View Full Version : 26 year old whisperlite....
Foresight
01-13-2014, 13:25
....almost bought the farm yesterday. I was heating water for my coffee press and noticed I had a slow drip from where the pump screws into the bottle. Not one to leave well enough alone, I decided to snug it up a tad. Bad idea. The drip turned to a spray and now I had a pretty good inferno going, lol.
Since the water was almost at a boil I salvaged it first then stripped down and dunked my long sleeve t-shirt in a mud puddle and smothered said inferno. Knowing this thing was going to blaze back up given the least bit of opportunity I readied for the battle by soaking everything I could find in the mud hole and staging it nearby, mainly moss and grass....took a peek and sure enough, whoosh, inferno.
Covered everything with the wet grass and moss then re-soaked my shirt and managed to get the stove separated from the fuel bottle and tossed it onto a bare rock where it burned out. The stove itself came out unscathed, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to break down and finally switch to that new style pump due to some melting.
25559
Is the new pump as bad as some of the reviews I've read or are they just coming from curmudgeons like me that love the old style?
That looks like the original pump. You can buy a new pump which will be red in color.
http://www.cascadedesigns.com/msr/stoves/stove-accessories/msr-fuel-pumps/product
that thing is a puppy, once in a while I will still see a "senior" hiker rocking a svea 123 - my dream stove in the 70's
I've got the newer style "standard" pump that's red/black on my Whisperlite (that's in the 20+ year range too) and never had a problem with it. I'm not sure how the current pump is.
HooKooDooKu
01-13-2014, 14:28
Was anything of the pump melted, or do you simply need a maintenance kit to replace things like the O rings?
The 'Annual Maintenance Kit (http://www.rei.com/product/714955/msr-stove-annual-maintenance-kit)' looks to be half the price of a 'Service Kit (http://www.rei.com/product/838180/msr-whisperlite-stove-service-kit)', where as the Service Kit cost nearly as much as a 'Replacement Pump (http://www.rei.com/product/709004/msr-standard-fuel-pump)'.
Foresight
01-13-2014, 14:48
Some melting/deformation at the base........
25560
25561
25562
I think the old pumps are considered not safe and you can't buy parts for them. You'll need to buy the new pump.
Foresight
01-13-2014, 17:27
Well that's kinda depressing....
Foresight
01-13-2014, 18:48
I chose to buy one of these two instead....
NOTICE****
I also found 2 brand new, never used Whisper International MSR stoves, complete with maintenance kits and fuel bottles- both , small and large bottles. Retail value is around $150 currently, will ask 60$ each including postage. You can choose your bottle size- 8 oz or 16 oz. The maintenance kits come with the stoves, as does whichever bottle you want. Neither has been used. If you want both size bottles, add $5 to the price. They are the red MSR bottles normally used with these stoves.
Helps soulsista out and helps me out. Win-win : picture my thumb in the air:
Just out of curiosity did you ever replace the pump seal in all those years?
Foresight
01-13-2014, 19:01
Negative. It has the leather one and while it didn't exactly go neglected, I really never did anything special to it other than the occasional dab of oil.
The leather cup on the one I had eventually wouldn't seal so I had to buy anew pump.
Anyone know how to date a Whisperlite? I'm thinking mines one of the early models.
Negative. It has the leather one and while it didn't exactly go neglected, I really never did anything special to it other than the occasional dab of oil.
I was talking about the seal between the pump and the bottle. The synthetic rubber seals and o-rings get brittle and need replacement every few years.
My last whisperlite lasted over 25 years, it was finally the non replaceable cloth covered rubber fuel hose that did it in. I sent it back to MSR because I didn't trust it anymore, they sent me a new stove with a new pump for free.
I completely overhauled the stove and pump several times and replaced all the rubber seals about 8 or 10 times in those years.
The new pump works fine and seems just as good as the old one to me.
Foresight
01-13-2014, 19:24
My bad. Yes, often. In fact, I last changed the seal less than a month ago (used maybe 9 times since). With that being said, I did replace it with an auto parts store o-ring.......
I've done it a few times before without negative effects, but it caught it up to me this time.
My bad. Yes, often. In fact, I last changed the seal less than a month ago (used maybe 9 times since). With that being said, I did replace it with an auto parts store o-ring.......
I've done it a few times before without negative effects, but it caught it up to me this time.
Ouch. I do that quite often on different stuff. I have a garage full of o-ring assortments. You really need to know the material and what it's compatible with. Occasionally you just need to guess because they don't publish the original specs (like MSR). I had that come back and bite me a few times too. Glad you were not hurt.
