Whisperlite replacement pump?

[paul ron]

I have been using a Whisperlite stove for many years. Yeh it's not the best simmering stove out there but it is reliable in extrem winter condtions. My old pump finally developed a leak from severl cracks around the valve body. Rebuilding can't help this problem, a new pump is on order.

I bought the new design Standard MSR replacement pump. All I can say about it is that it SUCKS!

It has absolutely no adjustment. It sputters and seems like it's never got enough preasure, the flame is not as storng as the old style pump. It has absolutely no flame adjust like the old pump either. I'm constantly pumping it, that seems to work for a few seconds.

Before I took it out this weekend I used it in my backyard, tested it at 30°F ambiaent outside temps to be sure it will work in the woods, although it droped to 9°F when I tried using it in the woods. I also lubed all the O rings to be sure it was in tip top condition, I never trust the manufactures to do a proper job.

Does anyone know if there is another pump available for the Whisperlite white gas stove other than MSR's Standard replacement pump?

 

[HAMTERO]

I have 3 or 4 of the new style ones and they all work fine. Perhaps you have one with a leak somewhere so it does not hold pressure or a leak in the line somewhere. I would check the seal at the fuel bottle first with some soapy water. MSR has good customer service so give them a call. As far as I know, that is the only fuel pump that will work.

 

[Rick]

I have a couple of replacement pumps, courtesy of MSR - after cracking my others in the cold- both work well. Can't knock free replacement parts!!

 

[paul ron]

I'm taking this pump back to EMS for an exchange. I also e-mailed MSR. Perhaps it is a bad one but to see such a big difference from the old one is dissapointing.

It's difficult to insert the pump into the bottle because of the newly designed air feed plus the angle of the fuel feed tube. Figure a new design would make it better not worse.

As soon as you turn the valve the slightest bit from the closed position, it is at it's full speed... not a very impressive flame either considering the old pump was notorious for it's weld position. The flame seems to sputters as well and from that point on there is no flame control at all. Looking at the needle valve it's not an improvement in design, it looks cheaper n poorly made, flat bottomed brass needle instead of a tapered valve means absolutely no metering. The handle is a piece of twisted wire with a rubber thumb grip instead of the fine adjust wheel, no improvement there.

When the pot is sitting on the stove it seems like the flame is starved for air or the preasure is low. Pumping it up helps for a few seconds but then I'm constantly pumping it to try n maintain some sort of decent flame.

I did check for leaks, there are none. This is a brand new pump not an old one with bad O rings. My old pump was working fine except it had a fuel leak at the valve stem where it's got somce small cracks at the tightening nut. I've used these stoves long enough to know what to look for. The redesign should have been a marked improvement, not a let down straight out of teh box.

If you are going to make the wheel rounder, it should at least roll.

BTW if the pump is so good why do you have several of em? In the ten years of using this stove, I've only had to change the fuel O ring once, never had any problems with it at all. Makes me wonder why they redesigned it in the first place?


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[Peaks]

BTW if the pump is so good why do you have several of em? In the ten years of using this stove, I've only had to change the fuel O ring once, never had any problems with it at all. Makes me wonder why they redesigned it in the first place?


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Well, I for one, have broken the ears off the plunger more than once. The newer pumps are much more beefer here.

 

[HAMTERO]

The reason I have several pumps is that I have 3 MSR stoves, an XGK-EX, an older XGK that is really Suebscuit's and a Simmerlight.

 

[paul ron]

Well, I for one, have broken the ears off the plunger more than once. The newer pumps are much more beefer here.

I did that as well but filed new square grooves using a jewlers file, then made a small clip to keep the plunger from tuning out of it's seat.

Can I buy one of your broken plunger pumps? I really hate this so called new design.

[email protected]

 

[Rick]

Well, I for one, have broken the ears off the plunger more than once. The newer pumps are much more beefer here.

Ditto. I have a couple of stoves that are 15to 18 years old and the old pumps both finally brok in the late 90's.. Have they changed pump designs again? The new pumps I got had the "One-piece" red pump ears.

