I picked up this Coleman and it was leaking and needed a new pump seal. I tightened it up at the vapouriser and fitted a new mantle, I oiled the pump and I managed to get pressure. It lit up and looked good for about 10 minutes and then it started to emit flames from the mantle. Initially in small bursts, but then in larger flames up into the hood. Any ideas what the problem is? Is it over-pressurised?
The vapouriser's jet may be enlarged, but a bulbous mantle would be better as it would burn off closer to the vapouriser and that would keep the vapouriser hotter and the paraffin/kerosene would vapourise properly.
On the other hand, Jeff, this is a Coleman so those sock-type mantles should be OK. They do seem to be leaning away from the generator though, so as you suggest, there may be a problem with vapourisation on account of that...
Interesting. The mantle is a pattern replacement. When I fitted it, it hung down to almost contact the baseplate. I thought it might be too large but it shrank considerably when I prepared it prior to lighting.
Hello David, one would assume so, but I have had this problem with several Coleman paraffin lanterns and when I fitted those lanterns with bulbous mantles that cured the problem. Also, the design of the burner system on the more modern Coleman lanterns has changed and so the position of the vapouriser has also changed, (the 214 lantern for example). Also, the build quality of the more modern Coleman lanterns is poor and they do not retain heat as well as the older lanterns did. The link below shows one of my cobbled lamps and the difference in light output when it was fitted with an Anchor mantle is obvious. http://classicpressurelamps.com/index.php?threads/1887
Bushfella Everything said above is correct. 1. Have you checked that the vapouriser (generator) is clean? Take it off, take off the nipple, and give it a good clean with carburettor cleaner. If it's clogged with carbon, don't try to take out the pricker and wire - give it a good clean first. If it's really bad, get a new generator (vapouriser). 2. Your mantle looks crooked. Is the burner/nozzle bent out of shape? Cheers Tony
I've had about 10 of the model 214 Coleman lanterns through my hands and the flaming up after running for a while is a very common issue on that model. As far as I have been able to tell it is due to insufficient heat transfer from the mantle to the generator, especially in cold, drafty outdoor conditions. The problem can be ameliorated by forming the mantle as close as possible to the generator and also by mixing a little benzene, petrol or Coleman fuel with the paraffin. I've not been able to solve the problem permanently with any method I have tried, though.
benzine? Benzene (C6H6) does burn but because of the high carbon:hydrogen ratio, it does so with a yellow, smoky flame. It's also carcinogenic. I wouldn't be putting it in my lanterns...
I've got three 214s, two of which had long Antarctic service. I use them as workhorse lanterns: I light both at least 3 times a week and run them for hours. I've never had this problem running them on pure kerosene, and with long or golf ball mantles. I have of course, serviced the generators and replaced knackered ones. Cheers Tony
G,,day . my Canadian 214A is most likely the best kero lantern i have . lights easy every time , i love it . kerry ps , it does not care what mantles i put on it .
I've yet to come across a 214, new or used, that performed satisfactorily compared to various other Coleman kerosene lanterns. Maybe the ones they shipped to South Africa were all duds? I've fitted various mantles, new generators, tried various fuel mixtures and pressures but they have all tended to flame after running from 30 mins to an hour or so.
