Restauring Petromax 626, Optimus 300P & Primus 1082 - Updated 29/03 17:10

Hello to all of you in the forum!

I have recently become the owner of two older kerosine preasure lamps, and since I normally restore the newer models, I have a few questions for the forum.

The two models are: Optimus 300P and a Primus 1082 (I have attached an image sent to me from the woman who sold them to me)

I know they are both are 300 cp lamps, but I would like to know if it would be best to use CP250 spare parts or CP350 parts? The parts that are broken are the mixing tube on one, the nozzle on the other and both could need new needles. Regarding seals I will of course also change the ones needed.

(I am aware that changing to either 250 or 350 parts would require that I change some of the other non-broken parts for optimal function, but that will be done through trial-and-error testing since I - as a matter of principle - would like to maintain as many original parts as possible)

And I would also like to know what the correct distance between the mixing tube and the nipple containg the needle is in mm for these models, so I can get the correct mix of kerosine and air.

That is it for now.

Thanks

Hi Björn

Thanks for your answer.

The lamps arrived yesterday, and I checked the inner chimney (I did not have the time to upload a picture because we left for a trip for the weekend).

I can tell you that the holes in the chimney are too small for the 500CP mixing tube. Furthermore I have discovered that the thread on the intact mixing tube (where you mount the mixing chamber) is different to the "modern" thread size on the 350/500 CP mixing chambers.

So since I have two inner casings where one of my mixing tubes and one of my nozzels are broken, I think I will have to take the functioning mixing tube and the functioning nozzel and one of the functioning mixing chambers to make one complete inner casing - and then buy a new 500CP mixing tube, mixing chamber and nozzle for the other inner chimney, and then use a file to make the hole above the needle big enough for it to fit the mixing tube. Do you agree in this??

Another thing - in your answer you recomend the 500 CP parts, but what about 350 CP parts? Is t because I will get some other benefits than increased CP when I use the 500 CP parts compared to the 350 CP parts (Of course mounting the correspondant needles and nipples)??

And one last thing. You write that "only jets and needles are different to the 500cp". By "jets" I assume you mean Part nr. 50: Nipple ??

Kind regards - Casper

P.S. I will upload pictures of my progress in restoring the lamps and will be looking forward to your feedback on this "old gold"

Hi Björn

No the 350cp/500cp mixing tube does not fit by default, but I will try to make the hole a bit bigger as we have talked about here.

I have also considered to bye a new complete inner casing, but that will only be a final solution if I cannot resuse some of the original parts.

Thank you for your help so far. I will upload pictures of the progress one of the comming days.

Casper

Hi again

I thought I would show you one of my older lamps - a Petromax 826 - used as a prop in a photo taken of my wife for her Myspace aacount and as a press photo. Nice to see two beauties next to each other:-)

Feel free to check out her music at www.myspace.com/vibekefalden

Hi all

All the parts of the two lanters and the Primus nr. 5 on the first picture has now been cleaned (Plus one old Petromas 826), and parts has arrived from Pelam.

Saturday I will start reasembling them, and preasure test them. And then sunday - following some ritual meat eating and (1) beer drinking me and my friend will light them up for the first time in years.

.. So stay tuned for pictures of the process!

Hi again

Now I have started to restore one of the three lanterns; The old Petromax 826, and during the first preasure test I have encountered a problem - or a least a fact that I am not sure is a problem or normal.

Here is what I have done:

Replaced the graphite packing #113, lead washer #90, pump leather, check valve core #17, rubber washer for preasure gauge #11, nipple #50 and needle #68

I have not been able to change the complete vaporizer valve #196 (or parts), since this older model does come with it from the factory - only a normal pipe going down in the tank.

This is my problem/situation:

Air keeps coming out from the hole in the nipple even when the needle is in top position (1 mm above the nipple). I have tried different needles and different nipples, but still the air is leaking out in closed position.

For your information I am going from 2.5 on the preasure gauge to about 1.8 in 6-8 minutes in closed position.

Is it normal for the nipple not to be completely tight when the needle is in closed position - since the needle ony is meant for clearing the passage in the nipple and because preasure only is applied when the mantle is preheated with alcohol in this model (no rapid preheater)?

If it is not normal - and thereforer a problem, I have some proposals for a solution below:

1) I dont know if it can be because the upper vaporizer part #152 is quite banged up (see pictures) - thefore pushing the coduction rod #104 slightly off-center, and making the needle go a bit off-center in the nipple hole and thereby allowing some air to get out in the opposite "side" of where the rod is pushing the needle up through the hole?? if you can follow me??

2) Is it because this model does not have the complete vaporizer valve #196, and therefore it is normal for a little air to get out - somthing that is normal for models without vaporizor valves (and without rapid preheaters) and therefor not an error?

I hope you can help me out.

Kind regards

Casper Falden

Hi all

I just learned the following from Maxus-Minimax in an older thread:

"4) The needle don´t seal the jet.
There is a valve in the botom of the vaporizer to close it."

