BernieDawg's Svea 123R Stove Disassembly

Reassembly video is right here: • BernieDawg's Svea 123R...
BD website: BernieDawg.com
BD helpline: [e-mail]
You can find two videos on the SRV fuel cap and the pumpable SRV fuel caps found on these stoves right here: • Refurbishing SRV Fuel ... and here: • Refurbishing SRV Fuel ...
These stove use white gas, aka naphtha, aka Coleman fuel. Avoid regular unleaded gasoline (automobile fuel) as it can clog your stove and won't burn as cleanly as naphtha-based fuels.
BIG DISCLAIMER!!!
If you operate on your stove and screw it up somehow, it is not my fault.
If you are not mechanically adept, don't do it.
If you don't give a fig for safety, don't do it.
If you can't read a manual and understand what it says, don't do it.
If you're the kind of person who could break a crowbar in a sandbox, don't do it.
Am I doing it the "right" way? Don't assume I am. Trust, but verify.
Well, here's the Dawg taking apart a defenseless little Svea 123R. If this helps folks get a handle on this basic stove, then super duper. Do I sorta stumble through the video like a clown? Yeah, a bit. I was in a hurry and hadn't really planned to do this video.
Do I despise the way my voice sounds when recorded.? Yes. I'm afraid so. I understand why it'd make you giggle. The video will probably go viral just because of my wonky voice. Sorry. I'm stuck with it. Maybe steroids would help? 😄BD

[@nickcampos2531]

Hey thanks for your video!! I just picked up an old 123 that’s in need of a little bit of restoration, I always get a lil nervous dismantling and restoring anything I want to keep in use, so I appreciate the help! Thanks! Take care

[@XJarhead360]

Well Dawg, I have a 123R that I bought back in the '70s that had been sitting in my garage for decades. After seeing your video I worked on my stove but did not fully break it down like you did. I took out the wick and was in good shape so I put it back. The stove sputtered and tried to light but alas it did not work and kept extinguishing the flame. So back it goes in the garage. Though you created some nice videos regarding maintenance of the stove.

[@BernieDawgCinema]

@Captain 1985 Sorry you gave up so easily. You probably just need a new filler cap gasket and possibly a pip for the Safety Release Valve (SRV) in the cap. Those seals are what cause a lack of pressure in 90% of cases. Not that hard to do if you feel like maybe putting in the wee bit of time to make it work again. kzbin.info/www/bejne/mme2dnhnidR2ibM for the video. Or, just check out the playlist on the Svea 123/123R here: kzbin.info/aero/PL9Tg7BYD6fULxLmRcd7hQL_ZP2vyBqlZk BD

[@jlborish]

Excellent presentation...thank you BD for sharing this information. JB

[@latmask00]

Thank you, will bookmark this video for future reference. :)

[@wanttogo1958]

Great video. Have you recorded a video (s) of the older 123 dissassembly/cleaning/reassembly? Other than the absence of the cleaning needle and the downward angled flame adjustment spindle are there any other major component or internal component differences one needs to understand to revive an older 123 vs the 123R discussed in this video? Thanks.

[@BernieDawgCinema]

@wanttogo The differences between the rebuilding of the Svea 123 and the 123R are so small as to not be requiring another video on the subject. After all, the Svea 123R, with it's cleaning needle, is more complicated than the needle-less 123(no R). The Svea 123(no R) has a vaporizer/spindle that is more fragile than the Svea 123R. I recommend not working on a 123(no R) unless one is adept with hand tools and has the required brake line or flare fitting wrench for the vaporizer nut and has maybe practiced on rebuilding by doing a few 123R stoves first. It is too easy for the rookie or ham-handed to break the vaporizer on the Svea 123(no R) if trying to remove it by gripping the vaporizer other than at the nut at the base of the vaporizer. Proceed at your own risk. Ymmv. BD

[@cliffbuchanan2594]

great vid Dawg, thanks

[@ckb1137]

