Hi All, I was lucky enough to pick a pretty tidy Optimus 350/350Cp. It had been in a tractor shed for years but in a nylon bag that had saved it from the worst. It did work (could not resist) but a quick inspection revealed that the seals were working but a bit tired. I had ordered a service kit from fogas.se who were very helpful and sent it out very quickly. The existing needle and jet were quite coked up as was a bit of the conducting rod. So I replaced jet and needle and cleaned the rod. The problem I have now is that the rod/needle reaches full travel before the red wheel turns all the way, stopping the wheel going all the way round. I think that the needle is colliding with the back of the jet – the wire can be seen protruding through the needle. If I put the old needle back in all is well. Inspection reveals that the needle is the same length, but it looks like the thread is longer on the old one. I have now cleaned the old needle and it looks quite serviceable, but I would like to understand if it the new needle at fault or if I am missing something. It would be possible to shorten the conducting rod, but I think that way lies disaster. I am also aware that these needles are aftermarket replacements so again there might be something I do not know about. Any thoughts or suggestions welcome, thanks Chris
The rod should have and adjustable nut or ring on the bottom end, so that it can be set to the proper height.
Chris, Jeff is right. Compare the new and old needles and you may see they have a slightly different design at the stem. This will effect the clearance of the control rod and could foul the needle on the base of the nipple if the needle is longer. It is a fairly quick job to remove the control rod, adjust it and reassemble. Although fiddly, it doesn't take long and makes all the difference. @Fireexit1 @JEFF JOHNSON
@JEFF JOHNSON @Alex Smith Thank you both, I didn't actually take the middle part to bits as the graphite seal was OK. Everything else has been re-built. The rod didn't drop out and i "assumed" - ahem - that it was fixed as it didn't unscrew when I turned it.
@Fireexit1 Different lamp but same method Restoration of a PETROMAX 829 Lantern Chapter 5 explains all.
@Henry Plews Excellent information, thank you very much indeed. That's this evening's fun sorted out then..
