gasoline and will ignite easily. If you would to run a lantern initially designed for petrol/gasoline today Aspen4 or Coleman Fuel is recommended best. But since these are very espensive you can also use panel-wipe, "Waschbenzin" or "Bremsenreiniger" (only without Acetone).

For kerosene lanterns I'd recommend to use liquid charcoal lighter or a sort of paraffin/kerosene you get from well known sellers who supply our community. If you obtain it from the supermarket or home improvement store you may have to experiment a bit since the todays products tend to contain more "heavy" hydrocarbons which are more difficult to vaporize and may cause problems in those kerosene lanterns (as you experienced). They might also clog the vaporizer due to some carbon deposit inside.

But never ever use Benzin / Waschbenzin in a lantern which was not designed for it! There are only few kerosene models which have the necessary safety features (e.g. heat shield, fuel shutoff valve, no air release screw) and thus can be used. If your Coleman has these features you can try, but you should also make sure that any of the rubber seals will withstand the type fuel.

 

Quite correct - I was recommending it as an alternative to Coleman / Aspen 4 / panel wipe NOT kerosene.

In fact, Martin, you've made exactly the same recommendations as I did. Jim's lantern won't run on kerosene as his post (68470) above says. It's clearly designed for a more volatile fuel i.e. Coleman - hence my recommendation of waschbenzine as a cheaper or more easily obtainable alternative where Jim lives.[/quote]

 

Sorry, David, It should have been clear to me due to the context! Thanks to the others who have clarified the situation. I would prefer to use a benzine-type fuel since that is what it was designed for, so I'll go looking for waschbenzine.
Searches on the web seem to indicate that it is a somewhat unusual lamp but I do not find any sort of instructions for use or for dismantling. One of you provided a link to a general dismantling procedure but it seems different in detail to mine. Any suggestions for a source of such information? It seem to be have made for the European market.


Jim

 

Not to be confused with benzene (C6H6) which is an entirely different thing altogether and not something you ever want in your lamps...

 

I have never heard of a Coleman 423B or any other persuasion of 423. I therefore have no clue what fuel you need. I assume that number was a typo but it does need clarification please or you have a unique previously unknown Coleman. ::Neil::

 

Guess that it was a typo (twice) and should read 243 instead...

 

Yes, my apologies, it is a 243B


Jim.

 

... Definitely not kerosene (paraffin) then....

 

I looked in our supermarket and found a vleaning fluid with the following specifications:



Essence F
Hydrocarbons, C7-C9, n-alkalines, isoalkanes, cyclics
N°CE (EINECS) 929, 750, 0

Does this mean anything to you chemical experts and can I use it as fuel in my Coleman 243B?


Jim.

 

C7-C9 looks good to me - must be about the equivalent of Aspen 4 alkylate petrol. Just make sure there are no additives in there and nothing more than traces of other hydrocarbons such as xylene and toluene - it's sometimes difficult to avoid those...

 

Thanks, David, those are the only chemicals listed in the specifications. I think I can try it and see how it works.I see there is more: There is a danger list, mentioning H225, H336, H411 plus H304 and EUH066. Do you know what they are?


Jim.

 

No clue, Jim. H225 just comes up as a rather snazzy helicopter when you google it...

 

Thanks David, I must assume that these will not provoke an explosion! I'll try it out and see how it goes, but tomorrow, I have more time. It looks rather nice, it polished up rather nicely, though the aluminium vent tarnishes very rapidly! What I have found on the Internet tells me that it was a cheap version of the US model (444?) and was produced in Canada for the European market.



Jim.

 

Well, no more than petrol, gasoline, white gas, Coleman fuel, alkylate, Aspen 4 or panel wipe would if you don't observe the usual safety precautions.

Coleman lanterns are designed to burn volatile fuel safely but yours will be a good age now. You'll need to check it over carefully and make sure everything is sound. Also observe all the usual safety precautions. Read, understand and follow the instructions - if you don't have them to hand, there'll be a copy here.

I'm not big on Coleman stuff although I've plenty of it and lit most of it. It's rarely let me down and no dramas so far...

 

These numbers are the "updated version" of the Safety and Risk Statements.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Risk_and_Safety_Statements

New:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GHS_hazard_statements .

Erik

 

Great stuff, Erik!

H225 - Highly flammable liquid or vapour (great start!);
H336 - May cause drowsiness or dizziness;
H411 - Toxic to aquatic life with long-lasting effects;
H304 - May be fatal if swallowed or enters airways;
EUH066 - Repeated exposure may cause skin dryness or cracking.

That'll be the same as petrol etc. so take the same precautions as you would with that...

 

Thanks for the information! None of these substances appear to be dangerously explosive, though "highly inflamable does appear. I think (I hope!) that I can go ahead with a test. The product is labelled Essence F pour Détacher", so a spot remover.
Think of me tomorrow!



Jim.

 

Yeah, we find that's generally preferable in stove and lamp fuels, Jim...

 

Well, folks it runs with the spot cleaner, though it still pulses but does not go out. I cleaned the "generator" and checked the "tip cleaner needle" everything seemed to be in good condition, I'll try to find a new "generator" but I'll try letting it run for a longer time to see if this helps as it does in my kerosene devices! Thanks for all your help, I'm less afraid to use a petrol- based lamp now and I might look for more Coleman products (the twin mantle ones look nice!)


Jim

 

Incidentally, I do not find date codes on the base, though it might be hidden under the dirt, but on the fount on either side of the Coleman emblem there are the numbers 12 and 55. would these be to manufacturer date, December 1955?
Maybe the Canadian ones are marked differently to the US versions?

Jim.

 

December 1955 is the date it was made.

 

Colemans like a lot of pressure so don't be afraid to pump it up well...

 

I agree with David.

On a fullish tank:

Turn the pump to the left and give it 25 full pumps. Close the pump to the right.

Let it burn for 2 mins and pump it 10 more times (if it lets you), then lock the pump off.

Cheers

Tony

 

I just pump 'em until my thumb starts to hurt...

 

I didn't pump so much, I did not trust it, I will try pumping more next time!


Jim.