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10/03/2019 05:15AM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
I haven’t personally have issues before and the last couple years I’ve not really used it. I have borrowed it out some but I had trouble getting the thing to light well. I did the usual get enough gas to light and warm up the unit and it seems it takes more to get it to operate at all... kinda self defeating if it takes extra time and fuel to get things operating correctly. Once it’s going it worked great... I think I may take the tamer off and see if it is sooted up or something. It always worked so flawless...
 
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10/03/2019 06:23AM  
grrrr hate it when gear comes back like that. carefully inspect lines to see if they werebent or crushed. clean it. post pics of anything you find, even with cleaning.
 
10/03/2019 06:42AM  
I was wondering if it was maybe old gas? I think one of the first videos had the guy using denatured alcohol to do the initial burn. I wonder if that would be the key.
 
10/03/2019 09:10AM  
If there's any possibility of stale fuel you should start with that. While naphtha is more stable than gasoline, it definitely can go bad and I wouldn't expect it to last more than a year (though I've used five-year-old fuel successfully). Otherwise, if you haven't really used it in a few years you may want to perform what MSR calls "annual" maintenance (more like decennial maintenance for most of us). You may have a semi-clogged jet, or it might just need general cleaning. Sometimes just taking it apart, wiping everything down, and reassembling can make a big difference.
 
thebotanyguy
distinguished member(781)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
10/03/2019 10:36AM  
I had the same problem with a Coleman stove years ago, and I was advised to use a small of amount of carburetor cleaner (Gumout) in the fuel tank. Now that modern cars have gone to fuel injectors, I'm not certain if you can even find carburetor cleaner any more.
 
10/03/2019 12:59PM  
thebotanyguy: "I had the same problem with a Coleman stove years ago, and I was advised to use a small of amount of carburetor cleaner (Gumout) in the fuel tank. Now that modern cars have gone to fuel injectors, I'm not certain if you can even find carburetor cleaner any more.
"




Oh yeah, I have carb cleaner. Haha. I plan on taking Toms advice and doing the complete cleaning and yours along with it to help with cleaning tough to clean stuff.
I’ll get back when I’m done. Gotta go to work now though.
 
10/03/2019 06:51PM  
Do not use carb cleaner anything with alcohol in it in the field bottle or pump!
Phone connection now on roadtrip. Will post more tomorrow.
 
10/04/2019 05:26PM  
Ben, sounds as if the folks you loaned to boiled over something that is clogging some holes in the burner cap and maybe even the jet. A good cleaning should clear the problems up. Using a carb cleaner in the fuel supply can damage the o-rings and clog filters, 1 on the fuel intake another in the needle valve on the pump, and another in the fuel line connection, all stone ceramic filters, alcohol in the fuel can do the same.
Priming the burner with alcohol does no damage, and is much cleaner. Another is not letting the prime burn out when using a silent cap.
Always let the prime go out and light at the burner with a flame as you turn on the fuel. Igniting a primed silent cap while still containing flame may cause under burn a flame off the jet inside of the cap causing the cap to overheat.
If you have a rebulid kit it may be time to install fresh o-rings and filters. An easy job that only takes a few minutes.
After any cleaning flush with fresh fuel from the fuel tank thru the pump and fuel lines to/thru the jet, pass a few ounces to check for good flow.

butthead
 
SlowElk
senior member (57)senior membersenior member
  
10/07/2019 12:41PM  
Butthead (imho) has some of the best posts ever.
 
10/07/2019 01:27PM  
SlowElk: "Butthead (imho) has some of the best posts ever."


Thanks!

butthead
 
10/08/2019 02:39PM  
SlowElk: "Butthead (imho) has some of the best posts ever."

Right on, this is really useful info.
 
oldirtybassturd
senior member (77)senior membersenior member
  
10/08/2019 06:33PM  
SlowElk: "Butthead (imho) has some of the best posts ever."



I agree...Butthead always has great posts on many different topics.
Thanks Butthead.
 
10/08/2019 07:16PM  
SlowElk: "Butthead (imho) has some of the best posts ever."


Agree. Been here for 12 years and consider Butthead the Stove Master. Thanks for this post to Ben too; Gonna go give my stoves a check this offseason (for me) and maybe do a little PM> Thanks , oth
 
Shimbo
member (26)member
  
10/30/2019 10:53AM  
butthead: "... Another is not letting the prime burn out when using a silent cap.
Always let the prime go out and light at the burner with a flame as you turn on the fuel. Igniting a primed silent cap while still containing flame may cause under burn a flame off the jet inside of the cap causing the cap to overheat.
...
butthead"


Could you elaborate on this? I just purchased a DragonFly and a DragonTamer but I've never used this type of stove, and I've definitely never used any sort of silent cap.
 
