Sometimes even new jets have been known to be oversize & with the nature of these small lamps they can be sensitive to almost any very small change in fuel , air & & parts. What is the next size jet down from the one you have? Stu.
I currently have the Petromax 150 nipple. I might try to round the opening of the u-tube at the air intake much like one on my Butterfly. Probably that might help air to get in easier if compared to a rough sharp angle sides. I do find the spare nipple is slightly tighter. Or coleman 21 mantle is too big for it? Ever had a butterfly 500cp mantle on it, that formed a smaller but rounder ball like mantle. Im running ultrapure paraffin on it. I havent tried the local kerosene here yet. Kerosene seems less viscous compared to the paraffin i have. My Butterfly 350cp loves paraffin with a tat of diesel jet cleaner. Else, it wont stay bright for long and the jet keeps clogging. Is it normal to see red glow from the ceramic burner and mix chanmer upon shutting down after running for 3 hrs? Or is that a sign that the flame is not burning at the correct place?
With the earlier pic's there was burn back inside the J tube & this could cause the red hot tube/burner , but after three hours at that temp i'd be a bit red too Try the other jet & move the J tube as far as you can from the jet , make sure the ceramic burner is clean inside & tight on the mixixng chamber & that the mixing chamber again is tight on the J tube , nowhere for the flame to escape from Is there a flap inside the J tube like any of the Petromax type lamps & if so make sure it is fully open as these can sometimes move when hot & will fluff up your air fuel mix , maybe add a little panel wipe /unleaded petrol 5-10% by volume of kero for extra volatillity & take the pressure up a few more pounds just for luck Let us know how you get on , Stu
Reached home took the 150 apart and put in the other jet and light up. After lighting I cant stop laughing. There are flames coming out from almost all around the side of the jet where it meets the vaporizer. Means I have to bring it to work and use the power tools to grind the surface of the jet to remove those tiny machining streaks and burrs on the thread side of the jet. For now the old jet is in and I raised the u-tube at maximum height. I did de-burring on the u-tube intake with a large countersunk with a hand powered drill (looks like an egg beater). Tighten the mixing chamber and clay burner. The burner appears tight but while twisting, I got this sudden budge and a lock feeling after that. Just like a rotary electrical switch feel. Probably that where it leaked also together with the many other leaks? I dont know now. The built of the px is ok. But I didnt expect all the nice looking main pipings to leak everywhere and not like the other clone I have.
I suspected there was a leak in the burner area , sometimes the parts can wear really quickly if the flames burn through where they shouldn't on these lamps . Usually i find the mixing chamber can come loose as does the ceramic burner head Just be careful hand grinding machined surfaces , find a friend with a lathe or failing that send them to me This is all good experience even if it doesn't seem like it now , keep on going until it is working properly , it's worth it 8) Stu
I never did suspected the clay burner was leaky because it already feels tight when i screw it in holding it firmly with a rag. Just wondering, has anybody tried sealing the burner and mixing chamber with wet clay? I have some with me. Possibly use it similar way to using loctite. Anyways, after tightening the burner real tight, utube to the max height and the old jet. She ran bright for 30 minutes away from the fan. I brought her near the fan and there wasnt any difference in light output. She just sounds different in the wind
Something happened tonite. The needle broke. In attempt of removing the needle, the rod became loose so I had to remove the vaporizer and take out the whole eccentric as well. Upnn removing the vaporizer It was as if the rod was made from graphite and I saw it bent. A slight curve. The new needle is in and rod straightened and cleaned. Vaporizer cleaned up with bowden cable and spirit. All the carbon Now it burns bright but i think i did the needle a little too low. It pricks but the mantle will just dim down when it does that.
I brought the jet to work today and it became very obvious that there were high and low points on the sealing surface. As you can see that the lighter shiny parts are higher than the duller brass. It is no wonder it notorious for flaming the hood because of the flaming escaping vapor. I used a flat washer, roughened the flatter side at the inner diameter. use a bolt to hold the jet in place while I rotate the washer. I used 316 stainless steel washer for the use. Else the surface wont grind. Just have to be patient. Ive also decided to give a try to rebuild the pricking needle that broke. I cant get 150 needle locally so I really should try. At very first attempt I used wire crimp but wont tighten. Back home I tried using brass wire but with better luck. I got the pricker wire from a stand of stainless steel cable. Hopefully that will work.
Well for now i'll just leave the old jet in there till i have to replace it for any reason. Right now she glows like a 60watt lightbulb, no effect with or without the fan blowing to her now. But i think she doesnt like the climate here. There is nothing to heat up because it is warm here by default. Unless its the rainy season but still the lowest temperature is just till 25degC and strong winds. I hope this other jet i works the next time i have to use it. After all that grinding. About the needle Im not too sure. Ill most probably have an order for needles and jets for spares. Locally only Butterfly 350 needles and jets available.
She did something very strange tonite. At normal pressure i was playing music till suddenly complete darkness. It was as if a bulb fused. It isnt normal to see a pressure lantern shut off abruptly is it? Now shes back up again
Hi Fuzzy. You have a seriously spooky lanterne In this case it sounds like a block of fueldelivery somewhere - often in the jet or in the bottomvalve to the fueltube. Did you ever clean your tank properly when you got the lamp? Maybe a spider is trying escape in bits from the dark font. Claus C
Thats what i thought so too. Real spooky.. Good thing i have my laptop on. I was still able to find my way around with light from the screen. I did the washing with meth and paraffin just after unboxing and tightening of joints. Well i started her up after that but I shut her off again because some bug got in and committed suicide by flying into the mantle. Blew a hole Got her top off so i thought to myself why not try the new jet i grinded the other day. It went in and a new mantle. Preheat her for 45seconds and now she is blinding. Never before i see her glow with such bright light and her noise So... That means to say, that the root of all the headaches on her is caused by a faulty jet that was fixed on her from the factory? About that old jet, a 0.20mm wire went thru the hole quite easily. Too bad a 350cp needle didnt fit.
Back with some findings.. I switched to using the locally available kerosene and that did the trick. Now the px150 runs so brightly i had to use welding glass to check the mantle when needed. Also now I can light it with alcohol. Looks like the paraffin I used wasnt suitable. Another thing was that the leak from the side of the jet keeps coming back after 3 times firing up. The 4th time it would just glow red and black mantle. Soon after that tiny flames will light on the sides of the jet where it screws in. I took rtv sealant, same thing, it wont light on the 4th time. Now i'm using clay for modelling. Seems to stand well..
It has been 2 weeks now since I 'sealed' the threads of the jet to the generator with plastercine. Ofcourse I am sure the plastercine has hardened to some kind of clay like substance. I read that one of the ingredients in it was calcium salt. Probably with some carbon the gaps between the jet threads got sealed fully. Now with one fill of the alcohol cup, she lights up bright. How remedies come from unexpected things.
