How to convert a Coleman 220 lantern to kerosene (Added preheat cup manufacture)

[coastie]

The Coleman 220s were made for a long time and in large numbers. They are found everywhere. I find them at yard sales often for $5-10 each. With Coleman fuel at about 9.00 a gallon and clear kerosene at about 4.00, you can save a lot of money on the fuel. It takes about 10 minutes to convert the lantern and about $20 dollars worth of parts.

The parts are:
A 200A generator #200A5891
A 201 preheater cup #201-5101
An alcohol bottle #201-5511

They can be ordered directly from the Coleman website.

The preheater in the picture is one I made as Coleman was out of stock.

1. Remove the vent and globe from the lantern and remove the 220 generator. The tip cleaner lever needs to be pointing up. It takes a 7/16 wrench.

2. Remove the tip from the 220 generator and replace it with the tip from the 200A generator. These do not have to be very tight. You need a small adjustable to remove them. BE CAREFUL NOT TO DAMAGE OR BEND THE THIN WIRE TIP OF THE CLEANING ROD!! It has to be able to pass through the tip to clean it.

3. Replace the modified 220 generator in the lantern. Put the preheater cup on the generator before installation. In the first picture below you can see the tip cleaner and the hole it needs to go in. The second picture shows the preheater cup installed. Replace the vent and globe.

That’s it the conversion is done

To light:
1. Fill the lantern with kerosene and pressurize.
2. Fill the alcohol bottle with alcohol. I am using Iso-heet. Then fill the preheater cup with alcohol.

3. Light the alcohol. Second pic shows it fully lit.

4. As the alcohol burns down and is almost out, open the fuel valve and the mantles will light.

I found the directions on Doron’s Coleman site. For less than $30 you can have a good kerosene pressure lantern. Kerosene is my fuel of choice for emergencies. It is inexpensive and properly stored lasts for a very long time. I run it in my Aladdin, flat and round wick lanterns, a couple stoves and a heater. If you need to convert it back to Coleman fuel all you do is replace the tip.

DISCLAIMER: This is for information purposes only. If you do this conversion, you do it at your own risk and are entirely responsible for the results. You are altering a product to use a fuel it was not originally designed to use.

 

[Knob Creek]

Wow cool post. I got my first 220 for my 13th birthday. That was 45 years ago and it still runs. Since then do you know how many Coleman lanterns I picked up at yard sales for about $2-5.00?'s?

 

[SemiAutoSam]

I have a collection of about 10 Coleman lanterns and 4-5 Deitz lanterns, this conversion has my attention, my only question is why ?

I already have lanterns that use kerosene so why convert white gas lanterns to kerosene ?

 

[coastie]

I have a collection of about 10 Coleman lanterns and 4-5 Deitz lanterns, this conversion has my attention, my only question is why ?

I already have lanterns that use kerosene so why convert white gas lanterns to kerosene ?

The Colemans put out a lot more light vs the Dietz lanterns. I have several Dietz and they are great if you dont need a lot of light. The Dietz use a lot less fuel also. A Dietz running a 7/8" wick is going to run about 110 hrs on a gallon of kero and put out about 12-14 cp. A kero Coleman will give 300 cp and burn a gallon of kero in about 50 hours. To me both have a place in my supplies.
Most of the older Coleman kerosene lanterns are becoming collectors items and the new ones are quite expensive. 220s are everywhere and the parts are easy to find.
Coleman fuel is more than twice what clear kero costs so I can store double the fuel for the same expense. For me kerosene is my preferred long term fuel. In sealed metal containers it last practically forever.

 

[powerman]

saved for reference. It looks like the A 201 preheater cup #201-5101 is temporalily unavaialbe and other sites showing not availabe, like no more. is there a work around, copper end cap? amazon has the generator for 7.00

 

[Jollyprez]

Where can you get clear kerosene for $4 / gallon?

Thanks!

Jolly

 

[coastie]

saved for reference. It looks like the A 201 preheater cup #201-5101 is temporalily unavaialbe and other sites showing not availabe, like no more. is there a work around, copper end cap? amazon has the generator for 7.00

I use a 3/4" copper end cap that I cut down to about 1/2" high. Drill an off center hole through it and then solder a 1/2" brass compression ferrule into it. I can take pictures if interested.

 

[coastie]

As for the K-1. Buzzy Hanscoms on the on the Northbound side of the Rte 1 bypass in Portsmouth NH. They have a clear kero pump. It was 3.81 a couple weeks ago.

 

[Finalygotabeltfed]

Recommended for a "sticky" in the forum. Thanks coastie

 

[Finalygotabeltfed]

I use a 3/4" copper end cap that I cut down to about 1/2" high. Drill an off center hole through it and then solder a 1/2" brass compression ferrule into it. I can take pictures if interested.