10/30/2019 12:02PM  
Bernidawg Cinema on you tube.
Silent caps have been around since the invention of plate burners on pressurized stoves. Gary Adams (BerniDawg) crafted specifically for some popular modern stoves. The video shows a Primus Omnifuel but the operation is the same.
Hikin' Jim also has some informative videos.
i.materialize
ShapeWays
Are BerniDawg's online sales services.
Do some research on Gary and his cap development. It's interesting and revealing. Basically he helped guide another home crafter to make a cap, who immediately started production and selling via Ebay taking all credit. Gary's response was to get these sources running and keeps his profit minimal to compete with the "usurper" (my quote and opinion). Prior to this he sold hand built caps for materials and time only.

You need to pre-heat the stove burner, prime it. Problem is only with a silent cap that can have a flame under the cap. If you light it with flame still burning under the cap it goes into a condition called underburn. The jet of fuel is ignited and burns inside the cap not at the outer jets. This can melt down the cap and stove, NOT GOOD!
Follow Gary's instruction for lighting and you have no trouble.

Youtube video I posted.
Disclaimer, this is not a DragonTamer but an full sized OmniDawg cap I fitted to my stove. It has a 6th row of burner holes. I have other caps to fart around with also. I do not always use a cap, especially when I'm solo and prefer to simplify use. Caps do require more careful maintenance.
Dragonfly and Nova without caps.

butthead
 
SlowElk
senior member (57)senior membersenior member
  
10/31/2019 10:56PM  
Nice. I’ve never used a silent cap either. That looks like an awesome setup.

Didn’t mean to single you out butthead. Lot of good posts Just in this one thread.

Also, you helped remind me was having problems with a 2 burner Century stove. Called the manufacturer and they advised to remove the regulator and boil in a vinegar mixture for 2 minutes, and then rinse with tap water which cleared up my problem.

Should probably pull the dragonfly out of storage and take a look at it.



 
SlowElk
senior member (57)senior membersenior member
  
11/01/2019 12:26AM  
Argh not again
 
11/01/2019 07:58AM  
A cleaner I use is CLR, safe for o-ring in my experience but I try to do a full disassembly and soak metal parts only. Vinegar boils work very good with calcium and such deposits I'm not discounting this.
Carb cleaner can work but as I mentioned dissemble past and separate plastic, composite parts, and seals like o-rings.

Any cleaner will make the stove run oddly at first. Sputtering, spitting some fuel, and some strange flame colors, till it all flushes with fresh fuel and burns off.

Wanna get the soot off from priming with gas kero or diesel? I keep some orange cleaner shop wipes on hand, GOJO Fast Wipes

butthead
 
SlowElk
senior member (57)senior membersenior member
  
11/01/2019 08:50AM  
Huh,
Good idea. I guess that rinsing with tap water can introduce calcium then. The two burner is a propane stove. Maybe was not the best idea overall lol.

So I assume you are carrying an additional small container of alcohol to prime (pre-heat) the dragonfly?
 
11/01/2019 12:22PM  
Outdoor burners accumulate all sorts of deposits including salt from combusting sea shore air.
Far as the small bottle of alcohol,
in this Firefly rebuild photo, it's center upper gray Mio bottle, or KoolAid liquid bottles I use. They hold 1.5 oz. of methanol stove fuel and will prime about 5 times depending on the temperature. If it's too cold (below 40F), I'll just prime with Coleman fuel. It's no big deal if I do not prime with alky, just cleaner especially using kero.
These little bottles will also give me 2 16 oz. water boils from my alky home built burners.

butthead
 
TechnoScout
distinguished member (434)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
11/01/2019 12:35PM  
butthead: "Wanna get the soot off from priming with gas kero or diesel? I keep some orange cleaner shop wipes on hand, GOJO Fast Wipes

butthead"


I have wanted to clean my whisperlite on the surfaces to remove burned-on soot. Probably a little over 10 yrs worth. Nothing I have tried works, so I am intrigued by your GOJO suggestion. Will it really clean down to bare metal?
 
11/01/2019 05:09PM  

A Whisperlite 600 that lived on kero after cleaning.

Original Whisperlite with the old rubber and fabric fuel line after cleaning and replacing the fuel line.

My bunch of MSR stoves. A Dragonfly, XGK2, and Whisperlite run Kerosene. Can you find them? Most of these date back to the 1980/90's. I use orange wipes predominately for cleaning.

butthead
 
TechnoScout
distinguished member (434)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
11/01/2019 05:45PM  
butthead: " My bunch of MSR stoves. A Dragonfly, XGK2, and Whisperlite run Kerosene. Can you find them? Most of these date back to the 1980/90's. I use orange wipes predominately for cleaning.

butthead"


Nice collection. OK, I will get some orange wipes.
 
11/01/2019 06:16PM  
Now that I can I will do what you suggest Ken. Thanks... I’ll save my carb cleaner for things like... carbs. Haha! That CLR does work on stuff... never thought of it for this.
 
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