Hi,I have recently purchased a Fl6 floodlight,would love some information on how to give it a full service,I have ordered the kit from fettle box but not sure how to go about fitting all the seals etc ,any info would be ap or is there a manual or info which I can download.would also like to know best way to clean the reflector and where can I buy a mantle for it,I am in n Ireland ..thanks
Hi Dermot, and welcome to the forum. The FL6 is a superb lamp. I have two of them and an FL5 which I have restored. Take a look here: Tilley FL6 They are simple enough to dismantle if you do it in the correct order. Remove the bezel by removing the hinge pin complete with glass and put it well away from danger. The glass is not easy to come by. Remove the air tubes from each side of the burner. They unscrew by turning the knurled sections anti-clockwise. If they are tight, use plenty of penetrating oil then go and have a brew. Lift the burner from the vapourising tube and ditch the old mantle. Chances are it will already be broken or it will break when you remove the burner. You will be cleaning the burner anyway during restoration. Remove the vapourising tube, turning it anti-clockwise from the control cock. Remove the small screws from the edge of the reflector and carefully pull the reflector from the hood. This can be tricky as they sometimes stick a bit. Try to pull it evenly so as to not jam it. You can now unscrew the control cock from the fount. Unscrew the four bolts and remove the hood from the cast bracket. The bracket will also lift off. It is then a matter of examining each part to decide the level of restoration and or repair required. If your fuel gauge needs repairing, see the following article I wrote covering my method: Restoration of Tilley fuel gauges for FL5, FL6 etc. For cleaning the reflector, do not use abrasive of any kind as you will rub through the chrome to the copper beneath. First use hot soapy water and a microfibre cloth to gently remove surface muck. With luck that may be all that is needed, but if not I can recommend the gentle use of Cape Cod cloths stocked by Lakeland or on E Bay. They have an exceedingly fine abrasive suspended in oil which works wonders on these reflectors notwithstanding my warning above. For the specifics of restoring the more generic parts such as the control cock, vapouriser, burner etc. a good search through these forums will soon put you on the right track. If you get stuck, please ask questions, it is the reason the forum is here.
As above - and when you re-assemble it, don't try to get the suspension yoke a tight fit on the tank. You never will because they're designed to be slightly loose which I've always supposed was to do with expansion as the lamp heats up in use...
Hi @Dermot mc guigan and welcome to the forum. You’ve got all the info you need above. That’s a great lamp you’ve got there and they’re a lot of fun to use, good luck with your fettle!
Hi,thanks soo much for all the help and info,will start at it as soon as the kit lands from the fettle box,will it be obvious were the seals are as I take it apart....thanks
Hi,I have fitted most of the seals,have only 2 small o rings left, I read on a previous post that 1 is for the control cock at the gland nut,I am having problems getting the nut of over the spindle it sits on,any help would be appreciated...thanks
Good progress Dermot. By "nut" do you mean the black plastic knob? If so it just pulls off. It can be a bit stiff but try some penetrating fluid. The knurled seal retainer then screws off anti-clockwise and the seal is likely to be inside it. Remove it and then install both o rings, finger tighten the knurled retainer, put the knob back on and then finger tighten the knurled retainer until the knob can be turned, but a little resistance can be felt. Hope that is intelligible.
Hi,I have the black plastic knob off and loosened the nut but it wont pull through the spindle,not sure if there is an insert or something on the black plastic knob which is now stuck on the spindle..
Yes, there is a small circular spring-clip that usually comes off with the knob but sometimes doesn't. Just ease it off the shaft/spindle using pliers or similar without distorting it. Otherwise, if you find it easier, the gland nut will push it off as you ease that from the shaft/spindle. Probably you just need to exert a little more force than you already are...
Yes,that would be it,does the o ring fit inside the gland nut,there is 2 o rings in the kit,where does the second go...thanks for your help
Yes, there are two o-rings. Tilley fitted two but you'll probably find one is sufficient, leaving you with a spare. Just push the one (or two) o-rings onto the shaft and then screw the gland nut back on. Finger-tight is sufficient. If the gland still leaks, tighten it up a bit more. on the other hand, if the knob doesn't turn then back off the gland nut until it does. There's the right amount of turning - too little and the gland leaks; too much and the knob won't turn...
Hi Dermot, it looks like you managed to fit the mantle OK. That is a fine lamp. Any chance of photographs of it in daylight?
Reflector cleaned up great,used autosol,have a couple of smaller tilley lamps,only hav them for decoration,never tried lighting them,got this fl6 and decided to service it and get it lit up,thanks to all your help and from everyone else on here it came out well...might get the smaller lamps sorted now...
@Dermot mc guigan Is there a date stamp on the bottom of the tank? It may be hard to see. Cheers Tony
