Primus Multifuel EX troubleshooting?

PropThePolecat

PropThePolecat

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Jan 31, 2009
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As the title says...anyone own a Primus/MSR/Optimus or any other multifuel stove?

Ive got a Primus Multifuel EX. Actually its one i bought used from the classifieds on a local site. When i got it, it was all sooted, so im guessing he ran it on something not so pure, maybe kerosene, automotive fuel or even diesel.

Anyways, i fill up the bottle with white gas, pump it 10-15 times to pressurize the fuel. Then i open the control-valve, soaking the pad. Then i close the valve and light it up. The excess fuel burns away, priming the stove AND THEN i try to get it started, but the damn thing sputters like you wouldnt believe.

Allright, i try again this time while trying to be more delicate with the control valve. Again, i can get a small flame, but when i turn the control valve to increase output it dies on me.

I try cleaning the jet nozzle with the little needle-thingy. Dosent work.

Maybe theres too much pressure in the bottle. Nope, dosent help. Maybe too little pressure. Nope again.

Allright, i bring it into the kitchen and split into pieces. Clean it up, run a wire through the fuel hose to loosen any gunk, re-clean the noozle, flip the pad and put it back together. Again, to no avail. I get a very small yellow flame, then it sputters and dies when i try to increase output.

Anyone ever experience anything like it? Now im thinking, could the white gas be old? The bottle i have was unopened, but it was bought back in 2008. Shouldnt the stuff last forever? I read on some site, that white gas breaks down over time. Never heard that before :confused:

Im also thinking that something might be wrong with the pump, but i couldnt see what. I might buy a maintenance set and replace all the standard o-rings and grease it, but i doubt thats it.

:mad: Right now, id rather have my Pocket Rocket than messing with this, getting fuel all over my hands/clothes and stinking like a gas-tank. If this happened out in the woods, i would have pulled out my axe and made a open fire for cooking instead.

In a perfect world this is how it should work. The stove is exactly like mine, only i have the newer pump. Its really irritating cause theyre known for their reliability:

[youtube]F99MCtbGOLk[/youtube]

Allright guys, lets hear your ideas and experiences with multifuel stoves.
 
PropThePolecat said:
As the title says...anyone own a Primus/MSR/Optimus or any other multifuel stove?

Ive got a Primus Multifuel EX. Actually its one i bought used from the classifieds on a local site. When i got it, it was all sooted, so im guessing he ran it on something not so pure, maybe kerosene, automotive fuel or even diesel.

Anyways, i fill up the bottle with white gas, pump it 10-15 times to pressurize the fuel. Then i open the control-valve, soaking the pad. Then i close the valve and light it up. The excess fuel burns away, priming the stove AND THEN i try to get it started, but the damn thing sputters like you wouldnt believe.

Allright, i try again this time while trying to be more delicate with the control valve. Again, i can get a small flame, but when i turn the control valve to increase output it dies on me.

I try cleaning the jet nozzle with the little needle-thingy. Dosent work.

Maybe theres too much pressure in the bottle. Nope, dosent help. Maybe too little pressure. Nope again.

Allright, i bring it into the kitchen and split into pieces. Clean it up, run a wire through the fuel hose to loosen any gunk, re-clean the noozle, flip the pad and put it back together. Again, to no avail. I get a very small yellow flame, then it sputters and dies when i try to increase output.

Anyone ever experience anything like it? Now im thinking, could the white gas be old? The bottle i have was unopened, but it was bought back in 2008. Shouldnt the stuff last forever? I read on some site, that white gas breaks down over time. Never heard that before :confused:

Im also thinking that something might be wrong with the pump, but i couldnt see what. I might buy a maintenance set and replace all the standard o-rings and grease it, but i doubt thats it.

:mad: Right now, id rather have my Pocket Rocket than messing with this, getting fuel all over my hands/clothes and stinking like a gas-tank. If this happened out in the woods, i would have pulled out my axe and made a open fire for cooking instead.

