I bought the lantern at a yard sale several years ago. Started checking it over last year. Generator needed cleaning, so I took the pricker from the fount well and tried to push it through the tip orifice. Somehow I broke it off, so now I'm in need of a generator AND a pricker it seems.Has anyone ever been successful at extracting a piece of broken pricker from an orifice before? Any tips, or maybe a good source for the needed items?
That's a pity about the pricker. You could find a high guitar string which is the right diameter to perhaps poke through the orifice and maybe even to replace the original wire if you can uncrimp it. 7 or 8 thou would be needed I suppose but I don't know the specifics of a 252A. Dont take my word on it! If you are still bothered about the title you could use the report button at the bottom of the post. There you can type in a request to the moderators who do have priveleges to change thread titles.
Welcome @Dream This is on the coleman generator chart Coleman Lantern Generator List ** 252 Light output can be increased drastically by using 6 gas tip 99 mantle and removing plug from base of second air tube Not sure if this might lead to any solution ? People have removed stuck/broken off needles from jets and have mentioned it on this board. (Same stuff different terminology) let us know how you get on, Chris
Broken needles which are stuck in the orifice can often be loosened and removed by repeated cycles of "heat and quench". Don't try any wire thicker than 0.006". Worst case scenario, new generators are available from www.oldcolemanparts.com/home.php?cat=33&sort=orderby&sort_direction=0&page=3 (bottom of page) I didn't look to see if they had replacement prickers but you could always ask.
Thanks to everyone for responses. Chris, I'm interested in higher light output, as I would like to carry this one camping. I'll look around for the #6 gas tip. Henry, I'll give that a try. Cant hurt at this point. On a slightly unrelated note, what is a good solvent to use to remove the soot deposits? Gasoline/lantern fuel, or is there something better?
So it ended up being heat, quench, and Kano Aerokroil penetrant for the win! Tried water and heat several times, then Aerokroil and quench, and now the gas jet is clear! Thanks again for all of the help. I'm going to see if I can get it to light up.
Still having an issue. I tried starting it. Got a VERY sooty yellow flame. Cleaned the mud dauber nest out of the air pipe. Little better, but still a yellow flame and won't stay to the mantle. The only mantles I have are #21. Any ideas?
From the photo it looks like the flames are coming up from the base of the generator ? Are the mating surfaces clean and the securing nut done up tightly enough ?
Milspecs are a bit of a different lantern to light. Try about 5 strokes to pressurize for starting, and it helps to preheat the generator with a longneck BBQ lighter. They flood and run rich on start up with the resulting fireballs and sooting if you pump them up to 20-30 strokes. Start with 5 strokes, get the generator hot and mantle burning properly and then pump it up with 30 strokes for full brightness. 252s are bright, and loud hissers! If you find it's still running rich (yellowy) and sooting, see if there's a plug in one of the airtubes. Some need it to be removed, and others run fine with it still there. Out of the 6 milspecs I've had, only one needed the plug removed. Each one has its own personality. Mike.
Yes. It does look like the flames may be coming from the base. I resealed the threads on everything when I took it apart to clean out the air tube. When I turn the valve back to just barely on, you can see the flame withdraw toward the mantle. I was a little concerned for a bit though.
Mike, I may have overpressured it, now that I think about it. I had initially pumped it the recommended 12 or so times per the instructions. This was before I realized the air tube was clogged. I tried adding pressure, which made it worse. Forgot to relieve pressure after cleaning the air tube, so I'll relieve it and start over. It does have one air tube blocked with a brass plug. If it still doesnt light using your technique, I can pull the plug and try. Thanks for the advice.
Ended up pulling the plug on the second air tube. Still too rich. This is with the valve barely cracked. Preheated the generator and kept low pressure as instructed. Just too much fuel. I can blow through both air tubes with no restriction. Time for a generator? Cant see it well in the picture, but its not a good white flame, and some flame can be seen above the mantle. If the valve is openned any above a slight crack, it starts flaming out the bottom. I can also hear it surging.
@Dream - when you say "flaming out the bottom" is the flame coming from the mantle or somewhere else ? The only place gas/fuel should be coming from is the tip of the generator. It might also be that the fuel is not vapourising and running back down the outside of the generator. Or there is too much fuel to vapourise.
