Austramax - trouble with removal of graphite washers and removal of eccentric

Hi there,

First time restore on a pressure lantern and looking for some advice.

I picked up this old Austramax from an antique shop not really knowing what I was getting but am slowly getting a restoration done. One thing and I hope I haven't stuffed it, is I was digging out the graphite washers with a drill bit thinking once dug out I should be able to withdraw the entire horizontal eccentric rod, but it seems I have got the drill bit through the graphite washers in one place and have drilled a little into something brass and still cannot withdraw the eccentric rod from the block, but don't really want to work the drill in there any more for fear of stuffing something up further. Is this horizontal eccentric rod meant to actually come out in which case I need to keep digging traces of stuck graphite, and that is what is holding it in there still maybe?

Thanks in advance!

I've included a pic with the eccentric rod circled, and another pic of the lantern before disassembly.

 

Try heating the valve assembly around where the graphite is protecting the rest of it with a wet cloth. When it starts smoking the eccentric rod should come out with the graphite packing.Was there a problem with it to begin with as everything can usually be cleaned up with it in place.
I have no experience with Austramaxes so you might want to wait for a more knowledgeable response.

 

Thanks Andrew, I'll have to give that a try. I have a pencil blowtorch - I can try and heat up around where the residual graphite is from outside the brass housing and have a wet towel protecting the tank and the vertical part of the brass valve housing. I'll give it a go in the next couple of days when I get another few minutes to work on it some more.

The problem I was having was that there was enough in/out play in the horizontal eccentric rod even while the spacer and gland nut were installed that it would disengage with the vertical pricker rod and jam up. I haven't had one of these lamps before (in fact it's my first pressure lantern) but I suspected this was not normal operation. No amount of tightening the gland nut was fixing this so my guess was the graphite packing was fused into place and had worn away a little on the inside surface causing the in/out slop on the horizontal rod. Or that it was too much wear on the horizontal eccentric rod itself. Otherwise I would have left this alone. Hope this makes sense. Either way I think given where I'm at now I'm going to have to go all the way and remove that rod as I expect I'm going to need to clean it up and put new graphite packing in there either way...

 

Welcome to another Aussie, Here's a link to a discussion on fettling an Austramax doesn't cover your particular problem but could be of some help.
New Member - Just acquired 2 lamps
There's a search box at the top right hand side of the page it will give a list of discussion on CPL related to what you "type in"

 

Not so.

The graphite packing would only go inside the gland nut the screws onto the valve housing.

 

G'day @Pauly and welcome.
There is a brass washer behind the seal as shown here.



On this lantern the seal was not graphite. Austramax 3/300

There a great little lantern

 

Welcome aboard!

 

Thanks Robbo. That photo has helped immensely. There was actually graphite between the brass spacer and the outer brass washer - a lot of it that I had to pick out. I don't know if this is normal. Some WD-40 and I've got the outer brass washer out now too and been able to remove the eccentric rod. The eccentric rod does not look too worn. Prob just a bit more of a soak in WD-40 and I should be able to pull that inner brass washer out and then I'll be able to look at all of the clearances to work out why I am getting excessive in-out play on the horizontal eccentric rod.

 

Your welcome.
It's normal for the graphite to move and fill any gaps around the washer.

I'm pretty sure the graphite had just gone hard. Once you repack with graphite you should be able to tighten the packing nut and remove the play. A little heat applied whilst tightening helps. Also it is not uncommon to have to retighten the nut once the lantern has been running.

 

Looking at my Austramax parts list it says the graphite packing used in the earlier models, was replaced with an O Ring in later lamps.
You could try packing an O Ring in and see if there is any leakage.

Tony Press would be better able to advise if that is an easier solution to your problem.

 

I normally repack glands like this with PTFE gas tape twisted into a string. It stands the heat OK and works very well and actually gives a smoother feel than graphite. ::Neil::

 

Thanks for the fantastic welcome everyone and all of the helpful comments. Robbo your comment re just repacking the gland to take out the play makes sense to me. I've had a look and the clearance between the pricker rod block and the inner face of the inner brass seal seems to look tight enough so I won't bother pulling out the inner brass washer, but will just reinsert the outer brass washer and repack and see how we go - it makes sense that the play should go away once repacked and tightened down. Might see if I can pick up some PTFE gas tape from bunnings and give that a go as my next step!

