OK, I've been really really lucky with my lantern and stove purchases but my recent acqusition of a Coleman 214 was not my finest hour. The fount was in a shocking state, full of corrosion holes and when I attempted to weld it, the true extent of the horror was immediately apparent. Quite a few areas were so badly corroded they feel to pieces when I prodded the surface with the end of a screwdriver. Honestly, the paint was literally holding it together in some places! Oh, and when I opened the tank up to see how bad it was, (very cathartic) it was full of this spongy pink stuff so I assume someone had already tried to use that stuff you put in tanks to seal them - Poro.... something or the other. Not a pretty sight! So I now have a number of 214 parts I no longer need. They are in exactly the same state as when I removed them half an hour ago.
Here are some photos of the mess inside the 214 fount. *WARNING* Look away if easily upset! In some places it's up to 1cm thick, it's salmon pink in colour and has a foamy texture that makes me wonder if it is a two part compound, mixed and poured inside and then left to set. It certainly wasn't evenly spread over the inner surface and it doesn't look like Coleman put it there!
Cut out the bung, fuel filler and pump before throwing it out, they could be useful later. (like in making a beer keg lantern )
@ColinG Sorry to hear your woes. I too had the Coleman pink crud syndrome: Coleman Powerhouse 295 with extras!. Some of that was quite thick too! Regards Jeremy
Schrader valve, so it's bicycle pump or compressor, hence the pressure gauge. 2 gallon capacity w/0.8 gal. headspace for less frequent pumping and a Coleman Canada 37 head for retina-searing brightness.
Here you go: I'm currently running it on a mix of 50/50 Camp Fuel (naptha) and Diesel. Runs great and pretty cheap. I don't know what happened above, but the head is a Coleman Canada 237.
I typically run it every night for four to five hours... for weeks. It also works just great on straight camp fuel, but to get max. brightness, I switch the gen tip for one from a 236 gen. 0.009" vs. 0.0085". We get lousy kerosene out here which is why I'm using ultra-low-sulfur Diesel mixed with CF.
I run all my kero lanterns on Amish mix. Generally 80% kero : 20% naptha which gives a good white light and a steady burn. I've been looking at CF alternatives. Panel wipe is good, and just found out about brake cleaner which is even cheaper in the UK, roughly £12 for 5Ltrs.
I've been planning to reduce the CF in my mix, but just adding one gal. of Diesel and one of CF is so easy. CF is not getting any cheaper over here, either. I did experiment with running regular unleaded gasoline through the big 237 gen, but it clogged too quickly for my tastes. Same with the poor quality stuff that passes here for kerosene. Fuel quality varies wildly within the US, depending on region. A couple of folks at CCF use RUG in their CF lanterns without undue clogging, but not with what we get here in the PNW.
I guess I've been lucky. I'm in the Mid-Atlantic area and the quality of kero is pretty good here, but the damn price per gallon is outrages! Gasoline is starting climb in price, too but not anywhere near kerosene!
*UPDATE* I recieved a 214 fount from the impressive stock collection of Rob Flint today, so having assembled all the parts, I now have a functional Coleman 214! Of course, this means I won't be selling / donating the parts. The tank was a Birthday present from my dear wife! I must say, its one of the quietest lanterns I own and yet it's still really bright!
Yes, thank you so much Rob... literally all I did was put everything together, add one if the loose Coleman mantles you sent and preheat it. It's been whispering quietly by the French windows since I lit it. Excellent!
Hi Colin, I'm glad you've been able to get this old girl up and going and she's running very well indeed. Cheers, Norman
