We have a Coleman single burner stove model 501-960 (based on the box) or 502 (based on the marking on the stove) coming. It is from 1979. I’m guessing that when it gets here it will need new gaskets and maybe other replaceable parts. Can anyone advise me on where to get the right gaskets and what else likely needs replacing? I want to order now so I have them in hand when the stove shows up. Thanks.

Here’s a photo of the complete stove kit. My wife’s family had one of these and so she has fond memories of it. Theirs was older, though as she remembers it from the 1960s.

Old Coleman Parts

But I suggest it's best used as a knickknack and displayed on a shelf. There are lots of better safer stoves available. The largest problem with the Coleman LF single burners is that much of the air bleed/fuel mixing is done in the tank. Any residue build up is difficult to clean.

butthead

Thanks, Butthead. I appreciate your wisdom.

I certainly knew that there are a lot of better stoves but hadn’t thought it would be unsafe. Any details about what the safety issues are? This one looks lightly used. Do the problems build up over time with the residue?

I had suggested getting the case and putting a new Coleman single burner in it. Any concerns about the current model?

Or I guess I could put an MSR WindPro inside the case.

If it's running well, no problem. It's fixing problems beyond simple generator replacement that starts to mount up. Look for leakage at the valve packing, replacing that packing gets technical and a potential source of fuel leakage. Taking apart the in tank valves is frustrated by seized threads. A yellow flame indicates a air supply blockage making a rich burn.

butthead

Thanks again. I’ve ordered the rebuild kit and so should be ready for any usual problems. If I have to do the valve packing, I’ll look for advice first.

Worst comes to worse, we will switch to a different stove.

butthead: " Old Coleman Parts


But I suggest it's best used as a knickknack and displayed on a shelf. There are lots of better safer stoves available. The largest problem with the Coleman LF single burners is that much of the air bleed/fuel mixing is done in the tank. Any residue build up is difficult to clean.


butthead"

And the occasional attempt to kill the user. Been there, saw that, nearly experienced the full failure ...

gravelroad: "
And the occasional attempt to kill the user. Been there, saw that, nearly experienced the full failure ..."

Definitely scary and don’t want to experience that.
Any more to this story? How did the failure occur?

andym: "

gravelroad: "
And the occasional attempt to kill the user. Been there, saw that, nearly experienced the full failure ..."

Definitely scary and don’t want to experience that.
Any more to this story? How did the failure occur?"

The stove was a hand-me-down from my father. The first time I took it on a trip, it leaked fuel somewhere and I threw it into a snowbank. The memory of the flame lingers but I couldn’t really say where it came from. End of story and end of stove.

I’m not the only one:

Peak 1 model 400 tracking down leak

Flames surrounding the stove whilst it is gushing excess fuel out of the burner is a right of passage with those old stoves. Once they get going though and vaporize the fuel, they work quite well!
Tom

Thanks for the story and link. I’ll inspect carefully for leaks with soap bubbles when I get it and then decide what to do.

I had a Coleman 533 and an Exponent Feather 442, both similar to your stove. With these stoves you have to be careful that the nut is tight on the fuel line, otherwise they can leak and flare up. So make sure you have a small wrench and/or pliers with you. It can take a while to get the yellow flame to die down to the desired blue. The key is to make sure there's enough pressure in the tank. Don't fill the tank to the top or you won't be able to pressurize it. Otherwise, I like those stoves and I don't consider them dangerous. Some people mix Seafoam with the gas to prevent gum.

I don't like having to store and dispose of old white gas, so I've switched to propane. For camping without portages I love this stove: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LW87Z9O/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Of course then you have the problem of disposing of the propane canisters. For portages you need a backpacking stove.

Thanks LilyPond. Appreciate the info and advice. For canoe camping, we’ve been using MSR Windpros because they are pretty light and easy for everyone to learn how to light. We’ve only ever done one no portage trip.

This stove, or whatever replaces it, is for car camping. And I like the sort of stove you suggested. After all of it is going on a car and getting set up on a picnic table, why not have a simple burner.

