Just bought my first boat and I'm getting acquainted with all the systems on board, the stove is a fairly new Maxie, but I'm finding the the vapours coming out aren't really continuous more of a pulsing? Wondering if this a pressure thing or if that is normal? Any insight would help a bunch.
cheers,
Nick

What is this pressure of which you speak? There shouldn't be any pressure as the metho just flows from the tank and is vaporised as it passes through the burner and is then redirected back into the burner. The control knob on the front only regulates the flow rate from the tank. The rate of burn should be constant with degree of rotation applied to the knob, without any stuttering or pulsing.

The pressure that needs to be applied to tank in the cockpit locker, the previous owner just had a manual bike pump so i can't really tell how many psi I'm putting in?

Are you sure it's a metho stove and not a kero stove? My Maxie has the metho tank attached to the back of the stove at a height above that of the butners and it gravity feeds metho to the burners.

Yeah it's definitely metho I checked the stamp on the back see what model it was and it's stamped MMO which apparently means it's metho plus the introduction booklet has a large page on the back explaining that it's not a kero stove/oven plus the smell isn't kero when it burns.

I'd find out for sure before you use it again. I'm with loose change I haven't heard of a pressure fed metho stove. Others might know more

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andy59 said..
I'd find out for sure before you use it again. I'm with loose change I haven't heard of a pressure fed metho stove. Others might know more

I know what you're saying I'll show you the instructions... it's confusing




The tank definitely has metho in it. I haven't put anything in it just to be on the safe side ????

Ok, it appears that is a Kero stove that has been modded to be a Metho stove. The pulsing while alight is possibly a blockage in the jets as metho jets are about three (3) times bigger than kero jets and the pulsing possibly might be the jets running lean if there is a blockage. Pull the thing appart and clean it to within an inch of its life, the jets will be very fine holes and try some very thin monofilament fishing line to prod the jets, or if that doesn't work some very thin copper wire as you probably can't buy the prickers any more.

Take the tank out and rinse it with clean metho till all the crud is gone then refill, noting to never overfill the tank as you have to leave an ullage for the air pressure 75kPa is about 11psi so anywhere up to few psi above that will be fine.

Place about a tablespoon of metho in the tray under the burners keeping the burners turned off till just before the tray burns out then slowly open the knob on the burner.

Anyone else got any good ideas feel free to chip in.

steel guitar strings also make good fine prodders...

Thanks for the help ????

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nicke23 said..
Thanks for the help ????

Don't take any of this as gospel, it may well be something entirely different that is the problem.

I would check with Maxie to ensure you're on the right page.

It is pretty easy to identify the Burner that is used for pressured Metho. The Metho burner has no visible external vertical tubes above the pre-heat dish. It is just a sold brass body.
The surging problem -- inside the the burner body just above where it is attached to the stove there is sometime a very fine bronze mesh. That mesh is rolled into a cylinder and pushed up inside the burner. The mesh acts as a filter/surge suppressor. It can be awkward to remove the mesh with out damage. Unscrew the burner. Use a very fine watch makers screwdriver and carefully ease it out the mesh. Unroll it and give it a swim in some Hydrochloric Acid until clean and shiny. Wash it in water and roll it up and replace it into the burner. If that is all too much trouble. The surging can some time be reduced by turning the Burner down as low as possible and giving it a few moments to stablise, then slowly turn the heat back up.