The Aladdin 1a I'm fettling was leaking kero from the pump when I was about to give it a test run. fairly badly!! I assume the valve needs looking at but not sure how to get to it or take it out. Can you even take the valve out at all? There's no screwdriver slot etc at the end of the pump tube. Cheers.....
Yes you can take the valve out. You need a special tool to unscrew it from the base of the pump tube. There are more details, including photos of the Aladdin 1A valve in [url=http://0flo.com/index.php?threads/1705 thread.
I made an NRV extractor out of stainless steel rod, with a diameter just smaller than the pump tube, using a dremel. It works like a charm. But, beware: an old unloved lamp may have corrosion around where the NRV meets the pump tube and the whole join fails, requiring desoldering the pump tube, extracting the whole lot, fixing or replacing the NRV, and soldering it all back together. You can buy an NRV extractor from loco7lamp (see Member Services section of this site). I'd be happy to send you my home made one if you wanted me to.
Thanks for the reply's, very helpfull. And thanks for the offer of sending the valve tool also Tony. I made an nrv tool from a bit of steel rod with the end bent for a handle, not pretty but it worked. It will have to wait for a week until I can inspect and clean it when I get home from work..... Has been a real challenge this fettle but a good learning one!!
Hi, Well here's an update...It's been a real challenge but I've finally got the old Aladdin 1A running. The fount with its many cracks should really have been tossed. soft Solder wasn't strong enough as the cracks kept opening up when pressurised.So I braised them up with my oxy and got it to seal under pressure(looks ugly but at least its useable). Next the NRV was leaking, I got it out (thanks to the CPL members help)and found the seal was rock hard and needed replacing. I couldn't be bothered searching & waiting for more parts so I used silicone where the seal goes and so far it's working fine. Other seals such as vaporiser seal(red fibre washer) and control cock washer I got from the plumbing shop, all working. I still wasn't happy with the Radius 119 needle fit. There a coupla'mill smaller than the original Aliddin ones and need to be adjusted almost to their thread limit. So as I have nothing to lose with this lantern I cut a coupla'mill off the top of the vaporiser, tapped a bit more thread for the jet and that solved that!! So, the moment of truth....new mantle, pressure holding... Poof, away she went.....Then, after about 5 minutes, CRACK!!glass decides to break. Mantle looks fine? no holes? think it must have been a hot spot in the glass from before I got the lantern. Oh well. Put a new mantle on anyway and fired it up again and so far is running fine. Really bright, has a bit of a yellow tinge compared to the Tilley, only issue is very small weep from one of the cracks I've braised. Liam.......... First time burning just before the glass cracks.. Amazing amount of light for a single lamp...
Good to see it running Liam. Cutting the top off the vapouriser might solve the needle problem but it could introduce a new one. The mixing tube on these lanterns is not adjustable so the distance from the jet to the mixing tube is set by the design. If this distance changes it could (most likely will) change the fuel/air mixture and affect the burn. Keep us updated on how it goes.
Your dog obviously got quite a scare and vamoosed pdq Liam. Just wondered, how many can you feed with that huge barbie?
Well fettled Liam! The point which Nils mentioned is correct and that may be what is causing the yellow tinge, Jeff.
Liam, the silicone will fail in your NRV. It disintegrates in kerosene, and a small one like that won't last long. See this thread: http://0flo.com/index.php?posts/28795 Do you have one on order?
Thanks.... I did wonder how shortening the vaporiser tube would effect burning but doesn't seem to have made any difference(amateur observation!!). The jet just pokes up into a square tin chamber integrated as part of the cap. The first pic shows the lantern burning before I shortened it and still had that slight yellow tinge?(though it is daytime!!). I haven't ordered a washer kit yet but now that I know it runs I think I will order one.
Nice job, you could see if a slight restriction to the airtube or vapouriser tube makes a difference to the burn colour. Is that a stubbie of Mr J. Boags finest I see in the background of the first photo? Tis a fine drop.