And of course - when my old Petromax 826 does not have this valve in the bottom of the lower vaporizer - a small amount of air will come out in closed position.

But then again this does not matter when the lantern does not have a rapid preheater

I will return later in the weekend with more photos.

Have a nice evening

Hi again

I have just finished reasembling the last of the three lamps I am renovating, and I will present them in words and pictures to you here:

The first one is my Primus 1082:

I have bought a new, complete inner casing #117n, because the existing was rusted so thin that it broke when I took it off, and the mixing tube #33 was to thin for the hole in the newinner casing. Additionally the threads for the mixing chamber #34 did also not fit with the current standard.

I have upgraded the lamp to 500cp, and have mounted a two hole mantle holder (one that actually was bent so much that I needed to bend it back into shape and thereby damaging the cheramics - that is how it is when you dont want complain and wait for a replacement part for the part you just ordered

Furthermore I have put a metal Pelam VA nozzle #3VA to avoid broken nozzels and to check out if it improves the ligtinh by 10-20 % as promised by Pelam.

A thing I have wondered about when restauring this lamp was: What is the screw between the preasure gauge and the pump for?? Does anyone of you know? - if so please let me know.

That is it for now- I have also taken pictures of the two other lamps and will post them soon.

Tomorrow I an starting the three lamps up - also here pictures will be taken and posted.

Have a nice evening! - casperfalden

Hi Again

Here is a description of thw second lamp I am restauring:

This lantern was very corroded/rusty, so it does not look as nice as the first one - but as I see it functionallity comes first and it is also nice to have a lantern that you can use in places or sitautions where the beauty in your collection would never be used

Again I have upgraded the lamp to 500cp - to do so i needed to file a bigger hole in the inner chimney above the the needle and nipple to make room for the a bigger mixing tube - the old one was the kind that is somewhat thin and very narrow right above the nipple.

On the same picture you can see that I have tried to replace it with an old thicker (350cp??) mixing tube with the narrowing a bit up the mixing tube. I thought this also could be used for the 500cp, but something is not quite right bebause I am now at 18mm in nipple/mixing tube distance plus trying every position with the screw, and it still burns too yellow=rich. So I have ordered some new 500cp mixing tubes that does not have this narrowing - hope this helps.

(I would like to have shown you pictures of this, but my camera refused to take pictures that was worth anything- I am trying to borrow one that does not get "confused" by the combination of the dark and a bright lightsource)

Actually it is strange that i burns to rich with this mixing tube, because I have a 828 Rapid 500cp with the same type of mixing tube and it burns fine at 14mm - but anyway I will try to fit the new mixing tube.

I must say that I really like the fuel inducator on this model and the "locking" of the pump, but again I am curious to the screw between the pump and the tank hood - still none of you knows what it is for??

On this lamp there is also an interesting centre bottom plate #122 without any holes - I am not sure this is an original for this lamp or if is was made by the owner as a replacement part?

That is it for now - I will try to post the pictures of the last lamp tomorrow.

Have a nice evening!

Casper Falden

Hi

Here is a description of the third lamp I am restauring:

This lantern had been used for butterfly-catching and thefore it was quite banged up beacause it normally was "thrown" into the back of a van and had been on many expeditions. I have managed to get some of the dents repaired somewhat and I have been doing a bit of brazing in damaged areas, so now it should be in operating condition again.

Here I have also upgraded the lantern to 500cp - but I think I will need to change the mixing tube to a bigger one as with the Optimus, because it is too small for 500cp and it burns too rich even at 18mm distance and by trying all positions with the screw on the mixing tube.

On this lantern there is a quite interesting hand wheel #111. It ssems to be made of bakelit with some sort of rubber coating? -anyway I have never seen it before but I like it a bit more than the plastic ones. Aesthetically it seemes a bit more "authentic"

That is it for now - For the moment I have recieved the new 500cp mixing tubes I talked about in the Optimus 300p posting. I am trying to find the correct thread size so I can make the threads on these mxing tubes longer so they will fit on these older lanterns and the old fixation system for the mixing tubes.

When I have done that and have borrowed a better camera I will take some pictures of the three lanterns in operation.

Have a nice evening!

Casper Falden

Hi Björn

The screw on the hood seems original and not modified, but I am not completely sure.

Actually the hood that is on the Optimus 300p now was on this 626 when I bought them (bought them from the same person), but as I have been able to find out this current match between hoods and lamp is correct. And additionally the hoods did not seem to fit correctly when they were placed differently than you see on the pictures I posted on the two lamps.

I will take some detail pictures and post them soon - you are interested in pictures of the hood with the screw - any other specific areas?

Casper

Hi Björn

Ok - I ill try to convince my camera to do some macro pictures

Casper

Hi again

Now I have taken a few detail shots of the markings I could find and you can see them here.

In addition to the pictures I can tell you that there is the number "8" embossed into the tank next to the top where you screw in the lower vaporizer #153. (I could not get a picture of this)

I have found no markings on the hood or under the tank.

Does this tell you something about the age Björn?

Kind regards

Casper