Tony and Kerry, I believe you when you say your 214's run flawlessly, but as they say, my mileage has varied
You may have the misfortune of having just recieved duds but most of my 214's run quite well.The only problem so far is dirt in the fuel pick up. Andrew
I have had a few Coleman models that don't perform well here and I am convinced the fuel is the main problem. I know the two 206s don't like my paraffin and whilst they run OK the 237s work better with a fortified fuel. I found that adding around 10 to 15% naphtha solves the problem but sometimes just using a rounder ball shaped mantle to get the heat closer to the generator works. ::Neil::
Hi Bushfella I converted a 285 to run on paraffin and had a similar problem and found it to the burner tube giving the hassles.I swapped it with a few of my 214's and whichever one I lit with that specific burner tube gave a poor light with flames outside the mantle. All the 214 burner tubes worked well on the 285. If you have another working lantern try swapping the burner tube to possibly eliminate that as a problem(It can be done without damaging the mantle). Andrew
Hey guys, I don't know if it is against rules to resurrect an old thread like this but I found this to be really useful and thought I'd share my experience on this. I recently acquired this 214 along with another one. When I bought it it just needed a cleanup. It still had a mantle on it. I fired her up and she went, for a while, then I had precisely the same problem as the original poster, bushfella. At the time I acquired this one (a 1996 edition) I also got another one as part of the deal (a 1994 edition). I did a quick cleanup on the 1994 model, did a test burn with no mantle and had the same problem (fires up ok, but shortly after the preheat metho is all gone it start to flame up). So then I pulled the 1996 apart, did a cleanout of the air tubes and generator. Added a new genuine Coleman #21 mantle. Lit it up. Same problem. So then I decided to add some shellite to the fuel, at approx 10%. Lit it up. Same problem. So I took the glass off, lit it up, and waited for it to flare up. Once it started flaring up badly I ran a pencil blowtorch directly on the generator. That quietened down the flareups. Waited a bit, proved this theory, ie, that the problem was the generator not vaporising the fuel enough to keep up. So I pulled that brand new #21 mantle off. I then put on a larger mantle. It was one I happened to have in amongst everything - a Kookaburra Mantle No S2. I don't know if they make them any more but it is bigger than the #21 and smaller than a genuine Austramax mantle. Lit it up, with thoughts in mind of giving up. And it worked. No flare-ups. Here is a pic that shows the approx size of the mantle after burn-in and first use. So it was the case with this one that the #21 mantle won't do the job well enough of maintaining enough heat on the generator. Replacement mantle, problem solved. Mind you, the 10% shellite fuel mix and the fact I did a full clean on the generator and air tubes can't have hurt, but those things were not enough to solve the problem in this case. As I'm typing this I've had the lantern going for about an hour this evening with no problems, burning brightly.
@Pauly Don't bump that lantern... the mantle looks like it's about to fall off. I use larger mantles than the #21 on my 214s. They work very well. Cheers Tony
Hahaha yep it does look dodgy @Tony Press . I fiddled with that for longer than usual to get the mantle as low as possible to ensure maximum heat transfer to the generator, to give it the best chance of solving the problem. The string is actually doubled over. If I couldn't get this to work I was going to give up on this model !!
I'll love these resurrections of old threads. That's because I'm rather new and didn't get to feel the excitements of older topics during their time. Nice fettle Pauly.
@Tony Press can I ask if you know the year they changed the top piece/hat on these? Also, any idea why some have a heat shield and others don’t? Or is this another trait of the latter version? Thanks,
I have one Coleman 214 lantern and it runs great for a while and then it starts to flare up. The 214 I have is probably close to the year Coleman stopped making them. What I've found is the carbon builds up on the top of the brass coils in the generator and then will dislodge and go into the jet which then plugs the jet. Now if you are watching the lantern and it starts to flare all you need to do is prick it but if it has been flaring for a while you have to shut down the lantern and lit it cool. Once it is cooled down you have to remove the generator and clean the carbon off of the top of the brass coils. I have found the best way to clean the brass coils is to use Brake Cleaner Spray. I do know the older 214 lanterns don't have this problem. Several of the guys on the CCF here in the US use a 50/50 mix of Coleman fuel and Kerosene in the newer 214 lanterns which seems to solve the problem, but with this type of mix you have to be very careful and watch your lantern because if you have a leak it will turn into a fireball and I'm pretty sure most out there wouldn't be interested in that kind of excitement. If you can find an older 214 you probably won't have this problem of the lantern flaring, but here in the US an older 214 goes for a very high price.
@JohnL I’m afraid I don’t know the answers to those questions. You might get an idea by looking through the Reference Library. Cheers Tony
