S/V Patricia Louise has the original Seward gimballed 3 burner alcohol stove with oven. Lately the individual burners have been acting as if they have a clog in the fuel line. First it was the left, front burner. Not too bad how often do we need 3? Well.....Now it is the oven. No oven means no fresh baked pies, no fresh cobler, not even brownies! This must be fixed. The other burners work fine. I would like to milk a few more years out of this stove. I do not wish to cut the boat up to add a propane locker, but will if I can not get the stove working. Does anyone have a manual for this brand of stove? It is the one with the heavy cast burners. Has anyone ever fixed this type of problem with the Seward stove? Other than the packing for the controls are there any gaskets that need renewing? The problem may be that the old tank is beginning to deteriorate and junk is floating downstream. Will a standard automotive fuel filter work with alcohol?
Thanks,
Matt
mcawthor@bellatlantic.net
Help with Seward alcohol stove
Moderator: Jim Walsh
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D. Stump, Hanalei
Re:Seward alcohol stove...generator
Captain Cawthorne,
Hanalei also has the original alcohol stove. I rebuilt it about 3 years ago. Search the site for articles on "seward alcohol stoves". I wrote a lot about the experience.
I suspect your problem is a clogged "generator. If you look down on a burner, the tube that crosses Port to Starboard in the center of the burner houses the generator. It looks like a bolt without a head, and fits snugly inside that pipe you see. You may be able to get it out and try cleaning it(I replaced mine with new). Try taking off the control knob, follow the shaft to the burner,and remove the large packing nut around the shaft. You should be able to pull the valve out, if so, the generator is inside there, maybe pull it out with a wire probe of some kind. Then, clean off the threads on the generator and reassemble. If it were mine, I'd try it, beats cutting holes to install a propane locker.
Oh, the problem, Seaward may no longer carry parts for these burners. Call them and ask. Parts to completely rebuild three burners was less than 20 dollars three years ago.
Dave Stump
Captain Commanding
Hanalei
Hanalei also has the original alcohol stove. I rebuilt it about 3 years ago. Search the site for articles on "seward alcohol stoves". I wrote a lot about the experience.
I suspect your problem is a clogged "generator. If you look down on a burner, the tube that crosses Port to Starboard in the center of the burner houses the generator. It looks like a bolt without a head, and fits snugly inside that pipe you see. You may be able to get it out and try cleaning it(I replaced mine with new). Try taking off the control knob, follow the shaft to the burner,and remove the large packing nut around the shaft. You should be able to pull the valve out, if so, the generator is inside there, maybe pull it out with a wire probe of some kind. Then, clean off the threads on the generator and reassemble. If it were mine, I'd try it, beats cutting holes to install a propane locker.
Oh, the problem, Seaward may no longer carry parts for these burners. Call them and ask. Parts to completely rebuild three burners was less than 20 dollars three years ago.
Dave Stump
Captain Commanding
Hanalei
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Matt Cawthorne
Re:Seward alcohol stove...generator
Dave,?br? Thanks for responding. I guess that the Hiller range is the same as the seward unit? My biggest fear is taking it apart and not being able to get the necessary seals. I have replacement packings for the needle shaft, but that is all. Seward no longer carries any parts for this stove. I read your posts, and still have a few questions. How are the supply lines attached to the burner? Do they stay attached when you are rebuilding the burner? The body of the burner which houses the generator and throttle has two screws which hold it together (port to starboard). If they are removed is there a seal between the two faces? ?p?Thanks,?p?Matt ?br?
mcawthor@bellatlantic.net
mcawthor@bellatlantic.net
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Larry DeMers
Re:Seward alcohol stove...generator
On my Hillerange 2 burner, the first thing you do is remove the knobs, then the packing gland. The needle valve resides inside the generator rod, so take out the needle valve, then the rod itself. To get at the seat for the needle valve, you may have to disassemble further. I didn't have any problems with that area, so left it alone. The needle itself gets burned and coated with varnish from too rich priming episodes etc. Replacing it and the gen. tube made the stove behave as new.
