"Unclogging" an MSR Windpro 1. Or just failure?

[andrewa]

Went up Bogong this weekend. Saturday morning went to start up the stove, and, despite brand new gas cylinder, it wouldn't light.

After some fluffing around I established that the blockage seems to be at the stove end of the tubing. Removing the tube from the gas cylinder attachment allowed gas to come out from the cylinder attachment, so that jet seems to work fine, confirmed by the fact that when the stove and tubing are attached to the cylinder, And the cylinder attachment turned on, I could feel the tubing swell slightly. Further confirmation came when I turned off the stove at the cylinder attachment, and after detaching it, and then removing the tubing from the cylinder attachment Gas was released, so, somewhere from the tubing to the burner, there is an obstruction.

Have had a look on the net, and found info about cleaning the jet where the gas leaves the cylinder, but found nothing about the burner end, and it doesn't look particularly easy to dismantle. I poked a needle down into the burner jet, but this made no difference. Has anyone had this problem, and how did you solve it , as it doesn't seem to come apart very easily in the field!


A

[Strider]

Did you try inverting the canister without the stove lit? The liquid fuel can sometimes give the line a wash out.

[Moondog55]

I'm not familiar with the stove but sometimes a wash in white spirit/Shellite helps

[Nuts]

Iv'e managed to unblock the lines with soaking/blowing.. but it's also their downfall. Lines blocked and unable to free the blockage/ not worth replacing the crimped line. Perhaps dirt or dirty fuel or the feed line liner material starting to degrade. Iv'e still got a couple of blocked windpro, not got around to examining further.

These are a cheaper, similar, alternative (with ultimately the same failure mode):

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/110884973619 ... 31571&cp=1

[andrewa]

Yeah, I tried inverting the canister. I'll get some long this wire and poke it up the line today and have a 10 minute fiddle around, but it sounds like Nut's eBay suggestion will be the outcome. Nut's, do you know whether you can get a version like the Windpro 2 on eBay, that allows canister inversion?

[andrewa]

Have now managed to pull it to bits The blockage is somewhere in the brass preheating coil.

The tube from the cylinder to the burner assembly is rubber, and fine. It has a loose separate core of twisted cable. I would have thought that this just sat in there, but, having removed the rubber tubing, the twisted core cable doesn't seem to be able to be removed from the brass preheating tube....and that's where the blockage seems to be.

?Any ideas

[Nuts]

The stove i linked can be inverted. I'm not sure if it is advertised as such but it does work. These are what we replaced the windpro with, not a big burner head but they do throw some sideways to the flame. And recently started replacing those with another locally sold canister stove.

I'd imagine whatever has managed to get through the wire line is either stuck in the wire at the very start or at that right angle bend under the burner head. Unless it could be loosened from the hole you may need to cut? and braze?

I cant imagine that the wire needs to go into the line/tube far, it's just to keep the open shape of the feed line/hose? Interesting. I wonder how and where (and why) its attached.

[Moondog55]

I assume you've tried pliers etc?
Edge friction? Perhaps the wire is inserted and then the tube bent which would make it hard to put back in once moved
Do you have access to high pressure air? An old tyre valve perhaps>?

[oldpiscator]

Looks like it needs a qualified cardiac surgeon not a GP

[Moondog55]

It must be a known and regular problem if a replacement part is a standard spare

http://www.barrabes.world/msr-windpro-f ... oCkvPw_wcB

[Nuts]

Haha, but for that price.. does it come with a hammer for the canister end?
Prescribe asprin, come back in the morning?
I have a box of gear just waiting for someone dedicated to show the easy way. Time heals all.
Maybe an acidic solution or other strong cleaner bath CLR?

[Moondog55]

Sometimes strong heat will burn out the clogging material

[andrewa]

Looks like it needs a qualified cardiac surgeon not a GP

"Jack of all trades, master of none". Why else would I be trying to fix a stove?!

As I've come to the sad conclusion that it probably can't be fixed, I will apply some heat. I have tried pliers. I can solder, but I presume that if I cut the brass tube off the burner, to try to clear it from that end, I would need to braze it rather than solder it?

Anyway, currently investigating the "cardiac surgeon" approach of replacing it rather than fixing it ($ vs time!)

A

[undercling-mike]

In MSR and other liquid fuel stoves that twisted wire is meant to be pulled out and pushed back in to clear blockages in the fuel hose and pre-heat tube. Not sure if the windpro is different but I wouldn't be surprised if it could be used in a similar way. Maybe you can get some ideas here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1WSGFBq-FI

[undercling-mike]

Or better yet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPZicXe4IbQ

[Nuts]

I followed Moondogs thought bubble earlier and they do make a Windpro line,
it needed similar cryptic search logic (the advertising branch used):

http://www.productcompareuk.co.uk/Produ ... embly.html

MSR do have better quality fittings/ stronger/heavier legs than the bulin stoves, which I didn't trust with bigger pots.

PS. How hard was it to get the line off at the crimped end, the wire may be fixed (somehow) to prevent the line being pulled apart?

[andrewa]

Nuts, I'm not sure what you mean by "how hard is it to get the line off at the crimped end" - I would take that to mean removing the rubber tubing from the stove end of the line, which is held by a crimp. I've already done this, as per picture.

Undercling Mike, thanks. That would make sense. Maybe the fact that I can't get the twisted wire out is the cause of the obstruction! I'll watch the video

A

[andrewa]

Undercling Mike - interesting video. Didn't realise that the Simmerlite was the same stove burner head. It certainly looks like the wire should be able to be removed.

A

[Nuts]

It must be a known and regular problem if a replacement part is a standard spare

http://www.barrabes.world/msr-windpro-f ... oCkvPw_wcB

Just to add (from conversation) that this Is the windpro replacement hose, just the wrong pic. They are a regular item & in stock at that price.