Hi all, I just acquired my first Tilley. I fired it up & I am not sure I shut it down right. when I turned the knob to the right, the flame when out but a very load noise ensued.( it almost sounded like underburn does but the flame wasnt lit. It kept making noise no matter which direction the knob was turned until I released pressure by unscrewing the pump tube. This is my only lantern without an air release screw other than Colemans. What am I doing wrong? HELP
Hello, what fuel are you using? Tilleys use paraffin (Kerosene) only! The 2 links below show Tilley operating instructions, Jeff. http://0flo.com/index.php?threads/813 http://0flo.com/index.php?threads/788
Sounds to me the shut off valve is not working and the pricker is broken. A back burn in a Tilley is near invisible because it is burning inside the mixing dome. Makes a fair noise and will eventually burn out the dome so must be stopped as soon as possible. Tilley valves often don't work and that is not really a problem because with a kero lantern you don't actually need a shut off valve. You do however need a working pricker because a Tilley vaporiser is going to need cleaning often enough. I suggest you get used to shutting it down by dumping pressure. As you have discovered the valve is not reliable and it is not good to rely on the pricker to shut off. The filler/pump is designed to dump pressure and should have a groove along the threads to facilitate that. I can't say I like that model much. Poor quality build and I just hate those cheap alloy fittings. ::Neil::
Thank you both Jeff & Neil. Jeff, I am using kero It is a 1966 lantern. So far I am liking my Vapalux alot more. Neil to dump pressure do I just unscrew the base tube that carries the whole pump assembly or do I just unscrew the pump bucket ring? It did seem to prick or clear as I turned the valve from left to right but I may be mistaken, should I be able to slightly see the cleaning wire when it is fully turned to the right? if so, I cannot. Thanks again, John
Yes unscrew the whole pump asembly. These things often do clear even when the pricker is worn but the pricker will not always turn the lamp off. In fact what happens is the small amount of gas escaping past the pricker is so restricted that it cannot reach the mantle and will burn inside the mixing dome which seems to be what you are getting. A new pricker will turn the lamp off but worn or broken and it may not so like I said make dumping pressure the normal way to turn off. With a Tilley you need to have all the pressure gone anyway or it will leak fuel. You can't store with pressure like you might with a Coleman. ::Neil::
Thank you Neil, That has to be whats happening. I will dump pressure as suggested. I guess this went from going to be a regular user to not so much...
at least I only have one. I like the solid weight of it though. I thought it was going to be a different variation of my Vapalux. Guess not..
The pre 1957 Tilley Guardsman lantern is the type to get, there are many around and they are easy to fettle, Jeff.
Its funny you say that Jeff. I have a Tilley CS56 stove. Which I assume was made in 1956. I haven't got it up and working yet but I love it. So 1956 or earlier, I will keep an eye out.
The CS56 stove will have been introduced around 1956, so from that date onwards. I don't know when they went out of production, but from the numbers that are still around, I'd guess they were in the product line for a number of years, despite being around twice the price of the equivalent conventional 'Primus-type' stoves available then. As a rule of thumb, you'll be better looking for an X246 lantern with the type handle attachment rather than the later type still in production today where the handle ends clip into . Hope that helps...