I dispose of old white gas/Coleman fuel (yes, they’re different) by burning it in my SVEA 1-2-3 that I’ve had since Tricky appeared on “Laugh-In.” One of these millennia I might even treat it to a polishing.

“It’s not bragging” if you have actually burned fifteen-year-old fuel in your stove. :-)

You didn't ask, but I will offer suggestion for the tank if it rusted up a bit.

Dump out any old fuel and then a little new fuel, now add 20 -30 BBs and start swishing the stove around.

It might take a couple times dumping out dirty fuel and adding fresh fuel to get the inside all polished up, but it works.

Thanks for the advice, Old Scout. I had wondered about using something like BBs to do that but hadn’t thought of the fuel. I see how that makes sense. Thanks! The stove comes later this week but we will be using a modern stove on this weekend’s car camping trip. So I will be able to approach this old stove with some careful inspections.

OldScout48: "You didn't ask, but I will offer suggestion for the tank if it rusted up a bit.


Dump out any old fuel and then a little new fuel, now add 20 -30 BBs and start swishing the stove around.


It might take a couple times dumping out dirty fuel and adding fresh fuel to get the inside all polished up, but it works.



"

No wanting to argue with ya Scott but how did you get the bb's out of the tank? Last I had one apart all the openings looked shrouded.

butthead

butthead: "

OldScout48: "You didn't ask, but I will offer suggestion for the tank if it rusted up a bit.



Dump out any old fuel and then a little new fuel, now add 20 -30 BBs and start swishing the stove around.



It might take a couple times dumping out dirty fuel and adding fresh fuel to get the inside all polished up, but it works.




"

No wanting to argue with ya Scott but how did you get the bb's out of the tank? Last I had one apart all the openings looked shrouded.


butthead"

Butthead, You might be right. I actually used this polishing method on Coleman 2 burner fuel tank and not on the single tank stove.

I'm talking BB gun size BBs.

I have no Coleman single burners on hand to check. Just wanted to mention than the BB's may be difficult to get out of the tank.

butthead

I’ll check when I get the stove. Should be here today. But I won’t have time to play with it for a bit.

I have a 502 a buddy gave me years ago. It still sits on the shelf, waiting for it to become a fun winter restoration project. In my research on how-to restore it, I came across this excellent writeup on the Coleman Collectors Forum. Pictures are a bit blurry, but it looks like an excellent guide.
Coleman Collectors Forum Project 502

Thanks, Minnesotian. That is a very detailed guide. I hope I won’t need to do that much. But it is good to see the whole process. And you can’t beat the blue flame at the end.

In the meantime, we did our car camping trip this weekend with our niece and her family and used a new Coleman 2-burner propane stove (the 222). Easy to use and cooked up a storm for 6 with no problems. The 502, if it works out, will be for car camping trips with just the two of us.

I am a fan of these stoves. I have that exact stove, the 502 Sportster. They made quite a few variations of these from the fifties onward through the seventies when some were small enough to be considered backpacking stoves at that time.
Personally , I think this 502 is the best one.
Visually, the design is great. Very much "form follows function". You look at it and you can see how it works.
I sleep in a hammock outside year round, under a tent-tarp. I use this for making coffee from the hammock. I also use it for winter camping as the isobutane stoves do not work below freezing.

First, you might need to be a little bit of a nerd to appreciate these stoves. There are WAY lighter liquid fuel single-burners out there. But there's a beauty there...and memories from the previous generation that I like. That said, they are pretty powerful and reliable. The maintenance is very basic and once you have it set, it should be set for quite a long time.

I would recommend you take a look at this video. Frank at Old Coleman Parts is the guru, and although he looks a great deal like Alice Cooper, he knows his stuff. He is very thorough and full of tips and suggestions. This is a three part series does on disassembly and maintenance. Even if there are no significant problems, this is a fun exercise and makes you understand exactly how it works.
Old Coleman Parts video tutorial on 500 and 502 stoves.