I believe that the parts are still available from Seaward, or another vendor that they should be able to send you to. Captain Stump may be a bit closer to the alternative suppliers of parts because he rebuilt his stove since I did mine.
Cheers,
Larry DeMers
s/v DeLaMer
Cape Dory 30 18 days of sailing left for us on Lake Superior..ratz!
demers@sgi.com
I believe that the parts are still available from Seaward, or another vendor that they should be able to send you to. Captain Stump may be a bit closer to the alternative suppliers of parts because he rebuilt his stove since I did mine.
Cheers,
Larry DeMers
s/v DeLaMer
Cape Dory 30 18 days of sailing left for us on Lake Superior..ratz!
Matt Cawthorne wrote: Dave,?br? Thanks for responding. I guess that the Hiller range is the same as the seward unit? My biggest fear is taking it apart and not being able to get the necessary seals. I have replacement packings for the needle shaft, but that is all. Seward no longer carries any parts for this stove. I read your posts, and still have a few questions. How are the supply lines attached to the burner? Do they stay attached when you are rebuilding the burner? The body of the burner which houses the generator and throttle has two screws which hold it together (port to starboard). If they are removed is there a seal between the two faces? ?p?Thanks,?p?Matt ?br?
demers@sgi.com
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D. Stump, Hanalei
Re:See Larry's post and...
Matt,
Yes, it is a Seaward Hillerange. Packing for the shaft is all you need. I wouldn't take the burner bodies apart. I did, and sent them to a sandblaster for cleaning, they came back like new. But, that really isn't necessary unless you filled the burners with pasta sauce!
See Larry's post below about removing the generator tube. You might call Seaward again and ask them if they sold the spare parts to another supplier. Other than that, I don't know where you could get parts. To remove the burners, you would have to undo the two screws you see when looking down on the burner (REAL tough to do, they are stainless and fired in place over the years!). Then the two bolts by the burner body are loosened and it will come apart. When I rebuilt her, I actually removed the stove, tank and all hose and took it home where I could work on it in my shop. Oh, the supply lines are hard piped to the burners, connected to rubber hose at the back of the stove. There is no seal between the upper and lower part of the burner.
Hope this helps,,,good luck......
Dave Stump
Yes, it is a Seaward Hillerange. Packing for the shaft is all you need. I wouldn't take the burner bodies apart. I did, and sent them to a sandblaster for cleaning, they came back like new. But, that really isn't necessary unless you filled the burners with pasta sauce!
See Larry's post below about removing the generator tube. You might call Seaward again and ask them if they sold the spare parts to another supplier. Other than that, I don't know where you could get parts. To remove the burners, you would have to undo the two screws you see when looking down on the burner (REAL tough to do, they are stainless and fired in place over the years!). Then the two bolts by the burner body are loosened and it will come apart. When I rebuilt her, I actually removed the stove, tank and all hose and took it home where I could work on it in my shop. Oh, the supply lines are hard piped to the burners, connected to rubber hose at the back of the stove. There is no seal between the upper and lower part of the burner.
Hope this helps,,,good luck......
Dave Stump
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Larry DeMers
Re:See Larry's post and...
Hi Dave,
Hey, do you recall what the connection is like at the flexible hose fitting on the alcohol feed line going into the stove? Mine seems to be a right angle fitting with a hose barb on it. The hose has a compression ring over the barbs, suggesting anyway, that if I was clever and careful, I could actually remove the compression ring , and then cut off the hose..in order to replace it (has many cracks and crazes in it's length).
I was wondering if you encountered the same type fitting, and if my ideas for taking the old hose off might indeed work out..?
Thanks..
Larry DeMers
s/v DeLaMer
Cape Dory 30 ~~Sailing Lake Superior for another 16 days~~~:^(
demers@sgi.com
Hey, do you recall what the connection is like at the flexible hose fitting on the alcohol feed line going into the stove? Mine seems to be a right angle fitting with a hose barb on it. The hose has a compression ring over the barbs, suggesting anyway, that if I was clever and careful, I could actually remove the compression ring , and then cut off the hose..in order to replace it (has many cracks and crazes in it's length).
I was wondering if you encountered the same type fitting, and if my ideas for taking the old hose off might indeed work out..?
