Greetings All, I have disassembled a recent acquisition of a TingKwon (Petromax clone) and thoroughly cleaned and repaired/replaced bad parts. After re-assembly I tried to test the lantern but found that the generator leaked around the connection to the valve and also at the nozzle tip. I tightened them both as much as I dare but they continue to leak. Would some pipe dope be in order? Any other options to correct this short of replacing the generator? See the attached photos.
@Joseph Cartwright As colin said. Also clean the bottom face of the generator (shown in 2nd last photo) with fine emery paper to remove any burrs or grooves. As for the nipple thread, if the grease doesn't work on its own I wrap a strand of fiberglass in the thread.
After a closer look at the generator I found that the nozzle end has a crack in the tube. I confirmed by capping the end and applying compressed air. Is this fixable with solder or just need to replace it?
Regular solder isn’t going to hold up to the heat that is generated there; it could be brazed but be careful not to distort it. I would think that the vaporizer is popular enough for you to find a suitable replacement.
Your lantern has no rapid, therefore you can't keep pressure inside without lighting. Some fine sanding can do the trick for the vaporiser fit. The top end is another thing. If it is realy cracked I would replace the vaporiser with a good one. repair may be possible but will always be a problem. Heat versus mechanical stress.
I would use silver solder, as it gets into the gap by capilliary action, make sure the flux gets in there first. Brazing generally will not. This will not help the deformed cone on the other end, but that will probably still seal with a bit of fiddling. However if you can get a replacement for a couple of bucks.... ? Chris
The top end of the vaporizer can be brazed/silver-hard soldered if you intend to repair it. But you'd likely distort it a little during the brazing process and some of the filler metal might get into the threads. Be sure you have a right-sized tap at hand in case you need to re-work the threads later.
