I just brought a second hand Austramax and stripped it down for the very first time ever on one of these lamps. After removing the control knob there is a nut behind it, once i removed the nut I was surprised not to see any packing behind the nut nor an O ring on the pinion shaft. Is this how they come or is parts missing ? I also tried to pull the Pinion shaft out from the valve but it was fixed, do these pull out or are they fixed like Tilley pinion shafts. Im trying to ascertain if the packing behind the nut is missing or an O ring thats pushed up against the pinion shaft that goes inside the valve, or don’t Austramax have them fitted like Tilley Lamps. Below are photos I screenshot of the areas at question.
Cheers i have the original manuals but struggling to understand how the pinion comes out inside the valve. I’m also not sure how to remove the NRV, if Austramax has a special tool, like the specially made ones for Coleman. Manuals only tell someone so much. Cheers
Hi there I just did a quick search using Austramax nrv and hopefully it will bring you the results that you need cheers
As far as I know, Austramax did not sell a specialist tool for the NRV. There are a few brands that have a slotted NRV. Why do you want to remove the eccentric? Tony
If the eccentric raises and lowers the cleaning needle when rotated and the gland is not leaking I'd be tempted to leave it alone. But if you insist, use pliers to grip the piece marked and remove it - you may have to rotate it half a turn forward and back as you pull. Remove the generator and needle too. Just use a screwdriver to remove the NRV. If you're worried about damaging the slot, wrap insulation tape around the blade until it's a close fit in the pump tube, this will keep the business end square in the slot and greatly reduce the risk of it jumping out and causing damage.
@Henry Plews The Austramax eccentric is a damned b@stard to remove. They are the tightest and most difficult I've ever dealt with. Best left alone. Cheers Tony
@Kiwiboy00 The gland packing on the spindle is a series of pink fibre washers. I am not sure what the material is but they reminded me of the material I used in the 1980’s to make intake manifold gaskets for cars. They are very hard to remove.
@ROBBO55 The fibre packing washers look like the same material Aladdin used for the spindle in their regulated silent burners for stoves. On some Aladdin parts lists the washers are referred to as plumbago packing. Cheers Tony
I don't doubt it. @Kiwiboy00 I think in this instance the order of the day is, if it ain't broke, don't fix it !
Thank you for the photos and all the advise given. Totally agree if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. I was trying to get a better understanding of these lamps and how they pull apart. I’m not a huge fan of not shut off valve especially when transporting it. Its always nice to have the tools and spare parts, just incase you need them. Tony, that NRV sounds like a nightmare, best to leave it along with the pinion shaft and its packing. I will call Austranax and order a few extra parts and generators. I can’t get over how cheap and thin the tank feels compared to other lanterns. I have a brand-new cougar that looks the same as the Austramax, not sure what the difference is. I’m interested to know if the Coleman NRV tools that are made in Taiwan fit the Austramax NRV. Cheers Darren
@Kiwiboy00 1. The tanks are brass with a stainless steel base plate; or brass with steel base; or brass on brass. They are fine, and in no way “cheap and thin”. They are made on the same gear that’s been used for decades. 2. The “Coleman” NRV tool is not designed for the Austramax. It uses the principle of a centre shaft that screws into the threaded centre of the Coleman NRV. The Austramax NRV is a completely different design and does not have a threaded centre hole. I remove Austramax NRVs by first soaking them for a few hours in penetrating oil and then using a wide flat head screw driver. Tony
Really appreciate that information Tony. I won’t be touching the NRV unless it’s necessary, sounds like it could be a headache lol. Be interesting to know the light these cast off, especially against Coleman Lanterns. Unfortunately I’ve not yet lit one.
@Kiwiboy00 ,hi Darren. Follow the fellas advice. It’s all good, The eccentric is very had to get out I may have made a post about it, but getting out caused damage. Follow Henry’s advice on the duct tape around a medium sized flat screwdriver to keep it square. Some good advice from the fellas, not sure on light measurements but they are up there with Coleman
Hi fellas, on the above mentioned eccentric, just so happens that I had been working on a 2/300 shift for my friend. The pricker rod was broken pricker common thing, I’d made a new one but noticing that the picker rod didn’t move far. So set about removing the eccentric rod. Here it is, it came out easily a surprise. The little off set part had been worn away the eccentric bloke rod holder came out the shaft came out as well. The packing is a series of fibre washers and a brass busher What to do next,?
from memory the later model Austramax dont have gland packings but a couple of viton o rings. I rebuilt mine with new parts some time ago complete with new eccentric. the Austrmax factory is near my mums place so called in there and was able to buy all the parts I needed. when I found out the size of the viton o rings I bought a pack of 100 cheap as chips from amazon
