Svea 123 Maintenance

[directdrive]

Hi, All:

Recently, there has been a lot of discussion of the Svea 123. Not having used mine in awhile (I started using a Trangia) I dug it out of the attic and started fiddling around with it. The first thing I noticed was that it stank. Smelled like a dirty carburetor. I decided to disassemble it and remove the neck and wick, then flush out the inside of the tank with carb cleaner. However, the neck does not want to unscrew from the base and I am afraid to really torque down on it for fear I'll break the *@#! thing. Have any of you ever taken one apart and if so, can I really apply force to unscrew the neck? Also, does it take some sort of sealant between the neck and base on the threads to seal properly?

Thanks

[GreyOne]

Hi, All:

Recently, there has been a lot of discussion of the Svea 123. Not having used mine in awhile (I started using a Trangia) I dug it out of the attic and started fiddling around with it. The first thing I noticed was that it stank. Smelled like a dirty carburetor. I decided to disassemble it and remove the neck and wick, then flush out the inside of the tank with carb cleaner. However, the neck does not want to unscrew from the base and I am afraid to really torque down on it for fear I'll break the *@#! thing. Have any of you ever taken one apart and if so, can I really apply force to unscrew the neck? Also, does it take some sort of sealant between the neck and base on the threads to seal properly?

Thanks

From memory it should not take more than normal hand pressure to unscrew anything, even with the little wrench provided. I'd empty everything out, the use a little penetrating oil and let it soak a while, then try again.

[directdrive]

Gray One: Yeah. That's not a bad idea. I have a tendency to "fix" things via brute force rather than using penetrating oil or penetrating thought....
I'll let you know if that works. Thanks

[GreyOne]

BTW, added a couple of Svea manuals from Brunton (current importer)
in the Downloads section.

[craigr]

It should unscrew and expose the wick assembly when pulled from the tank. I don't recall a sealant there or needed.

The only spare parts I carry with my Svea are a spare fuel cap and a wick. The spare cap is in case you blow out the pressure release valve in the cap from overheating the stove (which only happens if you use a windscreen with it which you should never do). The wick will burn if you run it dry and it is very hot. I've never had to use either part, but they are so light I carry them just in case. The cap also has an o-ring in it that can dry out and crack so you should check that and replace it.

As for maintenance. I do none myself. I will check to make sure the spreader/burner plate is on tight (the part on the top of the burner). If you lose it then the stove won't work. Just make sure the four tabs on it are in place and snug enough that it can turn some, but not rattle around. I will then run the needle up and down before I turn off the stove. When I run the needle full on I immediately turn the stove off and burn out the flame so no carbon builds up on the gas jet. You could also Brasso the thing to make it shiny again. I'd also empty it of fuel if you are not going to use it for a while.

The only time I've ever had the stove not work well is when I was using very old fuel in it. It still worked, but it sputtered a lot until it warmed up. Then it worked fine. They are just a great piece of gear. Very reliable.

[directdrive]

Hi, All:

I finally got the neck off the body of the Svea 123.

I tried the penetrating oil as per Gray One's suggestion. It didn't work. I wound up draining the stove and completely taking it apart except for the neck which wouldn't loosen. I placed it outside and heated the neck joint with a torch. Naturally, the wick and gas residue in the body ignited. I let the thing get really hot, then sprayed it with WD-40. After cooling, I wrapped the body of the stove in a bicycle inner tube to prevent it from spinning when I applied pressure. That had been a problem for me from the get-go as the stove would spin when I tried to loosen the neck. The bicycle inner tube worked like a charm as the friction between it and the work table prevented the body from turning as it had previously. I then took a 1/4" piece of aluminum rod, placed it in the side port on the neck and twisted. The neck came right off. Apparently, the expansion and contraction from the rapid heating and cooling popped the threads loose.

The parts of the stove and the inside of the stove body are heavily gummed with varnish from old gas. Right now, everything is sitting in a bath of carburetor cleaner. Once clean I'll reassemble the works with a new wick and see how she performs.

Thanks

[EdD270]

+1 on the fuel tank cap gaskets. I go through those pretty often, they dry out and crack and won't hold pressure. Parts kits are still available online, try spiritburner.com, optimus.se, and stovetec.net for starters, eBay often lists them too.