Princess Stove - missing part?

[DreadPirateRob]

Hey all! I'm working on my Catalina 27, and it appears the stove is missing a piece! It looks like there should be a six inch or so metal tube that runs from the burner, through the housing, to the knob and I can't find it anywhere on the boat.

From other photos online, it looks like it cotter pins on the burner end, and friction fits to the knob at the other end?

It seems a fairly straightforward part to make or have made... but like any small piece... is going to take either a lot of time or money, depending on whether I'm trying to do it myself with a dremel or pay someone to do it.

I'd hate to go through all of that trouble if one of you would have said "They're $2.79 from this website!" But I can't find a diagram that would even tell me what that part is called to try to order it from somewhere?

Given that I don't even know if the rest of the stove is in working order... spending big bucks on one part only to discover I need 4 more and can't get one of them would be saddening too. So I'd really appreciate if anyone can tell me the actual name of that part... maybe send me a couple of pictures of theirs to help with doing it from scratch... or point me towards a source for a new one!?

Thanks guys and gals!

[GordMay]

Seaward Princess LPG Stove Manual
➥ https://www.marlow-hunter.com/wp-con...ss%20Stove.pdf

Parts ➥ http://www.southerncalmarine.com/pro...3278gascoo.pdf
And ➥ https://www.suremarineservice.com/Ga...els-3172-3372/

[DreadPirateRob]

I appreciate the links! Though most of the parts and diagrams there appear to be for the gas stoves, and I've got one of the alcohol versions. I'll try reaching out to each of the websites to see if they have a line on the model I have too!

[SVTatia]

Is this a one burner stove? If not..does the other burner work or have the metal part? How is the tank? Is it holding pressure?

[DreadPirateRob]

It's a two burner... and no, neither side has the missing part. The tank ISN'T holding pressure, but I haven't taken a set of vice grips out to make sure the valves are closed, since I'm missing the closing piece. I need to pull the whole thing out and apart to see if something else is going on there, I suppose! I just wanted to take a chance and see if someone could point me towards the right part before I did that, in case that was all it needed.

[Aswayze]

Firstly, it will work, they always do. Might have to change some bits here and there but there is just not that much too those.

Measure the distance between the little stubs on the burner to the front of your stove and let me know, I will see if I happen to have some that will work in my spares pile. If not, there really is very little to those, you could quickly cook something up with some brass tubing from the hobby tubing at the hardware store fitted to an appropriate looking appliance knob.

These guys basically have everything that you need to get one running: https://www.base-camp.co.uk/stove_in...ssure%20stoves

[SVTatia]

Originally Posted by DreadPirateRob

It's a two burner... and no, neither side has the missing part. The tank ISN'T holding pressure, but I haven't taken a set of vice grips out to make sure the valves are closed, since I'm missing the closing piece. I need to pull the whole thing out and apart to see if something else is going on there, I suppose! I just wanted to take a chance and see if someone could point me towards the right part before I did that, in case that was all it needed.

The part you are looking for is also used on kerosene burners, check the base camp with the link provided, but they may be pricey. I would remove the stove from the boat and test it ashore maybe with a needle nose plier to open and close the burners before purchasing anything.

[Markhunter1097]

I can’t tell what part of the world you are in but I have a surplus restored seaward propane stove oven that I don’t want. I bought all parts online and they work a dream. She still wanted a new oven, thus this one is available

[DreadPirateRob]

Originally Posted by Aswayze

Firstly, it will work, they always do. Might have to change some bits here and there but there is just not that much too those.

Measure the distance between the little stubs on the burner to the front of your stove and let me know, I will see if I happen to have some that will work in my spares pile. If not, there really is very little to those, you could quickly cook something up with some brass tubing from the hobby tubing at the hardware store fitted to an appropriate looking appliance knob.

These guys basically have everything that you need to get one running: https://www.base-camp.co.uk/stove_in...ssure%20stoves

This was all very helpful! I guess I just needed some reassurance before digging in myself. Pulling the pump and massaging the leather ring was enough to get it to pressurize. I'll oil this to keep it sealing for more than a few days.

It fired right up once it has pressure. I grabbed the brass tubing at hobby lobby today to make that knob extension, so I'm about 45 seconds of cutting and drilling away from fully functional!

Thanks for the help!

[GordMay]

PRINCESS ALCOHOL STOVES OPERATING & MAINTENANCE INSTRUCTIONS ➥ https://sbo.sailboatowners.com/downl...n_60072716.pdf

[Aswayze]

Also, have a look at this post here. It looks like you MAY have Kero capable burners which would be pretty easy to convert over to Kerosene which does make for a much more powerful stove.

https://www.sailnet.com/forums/gear-...-kerosene.html

[DreadPirateRob]

I'd discovered that along the way too - that it appears it's actually a kerosene model! I thought the tank smelled awfully petroleum-y.

Just in the interest of keeping the thread complete for those that come after... it didn't turn out quite as easy as I'd anticipated yesterday afternoon. The holes on the front for the control knobs do NOT align with the burners, so there definitely was some sort of universal joint or similar linkage between the two halves of the control rod. Also - the holes on the front are 3/16", but the burner itself required 1/4" brass tubing to go over the control connection. Rather than building a u-joint between two similar but different rods... I just enlarged the holes on the front of the stove enough that a 1/4" rod could pass through, and gave it enough slop that if I push down on the burner and up on the front of the stove while sliding the rod in... it can just barely connect.

But it's up and working and I made a cup of coffee at 2AM last night just to prove I could!

Thanks again for all of the help!

[SVTatia]

I'm confused... kerosene needs to be primed with alcohol on the priming cups before being lit and your burners have holes which indicate they are alcohol burners. Did you heat the water for your coffee with alcohol or kerosene?

[DreadPirateRob]

Now I'm going to have to do some more research... because the tank was full when I got it and I haven't added anything to it. I primed it by opening the valve and letting it overflow a little into the priming cups. But now that you mention it... kerosene SHOULDN'T match light, huh? Now I want to know what's in the damned tank. It smells... petroleum...ish. But it's also potentially years old so who KNOWS what it is? I'll pour a little out tonight when I get back to the boat and see if I can figure out from color/feel/smell? They are the four lobed burners that the princess manual SAYS are for kerosene.

For all I know... the PO could have filled it with ANYTHING. This was not the thing I expected to keep sending me head scratching.

Would Princess have ever sold an alcohol stove with a kerosene burner in it? Think someone swapped in an aftermarket job? If I primed it with alcohol, do you think kerosene would run through it without complaint otherwise?

[SVTatia]

Kerosene under pressure needs to be primed...the burner has to be hot to burn properly. You can use a torch for this purpose or alcohol on the burner cup.
But as I said before...play it safe....remove it fron the boat and do your tests. Good luck and keep us informed of what you find.