Optimus Stove Leather Cup

[Lithril]

I've recently managed to aquire one of these to have a play with:

Not wanting to risk it with petrol to start with I used paraffin which actually gave a beautiful flame. The only problem I've got is that the its leaking from the plunger, on closer inspection the leather cup which acts as a one way valve is perished, hence letting the paraffin past. Are these possible to make or it is the sort of things thats best to try and source??

Many thanks

Matt

 

[jdlenton]

bring it to the moot Matt i might be able to make a replacement do you still have the origional cup?

 

[Lithril]

Yup the cup is still on it, I'll bring it along anyway, if you can make something up it'll be fantastic, for its age it is a lovely stove.

Cheers JD

Matt

 

[rik_uk3]

Hi Matt, the leather cup may well be worn, so soak it in oil (I use olive oil) for a few hours. But, if you are getting parafinn leaks from the pump, its more likely the non return valve is playing up. You can buy new ones from www.basecamp.co.uk give them a ring, nice guys there. If I can find a spare, I'll bring it to the moot and fit it for you, I'll pm you tonight when I have checked.

There are different jets for the 111, the jet marked "M" is multifuel, good for both parafinn or petrol, but i would stear clear of petrol because of the cancer giving addatives in it. Coleman fuel (Naptha fuel) is much cleaner burning but expensive, I use panel wipe (from motor spares shops) which is priced anywhere between £10 and £14 for 5 litres, and is Naptha, very cheap compared to Coleman fuel with is around £10 per litre


111, great stove, 10,000 BTU's of output, one of my favourites

 

[Lithril]

Cheers Rik, look forward to meeting you at the meet. I really like the stove, I've got a fair amount of paraffin which I bought for my tilley lamp... unfortunatly I think there is small leak in the weld so I'm going to get some petseal for that.

Cheers
Matt

 

[rik_uk3]

Just had a look, you should be ok for the non return valve, its an old one, but was working when I scrapped the stove (dented to bugger), me and the lad will be in a green Golite hex tent.

 

[Lithril]

Ok cheers I'll come and find you. When are you looking at getting there?

 

[addyb]

Lithril,

Congrats on your old Optimus! I've got one kicking around in my garage that my old man used back in the Dark Ages. (And it still works) Provided it doesn't blow up on ya, may I be prudent for a minute and suggest that you get yourself an optional fuel pump? It increases the stove's output a fair amount, and you'll find you won't have to use meths to get it started. Just crack the valve like a Whisperlite to fill up the priming tray, and voila!

Cheers and good luck!

Adam

 

[Lithril]

Lithril,

Congrats on your old Optimus! I've got one kicking around in my garage that my old man used back in the Dark Ages. (And it still works) Provided it doesn't blow up on ya, may I be prudent for a minute and suggest that you get yourself an optional fuel pump? It increases the stove's output a fair amount, and you'll find you won't have to use meths to get it started. Just crack the valve like a Whisperlite to fill up the priming tray, and voila!

Cheers and good luck!

Adam

Not quite with you there, its got the pump on the side of the fuel chamber, is there a part in addition to this?

 

[Phil562]

addy, I think you'll find it has a pump

 

[addyb]

My bad! That's what happens when I type up a post before the morning coffee's kicked in. Feel free to shoot me!

This is what I was referring to.

Adam

 

[bikething]

My recently acquired 8R doesn't have one

Steve

 

[Dingo]

just a thought, there are no fires allowed at the moot, only communal ones and one central fire! this is due to the danger of forest fires, this i understand, unfortunatly that means instead of cooking on a smouldering open fire we are all going to be taking high octane alternatives,

 

[rik_uk3]

Matt has an Optimus 111, silent burner, with pump, should burn both parafinn and petrol/coleman fuel, the 8R burns only petrol or Coleman. Both are cracking stoves

 

[addyb]

No, the Optimus 8R doesn't have the fuel pump, and neither does the aluminum shelled 99 model. That's when the Midi pump comes in handy. They're definately worth using. They increase the stove's output a fair deal, and do away with the need to carry a squeezer bottle of meths for priming. I think the neatest thing about Optimus stoves is the built in cleaning needle, something no other petrol stove had until MSR introduced the Shakerjet Whisperlite. And me? I swear by Trangia.

Adam

 

[rik_uk3]

8r and 99, both very good stoves. To save some weight as we are coming by train, I'm leaving the 111 behind and bringing a 199 Ranger stove, its like a 99 on steroids

 

[addyb]

Good gawd that's a huge burner!

Yeah, they're great stoves but too old and heavy for me. Actually, there's no truth in that sentiment. I'm just too much of a skinny little bugger to take the effort to hump those magnificent cookers around. I even complain about my Trangia.

Adam

 

[rik_uk3]

Some of the lads on the stove forum were saying how long it takes to set up a trangia, so here we go, this is a 25 Gelert Trangia clone


And here is the fantastic SIGG Tourist Cookset and Optimus 123 combo



Not slow really is it