I recently purchased a svea 123r from a garage sale but I believe the filler cap/pressure relief valve will need repairing or replacing as it fails to hold pressure. I suspect the cap I have is not the original since it has a different design than those I find online. It has a stem which goes inside the tank very much like the optimus 2 way valve fuel cap however the top has a pentagonal opening. I also noticed that top pentagonal piece (not sure what it is called) is not seated properly, like it was cross threaded slightly. Unfortunately I don't have the correct tool to remove it. Inside the cap stem which goes in the tank there is a spring and the very old and cracked rubber pip. I will obviously need to replace the pip but I don't think this alone will solve the problem since the spring hardly seems long enough to hold the pip in the proper position. It almost seems like there is a part missing in the stem which would hold the pip. I have seen similar pieces online as part of other pressure relief valves but it is absent in mine. The o-ring gasket in the cap looks new and that along everything else and the fact that the cap shows much less age than the rest of the stove leads me to believe the previous owner attempted to rebuild the cap out of parts and pieces they had I wonder what you would recommend. I'm somewhat tempted to simply purchase a new cap, ideally the model which came originally with the stove.

[@BernieDawgCinema]

@Roger The Shrubber I think you may wish to watch this video first. It details the rebuilding of the sort of fuel cap you describe: kzbin.info/www/bejne/l2Glg3WwqrNjnZo There are also some links to suppliers of parts and tools in the description box below the video to get you sorted. If you decide rebuilding it is too much for you and you would rather replace the fuel cap, you will not be able to buy a new cap with the correct (for your stove) penta-screw opening on it. Instead, you’ll have to get one of the new variety with the hex opening. You can get those here: www.base-camp.co.uk/Optimus.html Part #2044 BD

[@ckb1137]

@@BernieDawgCinema Thank you, the video you linked is proving extremely useful. I'm definitely going to give rebuilding it a shot, the only reason I was unsure is that I suspected the cap was not original to the stove. I previously successfully rebuilt my grandpas coleman 530 and it works like a charm now. Do you think the cap is original to the stove? All other caps I've seen with the 123r are stemless, but then again I am brand new to the subject. As far as dating the stove the regulator is at 90 degrees to the stem and it has the self cleaning jet needle. On the tank It says "made in sweden" and "SVEA 123" (without the r). It didn't come with the brass pot support/wind guard but instead had a two piece aluminum one which also says made in sweden on it and seems to have been made for the stove.

[@BernieDawgCinema]

@Roger The Shrubber The cap you have there allows the stove to be pressured with an external pump. That pressurizable style cap was designed to be used with the Optimus 199 and Optimus 10 stoves. The cap did not come with the Svea 123R stove but was also sold by Optimus as an accessory to facilitate pressuring of the tank in cold conditions or high altitudes. Many people back in the day swapped the caps because they thought they needed them (they didn’t) or because they didn’t want to wait for the stove to pressure on it’s own. Optimus bought Svea (aka Sievert) in 1962-3-ish. All Svea 123R stoves produced after that date are actually made by Optimus, even though they are stamped Svea. Sometime around 1995-2010, Optimus moved its Svea 123R production to Taiwan even though they continue to be stamped “Sweden” to this day. Modern newly purchased Svea 123R stoves are NOT made in Sweden. If you’d like me to attempt a better guess at dating the stove I’d need to see some photos. Photos can’t be shared on KZbin in comments, but can easily be seen by me if you email me at [e-mail] For further help, just send an email. Thanks! BD

[@georgekamarineas7741]

Excellent disassembly - assembly work; comprehensive and informative! Will the 123r work with the cleaning needle removed?

[@BernieDawgCinema]

Thanks for the compliments. The Svea 123R will most definitely work just fine without the cleaning needle in place. In fact, when working on these stoves, I usually wait to put it back in until I'm sure there are no other issues. If you use quality camp fuel (Coleman or other major brand naphtha), filter your fuel into your fuel bottle, and don't throw dirt into your tank while filling the tank, there's really no need for an internal needle (imo).

[@georgekamarineas7741]

Thank you for the prompt reply! As Coleman fuel is not imported in Greece, would Zippo lighter fluid work? (contains naptha, among other things).. My only alternative is benzine (used for cleaning garments), but is a far more toxic substance to handle, let alone inhaling its vapor or smoke!

