Coleman 282 700T - a few questions

Hi all, I have just bought a NOS Coleman "Dual Fuel" 282 700T dated 8/95 and would need a bit of clarification just to be on the safe side before I use it for the first time.
Is it possible/safe to use ordinary European unleaded gasoline (octane number 95-100 as compared to lower US octane numbers, say 87)?
What is the candle power of the (comparably small) lamp? Can I use standard Petromax 500 cp mantles (the lamp came with one spare Coleman "Gold Top" heavy duty mantle and it is much easier for me to get mantles from other manufacturers, say Petromax, Luxor, Campingaz or "antique" Gold Mohar 350cp)?
The lamp spent more than 20 years on a shelf - should I oil something or perform some similar pre-start action?
Any input is sincerely appreciated.

 

Unleaded fuel will clog up the vapourisier/generator quicker and that lantern will be 200-300cp.

A smaller Petromax type of mantle would be better, but the 500cp mantles can be reduced in length by folding down the top before fitting.

I would pressure test the lantern before putting fuel in it and the pump washer/leather may need to be oiled and the washer in the filler cap may need to be replaced.

 

Hi Bitzer, Yes, it is possible and safe to use European unleaded gasoline but as Jeff says, it will clog the generator quicker than Coleman fuel but don't worry, this will not happen overnight.
In The Netherlands you can get "WasBenzine" which is a very pure type of gasoline and is used for cleaning. It burns very cleanly in Coleman lanterns and will not clog the generator. Do you have a similar product in Czech Republic ? Another fuel which is very clean is ASPEN - 4, it is available in your country but I don't know how expensive it will be.
Aspen Europe GmbH –
Branch Czech Republic
Na Pankráci 43
140 00 Prague 4
Phone: +420 222 559 557
E-Mail: cz-info@aspenpharma.eu

Here in the U.K., the correct fuel is expensive and many of us use a product called panel wipe in our petrol lamps and stoves. It is used for cleaning cars before re-spraying with new paint and there are different types. If you can get it and the price is right, be sure to use one that is naptha (Dřevní) based. It burns very cleanly and the generator will last a long time.

Henry.

 

Correct, the Coleman fuel is known as White Gas and as naphtha gas, it is a pure gasoline without any additives.

The Dual Fuel was designed to run unleaded gasoline so the generator will take longer to clog. The higher the octane the more additives that are included. If you use gasoline avoid breathing the fumes, those additives are toxic.

Oil the pump then pump it up with any empty tank. Wait at least half an hour and test if the pressure held. Open the valve and listen for the air escaping, close the valve and check that no air escapes. One more test, when pumping the lantern keep your finger covering the hole and see if the pump pushes back the check valve is leaking. These are the minimum safety checks you should perform before adding any fuel. Also check the air passages for any insect nests or other dirt that could restrict air flow.

 

Thanks for your replies. I used ordinary 95-octane unleaded from a gas station and the lamp works a treat.
The last thing I am uneasy about is the top ball ventilator nut. Is it supposed to be tightened all way down or just very slightly to allow for glass expansion? Are the springs under the glass soft enough to provide sufficient play while the glass heats up and expands both vertically and horizontally?

 

Yes, it will at first. Unfortunately it's only a matter of time before the additives in the petrol/gasoline clog the generator and stop it working. I'd change to using something without additives pretty quickly - naphtha, Aspen, waschbenzine, Coleman fuel or panel wipe as advised above. Early use of one of these fuels may even flush out the additives you've already got in the generator...

 

Tighten that nut enough to keep the hood in place, but do not over tighten it.

 

I'm with David, avoid pump gas and if you must use pump gas get the lowest octane you can find. The higher the octane the more additives and the faster it will clog. Also I would keep the lantern wide open, full bright, as hot as it can get, this will have a better chance of burning the additives.

I'd never run it indoors or any confined area as the additives in gasoline will poison you in short order.

 

Ive got a line on one of these...with all these warnings and the fact that it runs petrol (!!) Im going to pass !

 

It's a Coleman so basically pretty safe. If used with a naphtha fuel it is no more dangerous for indoor use than a kerosene lamp. They both produce water vapour, CO and CO2 in about the same quantities so you do need ventilation. I know very well that in the UK petrol lamps have a bad press and for a lot of people the first reaction is to assume they are dangerous and just looking at one will kill. OK so the fuel is more volatile and needs more careful handling but used in a Coleman is perfectly safe if the lamp has no leaks. They are not designed to incinerate customers and unless you manage to spill petrol about the house they will give you light and heat only.

I am far too impatient to pump a lamp and wait half an hour. Get a good pressure in it and then shove it in water and look for bubbles. While submerged operate both pricker and main valve to check the glands are tight. You should also get a jet of bubbles from the top of the generator which tells you the fuel feed to the burner is good. ::Neil::

 

OK, you talked me into it. For £15 I couldnt resist although I was still a bit reticent about the fuel aspect.
So, today I dig out my early Optimus 324 Rider stove which runs on white gas. I bought this thing in NZ when I lived there in there through the 80s. Rather than make a fire to boil up a billy for tea I bought 324. First time I took it in the bush it flared up in the hut and my mate, who advised me against the stove from the outset, lifted the flaming, roaring beast with the muzzle of his rifle and slung it out of the door into the night. we shut the door and waited for the explosion. Peeping out a few minutes later the thing was sputtering and hissing in the rain. I put it away in the bag and forgot about it.