Thanks..
Larry DeMers
s/v DeLaMer
Cape Dory 30 ~~Sailing Lake Superior for another 16 days~~~:^(
D. Stump, Hanalei wrote: Matt,
Yes, it is a Seaward Hillerange. Packing for the shaft is all you need. I wouldn't take the burner bodies apart. I did, and sent them to a sandblaster for cleaning, they came back like new. But, that really isn't necessary unless you filled the burners with pasta sauce!
See Larry's post below about removing the generator tube. You might call Seaward again and ask them if they sold the spare parts to another supplier. Other than that, I don't know where you could get parts. To remove the burners, you would have to undo the two screws you see when looking down on the burner (REAL tough to do, they are stainless and fired in place over the years!). Then the two bolts by the burner body are loosened and it will come apart. When I rebuilt her, I actually removed the stove, tank and all hose and took it home where I could work on it in my shop. Oh, the supply lines are hard piped to the burners, connected to rubber hose at the back of the stove. There is no seal between the upper and lower part of the burner.
Hope this helps,,,good luck......
Dave Stump
demers@sgi.com
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D. Stump, Hanalei
Re: Hose connections....
Larry,
Yes, the connection is a compressed on clamp ring holding the hose to the barb. I simply cut off the hose, worked off the clamp ring, and when I replaced it I just used a small SS hose clamp. Has worked good with no leaks for at least 2 years. Note: it is a bit of a job getting the hose run through the cabinet aft of the stove and up through the bulkhead to the tank in the lazzerette. But, all it takes is time...are you on half-pay yet???
Dave Stump
Yes, the connection is a compressed on clamp ring holding the hose to the barb. I simply cut off the hose, worked off the clamp ring, and when I replaced it I just used a small SS hose clamp. Has worked good with no leaks for at least 2 years. Note: it is a bit of a job getting the hose run through the cabinet aft of the stove and up through the bulkhead to the tank in the lazzerette. But, all it takes is time...are you on half-pay yet???
Dave Stump
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Larry DeMers
Re: Hose connections....
Hi David,
Nope. This SOB is still drawing his full allotment monthly..for another few days alas. This will be our usual last anchor out and in keeping with the tradition, the weather is forecasting scattered heavy wet snow and NE Gales of 35kts. This is when we use the triple reefed main and reefed staysail. Those big puppies are fun to sail if you get enough sail area ahead of the mast to be able to beat into them a little. They are so smooth faced and far apart that the boat handles them well. Granted, it takes up to 5 sec. to get to the top of one of the bigger waves, and about the same down to the trough. It is so cold though that you don't stay out too long in the winds.
Regarding the stove connection, that is exactly what I was hoping the connection would be. Another CD30 owner (not on this group) had a special hose built for the stove, with a $100 price tag on it.
Thanks, and Cheers!
Larry DeMers
demers@sgi.com
Nope. This SOB is still drawing his full allotment monthly..for another few days alas. This will be our usual last anchor out and in keeping with the tradition, the weather is forecasting scattered heavy wet snow and NE Gales of 35kts. This is when we use the triple reefed main and reefed staysail. Those big puppies are fun to sail if you get enough sail area ahead of the mast to be able to beat into them a little. They are so smooth faced and far apart that the boat handles them well. Granted, it takes up to 5 sec. to get to the top of one of the bigger waves, and about the same down to the trough. It is so cold though that you don't stay out too long in the winds.
Regarding the stove connection, that is exactly what I was hoping the connection would be. Another CD30 owner (not on this group) had a special hose built for the stove, with a $100 price tag on it.
Thanks, and Cheers!
Larry DeMers
D. Stump, Hanalei wrote: Larry,
Yes, the connection is a compressed on clamp ring holding the hose to the barb. I simply cut off the hose, worked off the clamp ring, and when I replaced it I just used a small SS hose clamp. Has worked good with no leaks for at least 2 years. Note: it is a bit of a job getting the hose run through the cabinet aft of the stove and up through the bulkhead to the tank in the lazzerette. But, all it takes is time...are you on half-pay yet???
Dave Stump
demers@sgi.com