 

[Peaks]

I did that as well but filed new square grooves using a jewlers file, then made a small clip to keep the plunger from tuning out of it's seat.

Can I buy one of your broken plunger pumps? I really hate this so called new design.

[email protected]

Sorry. I think took advantage of EMS return policy and switched them out.

 

[paul ron]

I just got an e-mail from MSR about the new design pump.....


Thank you for contacting Cascade Designs Inc.

The current design doesn’t simmer like the older style pumps .

We are working on getting this changed but it’s going to take sometime.

The current model pump has one setting of high and it should work on this setting even in the frigid temperature that you were experiencing.

Part of your problem may have been that white gas contains paraffin which starts to solidify at these low temps and can hamper performance.

You should try exposing your white gas to this low temperature then pour it through a coffee filter to help strain out any solidified paraffin.

So I think you may have been experiencing the flame performance problem due to the paraffin.

As far as the various flame control levels that you were trying to achieve goes, this is a problem with the newer pumps that we are working to resolve.



Nathan Hamm

Cascade Designs Inc.

4225 2nd Ave. South

 

[Chip]

Part of your problem may have been that white gas contains paraffin which starts to solidify at these low temps and can hamper performance.

You should try exposing your white gas to this low temperature then pour it through a coffee filter to help strain out any solidified paraffin.

I've never heard this, and don't believe I've ever experienced it, but if it's true then freezing and straining/filtering white gas should be a standard recommendation for all winter campers.

paul ron, you sound pretty handy, what with your jewelers file and all, but did you also clean the nozzle ? I've had them get partially blocked.

 

[paul ron]

Chip, Cleaned the nozel with some compressed air. Changed the screen at the check valve too, that helps every 20 years whether it needs it or not.

If anyone has an old pump sitting in the closet they like to toss my way? I'd love to keep my old stove going instead of giving up on MSR. This stove has been so good to me over the years.

Never had to strain parafin out of my fuel.

 

[peakbagger]

You may want to post on white blaze, there are always folks making the conversion to alcohol stoves and some of them may have orphan MSR whisperlight pumps.

 

[teejay]

Paraffin

The response from MSR is pure marketing horsesh!t. Do just like the guy says and chill the white gas in a clear glass vial. When it's good and cold, hold it up to the light. It will be crystal clear. If there were anything precipitating out of solution it would be cloudy. There won't be anything to strain out. Any small amounts of high molecular weight saturated hydrocarbons (paraffins) in the white gas will be freely soluble in the white gas.

Also try using white gas from different suppliers. They'll all work the same.

Just the fact that he admitted the pump doesn't simmer well, means that they are aware of problems with it, and it ain't paraffins in the white gas. I guarantee if you chill your white gas, filter it and then try it in your stove as he said, you'll have the same problem as before.

teejay

 

[teejay]

Just a note

Please do not, ever, under any circumstances, put your white gas in the freezer to cool it. Do it outside. Ask me how I know.

teejay

 

[paul ron]

I returned the pump to EMS where I bought it. At first the lady was giving me a hard time about the WhIsperlite never was able to simmer and how she's had one for years n this n that crap about what it can and can't do, maybe it's my stove... etc.

I brought my stove and an old pump I borrowed and took her outside to show her exactly what it can do and let her show me what I was doing wrong with the new pump. These people havean't a clue what they are doing. I got my money back.

MSR knows and admits it has faults and said they are working on it. I told MSR I'd be shopping for a new stove come Spring and not an MSR What pisses me off most... why didn't they tell me if they ever do upgrade, I'd be able to return it for the better one? Instead I get the parafin speach. A load of shyte is right. Deception at $37.50 means it's time to look for another brand. MSR had better days.

 

[Lawn Sale]

Don't bother with Primus, I bought a Himalaya after seeing my brother's, and it's totally different. The new pump also has a lot of plastic, no pre-heater tube, and felt a lot less sturdy. I'll hang onto it but am disappointed.

 

[jrichard]

Please do not, ever, under any circumstances, put your white gas in the freezer to cool it. Do it outside. Ask me how I know.

teejay

OK, I have to ask. How do you know? Did the container implode and crack?