A year or so ago, now back living in England, I came across the 324. I was not tempted to fire it up...I'm a lot older and a little bit wiser.

Anyway, your comments about the Coleman got me thinking. If I could confidently work with the 324 with the knowledge I've picked up here on this forum, and if I could safely use the white gas fuel then there was no reason not to go with the Coleman 282 lamp.

I visually checked the seals, pressured the tank and dunked it in the bucket. Few bubble round the fuel filler cap which I fixed with a little bit more tightening. Checked the needle, sussed out the quick start (which is so similar to the QS on my Optioms 1550), pumped it up again and it hisses at me.

Picked up some Aspen 4 fuel and tried to light it. Bit sluggish so I used a Tilley meth preheater and its away ! No leaks, bit of yellow flame on intial startup, all good. This petrol stuff aint so bad and this stove has got a terrible reputation. Surely the Coleman has go to be better built?
So, I bought the Coleman 282-700t and it should be here by the weekend. Yet again the input and support from this forum has go me through.

Now, where did I leave that fire extinguisher.....

 

Here it is...

 

And here is the confidence boosting Optimus 324 Rider...

 

It will be fine - see left for my little lot, 2x 285s and a 226. All running on Aspen4T.

 

Over the years I have used just one cap full of injection cleaner or carbarator cleaner and mixed it with either kerosene or gasoline in my lantern fonts and I have never had a problem with the generators. Maybe I've just been lucky...

 

George - would you use that additive with unleaded petrol (pump gas)? If you would/have done so did it prevent the clogging that many folks report with unleaded?
James

 

James - the only gasoline we can get here is unleaded. Yes, I've never had a problem. What I do as a rule is about every third font full of either gasoline or kerosene I mix one cap full of the cleaner, I don't think it makes any difference what brand of cleaner you use, swish it around in the full tank and that's it. Like I said maybe I've just been lucky but it seems to work for me.

 

When you say you swish it about...do you then discard it? Or do you mean you use the additive every third tank full? Sorry if you think I'm being a bit dim here!!

J

 

Not at all! The cleaner is used the same way you use a gasoline treatment; put it in the tank, swish it around just to blend it with the fuel and then just light the lantern. It should keep deposits from forming in the generator the same way it does in engine injectors.

 

Gotcha! Petrol (gas) is expensive enough here in Britain...Coleman Fuel/Aspen4 is more expensive than fine Scotch Whisky!
If I ran my lamps every day in a commercial setting fouling up with unleaded could be a problem. For me, the occasional burn in summer at garden barbecues, occasional camping trips...I'm going to give unleaded a try! Do you take any other safety precautions? And what's the name of the additive you use?
James

 

This stuff looks good...you reckon it's ok?

 

Or this..its a USA product available here in UK.

 

Wynn's is fine. It's an injector cleaner and it should work. Just a cap full.

 

Not sure about these particular products, but injector cleaners often contain isopropyl alcohol. So they may allow the fuel to take up a little bit of extra water from your tank so it’s removed from the system, and it could be argued that they increase the chances of some additives, which may have deposited in the system, being redissolved.

When you add the recommended 150ml (?)to an 80 litre tank there really isn’t much there in percentage terms. I’ve never noticed an effect in my car. Having said that, my car isn’t euro-chic, so perhaps even a small pebble would get through the injector and eventually drop out the exhaust pipe! & , hence no need for cleaning...

The point though, is that believing it works in your lantern requires you to first believe that it works in your car!

 

I remember my Dad putting a RedEx shot in the old Vauxhall Wyvern when I was as kid and "fuel treatments" like STP were big in NZ when I lived there in the 80s. I put the popularity of these things down to poor quality or long stored petrol and ropey car engines. Older petrol/gas lanterns predate lead-free restrictions and hi-tech injector systems so I can see why they might help us with lamps.
On the other hand, as you say, do they/did they actually "work"?
Some people here seem to think so...empirical evidence....

 

@Seamanjive
If you run the lantern only occasional,
The extra cost for Aspen T4 is not such large surcharge.
And keeps your lantern in good condition.
Here in Germany the Hornbach DIY market has Aspen for 18,90€ per 5L Jerry can.
I'm UK is see Amazon sell it for 28,90£.

Ps acetone-free brake cleaner is the same as Dutch wasbenzine or Coleman fuel.
This works well too.

 

Yes, good point.

I'll decide when the Coleman gets here and I get to fettle it!

 

HOW MUCH ? Bleedin' rip-off merchants !

Advice to anyone in the U.K. who hasn't used Aspen 4 yet but is thinking about giving it a try.

http://www.find-aspen.co.uk/ around the £20 mark for 5 litres.

Henry.

 

Hi all,
I’ve just obtained a Coleman, and after reading comments and a quick google search for “ naphtha “ it came up with “Bartoline” 2l white spirit (just under £7 from B&Q) and one of the customer reviews quoted it’s naphtha, and was needed for a science project, just wondering wether I am able to use it for my 282 and anyone else already using

Thanks Phil

 

I'm sure others have already mentioned this, but there are alternatives to unleaded fuel, in the UK anyway, such as panel wipe or brake cleaner fluid. Another option is to convert it to paraffin/kerosene which is generally much cheaper.