Morning All, I spent a few hours trying to service a Petromax HK500 (ebay purchase) following the helpful guide provided on another post that I put up (Rob Earl's service guide) a few weeks back. Alas I am struggling and need some help and advice, please First, I can't remove the bottom part of the generator where it enters the font. It's almost like it has welded shut. I tried a bit of shock and unlock on it without any success so I am not sure how I can remove it to change the seal in the generator foot. Secondly, I changed the seal in the pump check valve but I am finding it difficult to operate the pump, which leads onto another problem I'm afraid. When I have the rapid heater in the closed position (I changed that little seal that screws into it) it is difficult to operate the pump due to a lot of resistance plus I can hear pressure escaping but not sure if it is coming from the generator or the rapid heater. When the rapid heater is open a thin jet of paraffin appears as I pressurise. I've not done anything to the rapid heater other than change that little seal so have not removed it from the font. Any ideas on the above would be most welcome, as I was driven to distraction last night although on the plus side I was listening to the Ashes at the same time!
hello @deasm, Pictures can help to see what happend to the generator. What is difficult ? the force you need, the valve not closing ? Crease/oil on the leather ? That is normal. But you should pressurize the lantern fully, 2bar, and the use the rapid. Unscrew the top part, not the lower tank part, and check if the little air holes in the tank part are free. These together with the kerosene will provide a flammable mix (more a mist then a jet) Checking these parts works better without the top parts on the lantern, so only vaporizer and rapid installed. You can pressurize, looks for air leaks (water bath) or fuel leaks. Pressurize, open the valve an check straight fuel jet from jet. Check if rapid produces torch like flame.
Hi, the pump seems to need a lot of force to depress it but I am wondering if I have fitted the seal in the pump check valve the wrong way round so I need to check that. The leather is new and I rubbed it a bit in olive oil before inserting it. Courtesy of the workshop in Work (handy working in a Science dept) I've managed to get the generator out but in unscrewing the generator foot valve it seems to have come away from the rod. In fact it looks like it was soldered on to the rod so was wondering if I have broken it or does it just push onto the rod, as i can't see any threads for it to screw into? These are so much more complicated than a Tilley lamp, sigh....
Yes, which is one of the main reasons why I can't be doing with any of them. Then when you finally get them running they sound like a deep-sea diver with blocked sinuses who has to breathe through his mouth; and that horrible cheap and nasty, clanky metal sound when you move them - bah! Give me a Tilley, Bialaddin, Vapalux, Handi or Coleman any day. However, I fully expect that won't be a popular view...
@daesm The pictures which accompany this guide may help solve some of your problems. www.eschaefer.de/hobbys/starkl/px-rest.pdf Henry.
