This is my first fettling project, so please assist with incorrect terminology or diagnosis of symptoms etc. Firstly a report on my progress: I have replaced the seals, including the pump leather cup washer, cleaned out the fount, burner and gallery. I have managed good pressure that is holding. I have done only minor cleaning on the vaporiser. (no chemicals or heat/cold treatment yet) I preheated and managed to ignite a blue flame, as well as light an LPG Korean mantle just for testing. The photo of the lamp below is as found. I have so many questions, where do I start? 1) The mantle starts burning weaker after about 5 minutes. Operating the pricker/cock valve resolves this temporarily without additional pump strokes. I interpret as perhaps a restricted vaporizer? If my suspicion is right, what is the best way to clear the gunk out. 2) What is the correct position for the bottom insect protection grid, and how should it be kept in place? I ask this because it fits over the vaporiser very loosely, and I am not sure how the position affect the preheating process. Thanks in advance, Johan
There ought to be a spring clip (or, perhaps two sprung wires - I can't quite remember which) within the insect shield which holds it up against the vapouriser just under the globe. I think there may be two types of insect screen - one piece with the two wires and hinged, which has the spring clip. If that's not right someone will tell me. Perhaps your spring clip or wires have been lost. Regarding the vapouriser, these weren't designed to be serviceable i.e. when they fail after 500 hours use (allegedly, anyway) you replace them. However, some folk try to clean them by various methods but I think this is merely delaying the inevitable by a few short running hours. Maybe there is still residual dirt in the tank and this is working its way through and out. Be patient, it generally takes up to one tankful of fuel burning through the lamp to get rid of all the crap. You did filter your fuel into the tank, didn't you?
G'day @JohanOptimus Nice lantern and should clean up nicely. It's hard to see which screen you have but it isn't the hinged 2 piece one because they are flatter and not as deep as yours. There is also a third type with a collar and heavy spring attached under the screen. A better picture of your insect screen would help.
Thanks David and Rob. The screen has no spring clips, but I can well imagine how it should work and will make a plan. I rinsed the tank with a hadfull of bolts, nuts and screws, and again with clean paraffin. I lit the lamp with clean paraffin, however I did not filter it. I will try and heat shock the vaporiser and report back. Thanks again. Johan
I recently had to deal with a 169 vaporiser from which the cleaning wire could not even be removed as it was so choked with carbon. I tried heating it with a torch but the fumes it emitted were so toxic I gave up and placed the tip in the red hot embers of my log burner for an hour. I hadn't meant to leave it so long but forgot about it.... I managed to get the wire out and the spring, but could hear the deposits rattling around inside and had to set about getting them out. It was a long tedious process with a long thin drill and some considerable tapping but I managed to empty it, and am pretty glad I did, as it is a bright burning one which as yet needs none of the constant attention others seem to. Perhaps not the most scientific approach, but I hate to think of these being un-serviceable. I've repeated this with another but not had the need to test it as yet. Hope this helps someone similarly too mean to spend £30 on a new one !.
Thanks Roger, I will try it. I could not get the vaporizer quite hot enough with my small gas flame. If all else fails I'll buy a new one at £30, but have to add another tenner or so for shipping to South Africa. At least we have a new president now, and the exchange rate is already improving
I don't know if any of the following may help, but I use a cheap hardware stores drain cleaner (with caustic soda) to clean the gunge out of the tank. I try not to leave it inside for more than a minute, and mix it into a jug of fairly warm water before adding. A good rinse out to follow. I have also got into the habit of emptying any font before I re-fill and putting the fuel through a 1x4 coffee filter paper, There is always crap and wax somehow. Another useful trick is after a few burns leave the fuel cock in the off position and remove the whole lot. Then strip it and you'd be amazed how much crap settles above the filter in the bottom of the fuel cock from up top. blow down the jet and watch the gunge ooze out too. Also after standing a good while with fuel trapped in the Vap it can dissolve the burnt in resins etc and goes a really nasty looking dark brown. You really want to be lighting bonfires with this stuff, and not trying to get it through the jet ! I'm too mean to deploy a BNIB vap, and due diligence with cleaning and considering it as part of the routine in general can have its rewards. All the best, Roger.
@JohanOptimus If the insect shield is not like the one in ROBBO55's post, it's most probably like this one. The friction afforded by the wire clip holds it in place. Here's another style sometimes found on Tilley lamps : Henry.
