Camping equipment...

[Boerseun]

Here's one right up Turtle's alley:

I've been looking for a proper kerosene lamp for ages now. Over here, they've all gone all gas and rechargable electric camping lamps. I've had one years and years ago, the one where you inject a little spirits into a pre-heater and then you have to pump a little piston to get the kerosene pressure up, and you open the valve and you have probably (in my mind, okay) the best damn camping light in the whole wide known universe.

So I visited a mate of mine, and we started talking camp stuff. And I mentioned that it's nigh damn impossible to find these kerosene lamps. So he said he can understand why you can't find them, 'cause they're crap! I nearly socked him one! Sacriledge! So to illustrate his point, he went to his garage and got a new(ish) Coleman 639B-series kerosene lamp, which was lit exactly twice in its life. And he gave it to me. For free. I almost kissed him. Until I tried to light it! It doesn't work. The piston is immensely hard to pump, which makes me think that the valve in the fuel tank is bust. The rest of the lamp is in immaculate nick, but the damn thing simply won't work! And getting a troubleshooting guide on the net is impossible. Does anybody here have a 639B-series Coleman, with a manual? Or know someone who does?

Come, Turtle - you're prepared for all kinds of disasters!

[Boerseun]

I found a manual here, which tells you absolutely zero. So don't tell me to go to the Coleman site!

[Turtle]

Originally Posted by Boerseun

Here's one right up Turtle's alley:

I've been looking for a proper kerosene lamp for ages now. Over here, they've all gone all gas and rechargable electric camping lamps. I've had one years and years ago, the one where you inject a little spirits into a pre-heater and then you have to pump a little piston to get the kerosene pressure up, and you open the valve and you have probably (in my mind, okay) the best damn camping light in the whole wide known universe.

So I visited a mate of mine, and we started talking camp stuff. And I mentioned that it's nigh damn impossible to find these kerosene lamps. So he said he can understand why you can't find them, 'cause they're crap! I nearly socked him one! Sacriledge! So to illustrate his point, he went to his garage and got a new(ish) Coleman 639B-series kerosene lamp, which was lit exactly twice in its life. And he gave it to me. For free. I almost kissed him. Until I tried to light it! It doesn't work. The piston is immensely hard to pump, which makes me think that the valve in the fuel tank is bust. The rest of the lamp is in immaculate nick, but the damn thing simply won't work! And getting a troubleshooting guide on the net is impossible. Does anybody here have a 639B-series Coleman, with a manual? Or know someone who does?

Come, Turtle - you're prepared for all kinds of disasters!

Mmmmm...reminds me of the thread on I'll have an ice cold___" The pump type lantern of your description takes fuel we here in the US call "white gas" or variably "lantern fuel", but it is distinctly different from what we call 'kerosene'. If you put what we call kerosene in one of these lamps it will definately clog it up.
The pump in the lanterns has a small leather seal which requires oiling, particularly after sitting a long time without use as it dries out. Does your lantern have a small mesh bag inside the globe? We call it a 'mantle' here, and they require regular replacement.
If I haven't muddied up the issue entirely, I beg you give me another chance.

[Turtle]

Mmmmm....so they make a kerosene version! Never used one myself. Still, the pump has a seal and it needs oil, so I'd start there, give it all a good cleaning of all orificecess, replace the mantle, and then ...uh....then...experiment! Yeah, that's the ticket. Preheater tray!? Alchohol bottle!? Maybe you squirt a little alchol in the pre-heater tray, light it, then turn on the valve.

[Boerseun]

Originally Posted by Turtle

The pump type lantern of your description takes fuel we here in the US call "white gas" or variably "lantern fuel", but it is distinctly different from what we call 'kerosene'.

Yep. Over here 'white gas' is called parafin, and that's what I'm using. But on the Coleman site, they distinctly say that the 639B-series uses kerosene. I think it's more a generic thing than anything else. But I'm on parafin, or 'white gas'.

Originally Posted by Turtle

If you put what we call kerosene in one of these lamps it will definately clog it up.

Not according to Coleman! Besides, this little bugger's only worked twice in its life! Methinks it might be a factory screw-up...

Originally Posted by Turtle

The pump in the lanterns has a small leather seal which requires oiling, particularly after sitting a long time without use as it dries out.

Rubber, and it's in good nick, too...

Originally Posted by Turtle

Does your lantern have a small mesh bag inside the globe? We call it a 'mantle' here, and they require regular replacement.

The mantle's fine. There's just no way of pumping the damn thing.

Originally Posted by Turtle

If I haven't muddied up the issue entirely, I beg you give me another chance.

Chance given...

[Turtle]

Originally Posted by Boerseun

Yep. Over here 'white gas' is called parafin, and that's what I'm using. But on the Coleman site, they distinctly say that the 639B-series uses kerosene. I think it's more a generic thing than anything else. But I'm on parafin, or 'white gas'.

In that case, you ought to be on kerosene.

Originally Posted by Boerseun

Rubber, and it's in good nick, too...

It may still need some oil to make the seal air tight as well as lube the cylinder. Is there an oil hole on the pump piston part? I can't tell from the exploded view of parts at the Coleman site.

Originally Posted by Boerseun

The mantle's fine. There's just no way of pumping the damn thing.

Chance given...

Again...again...!

Here's a Wicky for your wick-less. Scroll down to the pressure lamp entry and they have a description of how to light it.

Originally Posted by Wicky

Pressure lamp
This type of lamp is far more sophisticated than a wick lamp and produces a much brighter light, although they can be quite complicated and fiddly to use

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerosene_lamp

They said 'fiddly'!

[Boerseun]

Lighting's not the problem. Like I said, I had a couple years ago, and they ran just sweet. The rubber seal on the piston is all lubed and sweet. The balls-up seem to be inside the fuel tank, in the pump cylinder itself. And there's no way of getting into it - all the other parts can be replaced and dismantled except the tank. I'm starting to figure out why my mate gave me the lamp in the first place...

[Boerseun]

They did say 'fiddly'!

It's probably the fiddly bit that bust!

It seems kerosene and paraffin's the same thing...

[Turtle]

Originally Posted by Boerseun

Lighting's not the problem. Like I said, I had a couple years ago, and they ran just sweet. The rubber seal on the piston is all lubed and sweet. The balls-up seem to be inside the fuel tank, in the pump cylinder itself. And there's no way of getting into it - all the other parts can be replaced and dismantled except the tank. I'm starting to figure out why my mate gave me the lamp in the first place...

Mmmm....we aren't gonna let a stupid little fiddly lamp stymie us! Does the pump work in and out OK but just no pressure builds?

[Boerseun]

Originally Posted by Turtle

Mmmm....we aren't gonna let a stupid little fiddly lamp stymie us! Does the pump work in and out OK but just no pressure builds?

No - it's a bitch to pump in and out, which makes me think that there might be some sort of blockage inside the cylinder's outlet to the generator attachement. And that's inside the damn fuel tank!!! How on Earth...

Gimme ten minutes; I'm gonna remove the generator pipe and see if I can get inside the tank...