Like I said the new pump works fine. I have had no problems at all. I have all but replaced the whisperlite for my winter stove with a MSR windpro II for all but the coldest conditions, so I don't use it much any more. How it will hold up for the long term is something I can't say.
psyculman
01-14-2014, 07:22
Thank you for posting this incident with your Whisperlite.
I have used what looks like his same model you show. While not being a MSR expert, mine would have to be over 30 years old. (it has a brass woven hose cover) Accept for having to 'flare' out the leather pump cup washer every so often, and the fact that the black split ring in the pump pops out once in a while, it has not leaked. But, thanks to this thread, I will give it careful attention. I am not wanting to replace it with a new model, as I can let the pressure dwindle down, and by just putting in a slight amount of pressure it will simmer really well.
Foresight
01-14-2014, 10:25
Identical stove here with the woven hose cover and I simmer the same way. Avoid tightening the pump too tight to the bottle and you should avoid this problem. I think my o-ring was slightly too large and it bulged out a bit allowing the stove to leak. If I would have left it alone I would not have gotten the flare-up. As it was I only had a slow drip, but when I went to snug it up I obviously bulged out the o-ring which allowed enough of a lost seal to let a stream of fuel come out.
Don't over tighten and then every now and then glance under the pump/bottle connection for a leak and you should be fine. One thing I would advise is DO NOT try to adjust the fit of the pump until the stove is cool :D I could have left well enough alone and not had a fire, but alas, I did not. I even KNEW I was messing up by even thinking about bothering with it because I waited till my water was hot before I got to monkeying around with it......
Tedinski
05-17-2014, 13:34
This is all very good info!
I have the "old style" pump as well.
So... the kit they sell that says it is for "all pumps" doesn't really cover the old pumps?
My stove hasn't been used in maybe 5 years, but there are lots of plans for using it this summer.
Foresight
05-17-2014, 14:54
I can't answer that question with 100% certainty. What I will say is I have used the new pump quite a few times now and I really like it. Just made lunch with it as a matter of fact...
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/05/18/u7etubu5.jpg
That's the new stove I mentioned buying earlier in the thread. My old stove still works fine, but I need to get a new wick for it (been using for years without).
If you plan on using your stove a lot coming up then I would recommend buying the new pump.
Foresight
05-17-2014, 15:01
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgn4V2Gqw04
Tedinski
05-17-2014, 17:39
Is that a coffee press in the pic?
Slick! Were did you pick it up?
I have a Jetboil coffee press but I don't want to carry it.
Foresight
05-17-2014, 17:53
Indeed. I got it From REI.
Foresight
05-17-2014, 18:12
Snow Peak, Titanium French Press
Item #7080690014
Tedinski
05-17-2014, 22:08
Thanks. I'll take a look.
I got my Whisperlite out to check it... pumps well,held pressure, lit.
Unscrewed the pump to release the pressure, and the O-ring broke! Put the cap back on the bottle, and it now leaks!
O-rings on their way....
OhCanada
09-05-2016, 13:18
The issue is the O-ring, not the pump. Mine leaked and I tried to light it twice; I failed to check the condition of the O-ring at home.
The Whisperlite is heavy, was my first stove, yet is now reserved for winter camps having been replaced by Pocket Rocket and MiniBull Designs.
The issue is the O-ring, not the pump. Mine leaked and I tried to light it twice; I failed to check the condition of the O-ring at home.
The Whisperlite is heavy, was my first stove, yet is now reserved for winter camps having been replaced by Pocket Rocket and MiniBull Designs.
Yes the O-rings are important. They are what doomed the space shuttle back in '87.
Tipi Walter
09-05-2016, 16:02
Part if backpacking is upgrading equipment EVEN WHEN it doesn't need to be replaced. It's sort of like flying an airplane and replacing parts just because it's time and not because they are worn out.
When you're out for long periods of time and you can't deal successfully with gear issues, it's smart to replace stove pumps on a periodic basis or do a complete rebuild. I carry a brand new spare MSR pump with me on every trip and my go-to pump is always refurbished on a 6 month basis.
I also replace my Thermarest inflatable pads about once every 18 months no matter what shape they are in. And I carry a spare hipbelt buckle just in case my normal plastic buckle snaps or gets stepped on.
A stove is a tricky backpacking item. Upgrading with new equipment is prudent and advisable.