[@BernieDawgCinema]

I would suggest consulting at an outdoor gear or mountaineering shop in your country. There are many other brands of liquid camping fuel, such as MSR Powerful and Optimus ArcticFuel, that do the same job as Coleman fuel.The Svea 123R originated in Sweden after all, a fellow country there in your EU. Seems you should be able to find a liquid camping fuel product there in Greece with a bit of research. You can also read this MSR produced article about fuels in non-USA countries: thesummitregister.com/stove-fuels-around-world-finding-stove-fuel-foreign-country/ I really can't speak to non-standard fuel mixes such as lighter fluid. Who knows what might really be in them? If you decide to use non-standard fuels in your Svea 123R, then *do* put the needle in so you can clear the likely fouling you will get. I've never tried it myself since the real stuff works so well. Sorry I couldn't be of more assistance since I'm so far away.

[@georgekamarineas7741]

You've been of great assistance, much obliged for all your feedback! I'll do some research on white spirit; we have it here, and seems to be another name for naptha.

[@danaconover8363]

Bernie you inspired me to dig out my old 123 which hasn't been used since the 70s. When I did I noticed the flame plate had been lost, Can I get a replacement?

[@BernieDawgCinema]

Base-Camp, www.base-camp.co.uk/Optimus.html , a small mom'n'pop brick-n-mortar business for stove and lantern parts in the UK, may have the flame plates for these stoves, though their stock of original parts seems to be quickly diminishing these last couple of years. However, right at this moment, there are eBay sellers in S. Korea who are remanufacturing new reproduction parts for these and other stoves/lanterns. Do an eBay search for "Svea 123 stove" and you'll turn them up. Or, as of November 2018, check with eBay seller "gksk2146-3". Good luck. BD

[@1LRLRG]

Do you know of any sources for the graphite packing material? I have a few stoves like this that need to be rebuilt.

[@BernieDawgCinema]

As of 11/10/2018, there are several sellers of the graphite packings on eBay at any given time, mostly in Asia. They are still in stock at this moment from Base-Camp in the UK, part #2094 for the Svea 123R and many other burners. www.base-camp.co.uk/Optimus.html BD

[@1LRLRG]

@@BernieDawgCinema thanks for the info

[@harischannel89]

what fuels..? Gasoline or kerosene...?

[@BernieDawgCinema]

@muammar haris Neither. Use quality naphtha-based camp stove fuel like Coleman brand or Crown brand camping appliance fuel. Never use kerosene. Only use gasoline for automobiles as an absolute last resort, or, if you super enjoy disassembling and cleaning your stove from clogging frequently. BD

[@CBeard849]

Wish I could find a source for just the graphite packing....as mine came out in pieces! Also I have an older stove I acquired long ago that is smaller tank and has absolutely no markings or names or date codes on the tank. The spindle shaft is angled down at an angle and the tank itself is smaller in diameter. Only marks are what appears to be some initials and maybe a person's service # on the tank that they did with one of those engraving pens and on the pot set that came with it. The spindle on that one is much smaller and did not appear to have a graphite sleeve on it. ???

[@BernieDawgCinema]

Graphite packing can be made fairly easily with graphite ribbon. Several sellers on eBay sell stove rebuild kits that include ribbon, or you can buy the ribbon in bulk and use it to make new packing all by yourself. There used to be several sources for preformed graphite packings on eBay for the 123R, too. And, Base-Camp in the UK still shows both 123 and 123R graphite packing to be in stock. For more info on any of that, or to show me some photos of your old small unknown stove to see if we can figure it out, just drop me an email at [e-mail] (Email generally works better than posting in KZbin comments for this sort of stuff.) Cheers! BD

[@MurmanskTourist]

Please tell me how to unscrew the etching valve?

[@BernieDawgCinema]

@MurmanskTourist Sorry. I don't know what an "etching valve" is and I don't believe this stove has one. Please watch the video in its entirety as I completely disassemble everything and watching the whole video will show you everything (I think). Here's a link to a manual which shows all the parts and the parts names in several different languages: www.berniedawg.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/optimus_123R_manual.pdf If none of that works out to answer your question... contact my free stove help line here: [e-mail] BD

[@MurmanskTourist]

@@BernieDawgCinema Thanks for the detailed answer, I’ll definitely read it, I meant the valve that relieves excess pressure, there is a rubber band there, I don’t know how to unscrew it, it’s located in the filler cap

[@BernieDawgCinema]