In a perfect world this is how it should work. The stove is exactly like mine, only i have the newer pump. Its really irritating cause theyre known for their reliability:

Allright guys, lets hear your ideas and experiences with multifuel stoves.
Click to expand...

Hi PropThePolecat,

I have a few of these stoves and I never ever had any problem so far.

Try to get in contact with Primus to solve the problem.

Best regards,

tuxtex
 
Whenever my stove (MSR whisperlite int'l) starts to sputter, I immediately throw out the white gas and get new stuff. Even new gas will shoot a stove during priming. White gas lasts about 2 years (if I'm going into the wilderness I'll buy new after a year).

Clean out that jet till you can see through it, use a very tiny steel wire. Clean the fuel line by pulling the steel cable in and out if it has one, compressed air helps everything. With new fuel and skills on field cleaning your stove, it'll be y the best way to cook in the winter, bar none.

Good luck.
 
Walmart sells small pint or quart sized bottles of coleman fuel that you can buy just to test and determine if the quality/age of the fuel is the problem. Just don't throw the old fuel away until you try the new fuel. I have some extremely old Coleman fuel that I have used in my Primus 5 year old stove similar to yours and it burns fine. A couple of gallons of my fuel are at least 15 years old and I have used it a couple of times a year just to test my old coleman stoves and lanterns and they always burn clean and soot free with a nice blue flame. I do keep the fuel in the original gallon cans tightly sealed but as long as it burns cleanly I will continue to use the old fuel forever or until it runs out, whichever comes first. YMMV.
 
tuxtex said:
Hi PropThePolecat,

I have a few of these stoves and I never ever had any problem so far.

Try to get in contact with Primus to solve the problem.

Best regards,

tuxtex
Click to expand...

Im taking it to a Primus dealer tomorrow. I think its some soot or dirt thats stuck inside the system.
 
If the pump is doing its job, you should feel increased resistance as you pump. This is a sign that pressure is building.

I think that if you are getting good pressure, that your stove is merely plugged up. The sooting is probably indicating that someone burned something dirty in your stove (like diesel), clogging up the generator. You'll have to figure out how to unclog the generator. If you unscrew the jet from the burner bell, you should be able to blow through the tube (assuming any valves are open).
 
Erasmus said:
If the pump is doing its job, you should feel increased resistance as you pump. This is a sign that pressure is building.

I think that if you are getting good pressure, that your stove is merely plugged up. The sooting is probably indicating that someone burned something dirty in your stove (like diesel), clogging up the generator. You'll have to figure out how to unclog the generator. If you unscrew the jet from the burner bell, you should be able to blow through the tube (assuming any valves are open).
Click to expand...

There is presusre building up. But there seems to be a plug in either the fuelvalve, fuelhose or generator. Ive cleaned the generator and blown compressed air through it, to no avail. I couldnt find anything thin enough to pass through the hose, so im suspecting that might be it.
 
Between the fuel bottle and burner bell is a valve, some flexible fuel line tubing, and probably some rigid tubing, and finally the burner bell. If you take the pump out of the bottle, you should be able to blow air through the fuel line, and have it come out the burner bell.

If it is like the various MSR stoves, you will have to take the flame spreader off the burner bell, unscrew the jet, and dump out any crumbles of crap that are clogging your fuel line. Carburetor cleaner works good for this. Don't let it splash in your eye.

Get the mfg's online schematic and owners manual, so you can access the exploded view.

After you have thoughtfully and carefully reamed out all the junk that was clogging your fuel line (read that the rigid line near your burner bell, AKA the generator), wash it out with carb cleaner, and then flush it all out with fuel. When the fuel runs cleanish and the chunks stop blowing:foot:, screw the jet back in and replace the flame spreader. Do a test burn.

Don't run a white gas stove inside your house. The CO they evolve is brutal.
 
I soaked it in petroleum, fired some compressed air through the parts, and flushed it with fuel. Works like a charm now.

Thanks to all who posted and came with advice. Appreciate it :thumbsup:
 
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