 

@Pauly

Have you sorted this part of your lantern out?

Cheers

Tony

 

Hi Tony, no, not yet as I haven't picked up the PTFE gas tape. Picking this up when I can in between work :-)

 

@Pauly

I'll go and check my old Austramaxes and get back to you in the morning.

Cheers

Tony

 

@Pauly

My older Austramaxes have obvious (often broken) graphite; the newer ones a viton O-ring. Either will work on your model; so will some good quality PTFE gas tape as suggested by Neil.

Have fun getting this little lantern up and running.

Cheers

Tony

 

Thanks for the info Tony

It is a bit of fun!

 

Can you actually run the ptfe gas sealing tape INSIDE the packing nut, because I've always used it on the male thread, not the female.
Problem on the male thread is that the thread might be sealed but where the packing nut meets the male stem, I'm unable to get an airtight seal..... that's where the graphite string/packing probably works so well? (Just a guess.... I'm still trying to seal the Veritas).
You're an oak Tony Press!

 

The way graphite works is that it compresses against the shaft, tube and packing nut, becomes a non-porous 'solid' so does not allow oil flow under pressure, but is still able to lubricate the turning shaft (untill overtightened). But there area fair few people here who use the PTFE tape in the same way by wrapping it around the shaft (as you would graphite) and doing the some thing.

I've had a few lamps with leather packing, cork packing, and string packing... I've replaced them, but they must have worked at least temporarily.

Cheers

Tony

 

Ahhhh...... so the packing goes around the shaft, as opposed to being stuffed in the packing nut! Lightbulb moment

 

A little bit of heat is always your friend in this situation. I couldn't budge a Veritas valve. A little heat from a blow torch and presto.

 

Hi there, @Pauly
www.oillamps.com.au
Will be able to help you out with Austramax parts.
They have helped me out with all sorts of parts.
I have pulled apart a few of these, ecentric blocks, no easy, the grahpite is actually a series of dry fibre washers and brass , .
Careful when heating as you will melt the solder , it is very thin tank, if you can remove the block from tank,

 

I know this post wasn't for me, but it's nice to see you Darryl.
Thanks for everything... the 1A is coming along.... as is Christmas.

 

Apologies for hijacking here, but can someone explain exactly how this (eccentric) control works? I realise it turns the flame on and off, is there a valve of some kind in there? My control just turns and turns. I have it working (yes my lamp works!!), but I think it's more by luck than judgement :-)

 

Julian

It is not a control. It is a mechanism to move the pricker rod and pricker up and down so that the pricker can clean the jet. It is not designed to be used to shut off the lantern. Shutting down the lantern is achieved by pressure release using the air screw on the filler cap.

Edit #1:

This is an illustration of a similar mechanism on a Coleman lantern.


Edit #2:

The wheel is supposed to rotate 360 degrees.

Edit #3:

Don't pull the eccentric control apart unless you really have to. They are a pain in the pinny.

Cheers

Tony

@Julian Whittaker

 

Hi Julian.
Not to be rude or anything, I suggest you take it apart your lamp and fiddle around with it, and then put it back together and get it to work again.
Then go and buy another lamp from a different manufacturer and see how their solution works.

Once you have done that, go and buy a bunch more lamps

 

Thanks lads. Now I get it. I have another lamp coming, I'll check that one out. My eccentric knob keeps turning (more than 360 deg) but it's working.

 

It’s supposed to rotate without restriction: arrow up for the highest point of the pricker; arrow down for the lowest point. Don’t let it burn with the needle in between up and down.

Cheers

Tony

@Julian Whittaker

 

Now it makes sense, thanks a mill' So we run it with pointer down, and only rotate the knob to the high point before lighting- to clean a jet.

 

Yes; or if the jet needs cleaning during burning.

There is a good manual in the Reference Library (you need to be a subscriber):

https://classicpressurelamps.com/threads/austramax-instruction-manual.13901/


Cheers

Tony