@MurmanskTourist I have a playlist for all my Svea 123 videos right here: kzbin.info/aero/PL9Tg7BYD6fULxLmRcd7hQL_ZP2vyBqlZk Might be worth your time to take a look through those for more information about your stove. For the SRV (safety release valve) in the fuel cap, your best bet is to watch this video about that subject here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mme2dnhnidR2ibMsi=e_E2JcYQTGvRwdhy But, you may also be interested in the second part video about fuel caps here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/l2Glg3WwqrNjnZosi=YMQlGPAGLwyoZEPy There's lots of other great stuff about stoves at my website, too. www.berniedawg.com Good luck and have fun with your stove! BD

[@MurmanskTourist]

@@BernieDawgCinema thank you very much for the information, I’ll try to unscrew it and not tear off the edges

[@BernieDawgCinema]

@MurmanskTourist Again… if you check my webpages I have a whole list of stove part and stove tool suppliers. www.berniedawg.com/stove-part-supplier-links/ If you need the penta wrench for the fuel cap, you can buy one here (in the links at the webpage above): www.ebay.com/itm/114161617412?hash=item1a94900a04:g:NTkAAOSwLdFgW0OM Or, you can make one yourself from an Allen hex wrench using a file. No reason to mess up your stove because you don’t care to do the research. The info is out there. 👍😎 BD

[@margaretadler6162]

Can you run a 123R on regular gasoline?

[@BernieDawgCinema]

@Margaret Adler Such a short and simple question that, sadly, is not at all simple. It is possible to get a Svea 123R to run on modern "regular unleaded gasoline" (aka RUG) from the pump. And, in the 1960's, the heyday of these stoves, RUG was the fuel most folks used in these. But, RUG has changed, as cars and laws have changed, and RUG today is very much different from the RUG of the 1960's. I do not advise use of today's RUG in Svea 123R stoves because many of the additives and chemicals that are now in RUG will not burn in the stove. These modern additives/chemicals in RUG require hotter temperatures and great pressure (like in an auto engine) to vaporize and burn. In a small stove like the Svea 123R, those additives/chemicals will remain unburned and turn into tars and sludges inside the stove/tank. The main reason I have these repair videos is so that folks who buy these stoves can repair/renovate them after they have been fouled by using pump gas. Stoves used for years with RUG almost always need a rebuild - that should tell you something. Additionally, RUG has a limited shelf life. Most people leave their Sveas with fuel in them after a camping trip, sometimes for months or years. The RUG will break down inside the tank into sludges this way. The short shelf life of RUG is why there are products that you can buy to add to the fuel to extend its short shelf life. And, RUG in some countries is of poorer quality than others. So, using RUG while traveling in places like the "Third World" can be especially bad for your stove. If you insist on using RUG, then buy the lowest octane rating you can (low burns better than high). Dump out and discard any fuel in your stove tank between trips or if the stove will remain idle for more than a week or two. Fuel bottles of fuel should be treated with gas extender, or refilled every two-three months if kept filled with RUG. Air is detrimental to storage of RUG, so keep the bottles treated and as full as possible. So! "Can" you run your Svea 123R on RUG? Yes. Should you? No. Is it possible to burn RUG? Yes. But, you need to recognize and accept the dangers and additional work you will have to do if you make that decision. If you choose to ignore or discount all my thoughts here, you at least have found my video series on how to rebuild/refurbish your Svea 123R when it succumbs to the use of RUG. Use of modern RUG by so many is exactly why I made the videos. I made the videos so you can do it yourself and so I am not buried in hundreds of RUG-related repair jobs. Good luck! 👍 BD

[@BernieDawgCinema]

Smart and simple answer. I probably should have just gone with this instead of the "educational" answer above. 🙄🤷‍♂️👍 BD

[@surviving.not.thriving1061]

I have a sv123 and the “valve stem” catches fire why?

[@BernieDawgCinema]

@Surviving.not.thriving You should watch the reassembly video to find out how to fix this. But, it's because you need to tighten the nut around the spindle OR because you need to replace the graphite packing. All this is covered in my videos about the Svea 123. It's even in the manual about the stove which you can find here: www.berniedawg.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/optimus_123R_manual.pdf The little key that comes with the stove has a tool on it for doing this. Please read the manual for your safety and that of others. 👍😎BD