Svea 123

Factual Questions
1

I had friends over for Wednesday Night Barbecue. One friend likes camping, so after the others left I brought out my Box-O-Stoves. Yeah, I’m a sucker for the Svea 123. I’ve got seven of them. Knowing how much he likes camping, and since he’s moving in a few weeks, and since I have a surplus, I gave him one.

The regulation valve on three of them are angles downward, which I take to be an older design. The valves on three are horizontal. I don’t remember the angle of the valve on the one I gave my friend.

I’d misplaced my newest one (which I found a minute after he left – and ‘new’ is relative, since I bought it 25 years ago), so I showed him the one with an angled valve that is still in its original box. He thought the stove was so nifty that that’s when I decided to give him one.

Two of the stoves do not have valves. I tested three others. When I turned the valves off, they did not close all the way. One burned as if there was no ‘off’ position on the valve. (I blew out the flame.) Two had very small flames when I turned the valves off. So I gave him the one that leaked least.

Now I have the one that wouldn’t stop burning, plus the other one that leaked, plus two that have no valves at all. My friend has one that leaks a little bit. I need an overhaul kit. I found this Svea Maintenance Kit, but I’ve never taken one of these puppies apart.

If you know about Svea 123 stoves:
[ul][li]What are each of those parts? I know what some are, but not all of them.[/li][li]This will make the stoves ‘like new’, right?[/li][li]Will the kit fit both the angled-valve and horizontal-valved stoves? (Seems the angled-valve ones need a smaller key than the other kind.)[/ul][/li]Also: One of the valveless stoves has a mashed burner, and both of the valveless ones are missing that concave disc that goes on top. Are replacements available? If so, where?

2

Never mind. I found the ‘the only North American service center for… Svea.’ I can call them.

3

Or maybe not.

I tried to call A&H. The phone rang once, then I got a ‘rapid busy signal’. I tried a few times, and also called Directory Assistance to verify the number.

Is anyone here a Svea 123 ‘expert’?

4

Not really. I’ve owned one for 30 years and used it regularly, but it has never given me any trouble at all, so I’ve never had reason to open it up and learn much about it.

It’s interesting that a repair kit is available, but (based on my experience) I don’t see how they can be selling many.

5

I was able to contact the company. Parts are on their way.

The ones that need repair are old, and a couple have parts missing. I’ve taken a couple apart, and they seem to be easy enough to fix. I’ll be getting an instruction sheet with the maintenance kits.

I’ve just spent an hour polishing one of the self-cleaning ones with Brasso. It looks fabulous.

6

The last Svea I owned exploded and nearly burned down our campsite. Overheated and split the tank; four foot flames ensued. I use an MSR Whisperlite now.

7

The relief valve in the fuel filler cap is supposed to prevent that. Although if the stove does overheat and the relief valve works, you’ll get a bit of a flare there. Two things to pay attention to: First, don’t enclose the tank in a cricle of rocks. That can lead to overheating. Second, pay attention to the sound. It’s supposed to sound like a jet, but if it gets too loud then you know the pressure is building.