Tatonka burner help required!

[Dingo]

Has anyone any idea's about why my tatonka meths burner doesnt seem to want to prime?...

I have tried changing the meths, filling it quite full, leaving it to burn completely out!, putting a little around the outside to increase heat, added a little lighter fluid to increase the octane BAD IDEA TRIED IN ALMOST DESPERATION.......

Its almost 'hammer time' for the tatonka im afraid, unless one of you chaps and lasses have any idea's.

thanks in advance

Adam.

 

[Johnnyboy1971]

Do you mean it wont bloom. Im guessing the main chamber lights but then the burner holes dont light.
If this is the case have you tried cleaning the holes out(do it carefully)
You could always leave it open to let the meths evaporate then tap it on something to see if there is a carbon build up.

 

[ged]

Definitely don't try fuels like petrol!

These burners are more or less bullet-proof, so if it used to work and now it doesn't then either there's somethihng wrong with the fuel or you've done something bad to it. If all you've done is burn meths in it then it more or less has to be the fuel.

When you changed the meths, was it for some more from the same source? I wonder if your meths is OK. It might have a high moisture content.

First thing I'd try is some of Red's methanol. Then if that works, some meths from a reliable source.

Have you tried keeping it warm before lighting it? I mean like body temoerature, don't put it on the stove.

It will work better if it's half full than if it's topped right up. The reason for that is that it has to heat less fuel before it 'blooms' if it's less full.

They do take a few minutes to bloom, maybe ten or fifteen minutes in cold weather. They're not as fast as the brass civvy Trangia ones. The brass military ones are also a bit slow.

 

[Dingo]

thanks chaps, i will give it a go

 

[bigroomboy]

adding petrol doesnt increase the octane rating it lowers it. The octane rating of ethanol is far higher than petrol. Octane rating is the ability to resist combustion on hot surfaces not how well it burns. Check the meths is good first. This time of year they can be hard to light from cold as the flashpoint is around 13o. I trick is to keep it in your clothes for a bit or use a tealight under it to warm it up as it starts. They can take a few mins to bloom so make sure you are putting enough fuel in to give it time.