MSR dragonfly help?

[caorach]

My dragonfly had been a wee bit prone to "surging" so I thought to take it apart and make sure the nozzle/jet thing was clean. Now the stove is relatively new and probably has had about 2 - 3 liters of Coleman fuel through it so it hasn't lived a hard life. However, I can't get the nozzle thing to unscrew. I've tried a big, serious looking, screwdriver and I even put some 3-in-1 oil on it and let it sit for a few nights to see if things would ease up a little but that I can see there is no way on earth this thing is going to move. I've tapped the screwdriver with a light hammer to see if that might loosen things up, no joy.

Is this common? Is there something I don't know? Has anyone else ever managed to unscrew the nozzle thing? Any hints or tips?

In the mean time I'm going to hit it with some WD40 in case the lighter oil might make it through into the threads but all hints and tips gratefully received.

 

[rik_uk3]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycj0FyNRzrQ

 

[caorach]

Thanks, at least he found the same thing as me when he first tried to unscrew it. I have tried heating it but that didn't help so now it can sit with WD40 on it for a few days and we will see. I just can't see this thing moving without something breaking to be honest as I've a big screwdriver that is the right size for the slot but still not a slight move.

 

[sunndog]

First time i took the jet out of my dragonfly it was as tight as a very tight thing. Just make sure you use a screwdriver that fits well and i should release with a bit power put to it

 

[Goatboy]

Have you tried it with a hex socket set?

Sent via smoke-signal from a woodland in Scotland.

 

[caorach]

Have you tried it with a hex socket set?

The one I have isn't hex headed, it just needs a big screwdriver. I've already had the driver slip a few times so going to let it soak in WD40 for a while and maybe try to find and even bigger screwdriver to give it another try. I've no idea how I can possibly put more torque on it but...

 

[sunndog]

my jets are round too

First time i did mine it was on a trip and with a leatherman. When it finally went i was sure i'd broken either the stove or the tool, it really was stupidly tight
A soak in wd40 certainly wont hurt though

 

[petrochemicals]

To start with buy a set of hex jets and a tool. Secondly try a screw removing tool http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00...1&pi=SL75&keywords=screw+removal+tool with a spanner or t handle, and failing that drill it out.

 

[rorymax]

There are many alternative products but freeze sprays outperform the likes of wd40, which is basically a water dispersant, hence the WD.

Freeze your nuts off for e.g.

https://www.google.co.uk/shopping/p...83tXoKOQ&ved=0CAsQpis&ei=VgpdVY6QB8buUp67gegH

 

[caorach]

Thanks for all the info folks. It was good to find that everyone else had problems with it being very tight as well as I didn't want to force anything and really didn't expect it to be as tight as it was. In the end a big screw driver plus several days soaking in a combination of WD40 and Eezox did the job and it finally let go this morning. It must be said that I wouldn't like to try to do any maintenance on it in the field as there is no way on earth I was going to move that without the methods I used. I'm going to reinstall the jet with very moderate torque to see how that fares and whether it "tightens" itself back up again with the heat and so on.

So, if you have a dragonfly stove don't bet on being able to maintain it in the field unless you have loosened things up first at home with easing oil and something that can apply a lot of torque.

 

[Goatboy]

I've been using MSR stoves for years, Dragonfly included. Used them on expedition and for friendly brew ups on day trips. Like me though they're older and mine have Hex jets. Never tighten them more than finger tight and as such have never stuck. One of the reasons we used them was their maintainability. That coupled with robustness, efficiency, cheapness to run and heat output made them our first choice. The only stove that really challenged it on all those things at the time was the Primus omnifuel. It was the only stove that was easier to light when using diesel in sub-zero conditions.
Must be a cost issue having rounded jets instead of hex. Though if I remember right and hopefully one of the "Stovies" will correct me, the Primus jets fit into the MSR stoves and they have hex heads.
But just don't tighten them up overly much is the answer.

Sent via smoke-signal from a woodland in Scotland.

 

[caorach]

But just don't tighten them up overly much is the answer.

This seems to be the key, this is the first time I've unscrewed mine so it came from the factory overly tight and my "research" on this thread seems to indicate that others have the same experience. With this in mind it might be worth any new owners loosening up the jet before they run the stove as all the heat, dirt etc. is bound to tighten things even further.