This is my Prentiss Wabers L13. Just finished this one and it runs OK but not as well as I would like. I think the genny needs some work as it appears to be delivering insufficient gas. These are very well made lanterns with a really solid heavy burner and a base plate made out of a heavier gauge of plate than the usual fare. A pleasure to fettle with no nasty surprises I don't know whether the version without the separate filler cap preceded these versions with the dedicated filler cap? Anyway very biddable and runs quietly, just not very bright at the moment. These seem to have been made in the mid 30's.
The build quality is excellent. The fuel feed pipe may be partially blocked and some American lanterns have a gauze filter on the end of the fuel feed pipe and it gets mucky and the link below shows the restoration of a sibling of your lantern.
You may be right. I did not remove the valve from the tank as after I had given the tank a really good clean and filled it with fresh fuel a nice healthy gusher of fuel erupted from the valve (with no genny attached) after I gave it a few strokes and opened the valve.
It's possible that the fresh fuel has loosened some muck which was stuck to the tank and we never know what type of fuel has been used by previous owners. The lantern in that video does have a gauze filter on the fuel feed pipe, both lanterns are made by the same company so it's likely that your lantern also has a filter.
JEFF JOHNSON@ I have not ruled out the uptake pipe and the valve. I have a few with the little filter at the tube bottom and sure see the potential issue. I have been avoiding removing the valve as I am afraid of wrecking a really good lantern but may have to if the generator is not the problem. The genny looked clean to me (perhaps too clean, suggesting someone else has had a fiddle!) but I did not remove the coiled heat element in the genny.
Hello David, yes, it's best not to rush a restoration, perhaps draining the fuel through a filter to check if there is any muck in it would be a sensible procedure.
I may have to lower my expectations of just how bright this lantern might normally burn. Trouble is I preceded this fettle with a Coleman 228H and was expecting the old lantern to be similar in output. Probably not realistic. Also for the size of the tank the pump tube diameter is quite small, so more pumping required than I had been giving it. Seems to kick off after 100 strokes.
I have also found that some American lanterns require a lot of pressure and the links below show two of those. Bulbous mantles form closer to the vapouriser / generator and keep it hotter, which helps the fuel to vapourise properly and therefor the light is brighter. I only use paraffin / kerosene, Coleman fuel etc., burns hotter so the Coleman type of mantles should be okay. PS., letting the lantern burn for a good while can also help with it's light output. AGM., 3470 1947, Coleman Empire lantern (Made in Canada)
Here's a thread I did some time ago but it shows all the lower end pieces on a PW. Aladdin PL-1,Preway L-13 and Coleman 220 comparison - The Coleman Collectors Forum The hex piece in the pickup tube has a very tiny orifice nd can get clogged. The photos show an early L13 with a brass valve stem. It just has a piece of brass gauze wrapped around the end of the pickup. Later models had an inverted cup with a screen. Getting the valve out of a PW is a real problem. They are in super tight and the valve is screwed into a hex nut that is soft soldered into the fount. If you don't heat it you risk torqueing the valve in half. If you do heat it you will most likely melt the solder and ruin the paint job. Easy enough to resolder the hex, but the paint is gone. If you try to remove the vale be sure to leave the stem and associated bit installed, otherwise you will collapse the valve body where the stem threads in. Ask me how I come by this knowledge. Anybody got a spare PW valve body?