Parts are not expensive and are still readily available. Although they will burn regular gasoline, just use Coleman fuel even though it's more expensive. Coleman fuel doesn't have additives which clog up the works. In fact, I just got a couple of gallons of fuel along with a two burner camp stove (425) from Craigslist. The fuel was actually worth more than the stove! And from the price sticker ($3.99) I guess that it was seventies vintage. Works totally fine in stove and lanterns. The would in no way be possible with regular gasoline.

They are very safe once you know how they work and how to get them into shape. I find it best to only fill the font to roughly 3/4 full. Normal procedure to just "crack" the fuel valve when lighting....the flame will be yellow and flare up...wait....gently open the valve more and as the flame heats the generator, it will begin to be a blue flame...then you can open it all the way. There is a little lever to adjust flame intensity from simmer to full bore. They also hold their value and are in the $75 range on ebay. Great for car camping and for winter camping where you are pulling a sled and weight is not a big issue.

Have fun!

I have 2 of these that are shelf princesses. I won't take them.

My main concerns involve the pump mechanism. The first complaint is minor since you are buying the rebuild kit: I was on a trip when the pump gasket dried out and I had to use some kind of oil, can't remember what, to get it to operate. And then it was just so so. I didn't rebuild after that, I replaced it with a modern stove.

The second concern: To get the requisite number of pumps into these things you really sacrifice your favorite thumb. I have an MSR liquid fuel stove...it pumps so freakin' easy. I used to dread pumping the peak 1s.

The third concern is not pump related...I have had these things leak on me at least 3 times; 2 times ruined gear or food. Try to relieve the pressure before you stow them and double bag them in ziplocs.

Fourth concern: there is no advantage to the integral tank. You still have to carry a fuel bottle...probably an MSR one and you need a funnel. And you will always overfill it. When I see a picture of a peak 1, I can smell the white gas on everything I own.

I once had flames engulf my entire peak one. I quickly threw it in the lake to put it out. I actualy used it again after that.

I once had flames engulf my entire peak one. I quickly threw it in the lake to put it out. I actualy used it again after that.

Hmm, haven’t tried it yet and don’t have a lake handy. I could use the harbor but that is salt water. At the very least, I’ll have afire extinguisher on hand when I try it.

Appreciate the additional advice and stories since I last posted.

All of these old Coleman stoves and lanterns... Expect to clean them out and tune them up. The things people are describing with fires are NOT normal. When a stove is cleaned, and has a functioning valve, packing, generator and pump... They run great. Just like an old car with carburetor or distributor.... you have to keep them clean and adjusted. It's not fair to say that a 1972 mustang is a POS and won't run right if you just took it out of uncle Eddy's garage yesterday and it's been sitting there for twenty years.

And I have had my old MSR Whisperlite burst into flames when the end of the fueline leaked. Unlike the Coleman stoves, that could not be fixed and it went into the trash
These things are still running fine 60-70 years old. The pump cup, is leather, and needs an occasional oiling. A tiny squirt once a year should be fine.

But if you want your new $120 unstable JetBoil, be my guest.

I just got back from a multi-week trip in Manitoba with some friends all of whom had older Coleman stoves, some of which dated back to 1980's and 90's. One guy brought a new Coleman manufactured in 4/22 in the USA per the stamping it. He purchased it new off Amazon this spring. I didn't think they were made any longer.

"And I have had my old MSR Whisperlite burst into flames when the end of the fueline leaked. Unlike the Coleman stoves, that could not be fixed and it went into the trash"

I believe MSR would fix that for free. Probably replace the part. HREF="https://www.needlesports.com/" TARGET="_blank">Needle Sports has a line of replacement parts for MSR and Primus in England and do ship to USA, I have ordered from them in the past.
I have replaced a few fuel lines on MSR's with rubber fuel line.

butthead

PS: Just checked and MSR now charges $25 for a full stove overhaul including cleaning and part replacement, including the fuel line. bh