Please do!!!

 

[Twigg]

Recommended for a "sticky" in the forum. Thanks coastie

Seconded. Great post coastie !

 

[SemiAutoSam]

Found them.
http://www.newhampshiregasprices.com/Buzzy's_Bypass_Gas_Gas_Stations/Portsmouth/68925/index.aspx

Buzzy's Bypass Gas Portsmouth NH 603 436 0141

3.58 for red 4.00 for the clear.

ETA: for you guys in New Hampshire anywhere near Buzzys, If I were you I would get as much of this fuel as your containers will hold.

Its 10.00 a gallon on the west coast.

As for the K-1. Buzzy Hanscoms on the on the Northbound side of the Rte 1 bypass in Portsmouth NH. They have a clear kero pump. It was 3.81 a couple weeks ago.

 

[fbebb]

Ladies and gentleman, I have to put in my two cents here...hope you don't mind. Please exercise extreme caution with this thread. Coleman gas lanterns were not intended to burn kero and visa versa. Beyond the scientific differences in the two fuels, the lanterns are quite different also. A current gas lantern has a fuel/air mixture feeding the generator while the kero version does not include air into the fuel. The burner air systems are not the same, due to different flash points and air requirements. Gas lanterns like the 200 or 220 series are much more common (in the US) but finding a good used 201, 237 or 639 single mantle kero lantern is not really difficult either. The inherent dangers of burning gas or kero indicate one should only do it with a device engineered for it. I've played with a zillion "conversions" in lamps, lanterns and even stoves but sure recommend for safety purposes alone that you consider the risks. You can find more info on Coleman lanterns and such on my site at www.oldtowncoleman.com if you like. Retired Marine, Idaho born and patiently waiting for elk season next year...Semper Fi all.

 

[coastie]

Ladies and gentleman, I have to put in my two cents here...hope you don't mind. Please exercise extreme caution with this thread. Coleman gas lanterns were not intended to burn kero and visa versa. Beyond the scientific differences in the two fuels, the lanterns are quite different also. A current gas lantern has a fuel/air mixture feeding the generator while the kero version does not include air into the fuel. The burner air systems are not the same, due to different flash points and air requirements. Gas lanterns like the 200 or 220 series are much more common (in the US) but finding a good used 201, 237 or 639 single mantle kero lantern is not really difficult either. The inherent dangers of burning gas or kero indicate one should only do it with a device engineered for it. I've played with a zillion "conversions" in lamps, lanterns and even stoves but sure recommend for safety purposes alone that you consider the risks. You can find more info on Coleman lanterns and such on my site at www.oldtowncoleman.com if you like. Retired Marine, Idaho born and patiently waiting for elk season next year...Semper Fi all.

What are the risks? I researched this a lot before I did it. I understand the differences between the kero and gas lanterns and lamps. The Coleman fuel lanterns have the instant lite system where as the kerosene still has to use the older straight tube with the preheater cup. But by using the preheater cup and then opening the valve all the way you essentially bypass the instant lite system. My understanding is that by changing the tip you are correcting the fuel-air ratio. I looked at a number of posts on the CCF and I didnt see any mention of safety hazards associated with this conversion. There are risks using any of these lanterns as they do have pressurized fuel in them but if there are serious safety issues with the conversions, please let me know and I will delete this post as I dont want anyone to get hurt.

 

[Jollyprez]

A Petromax lantern can use either fuel along with gasoline, naptha, jet fuel, and diesel. Now, the big difference between these fuels is volatility. Diesel, jet fuel, and kerosene are basically not very volatile. Fling a match into a bowl of these fuels, and the match will extinguish.

Gasoline, white gas, etc. will definitely explode with that same match.

However, once the fuel is pressurized and vaporized, they act much more similarly - one reason why the Petromax works as well as those multi-fuel stoves such as the MSR Dragonfly. The only difference comes into the size of the hole used to squirt the fuel into the mixing area.

Jolly

 

[SemiAutoSam]

Maybe someone can identify the Coleman in the top pic. Looks somewhat like a 220 but the Bail attachment is totally not like the other 220 models. It also does not have a pump from what I can tell.

327, 220D, 242A, 242B.

Chrome tank series.

 

[coastie]

Its a Coleman 327 I think. It needs an external pump. They can be found on Ebay.

The second one is a 220 and the last 2 are 242s.

Here is great site for IDing these:

http://terrence.marsh.faculty.noctrl.edu/lantern/colelant4660.html

 

[coastie]

Making a preheater cup:

Materials:
¾ inch copper end cap
½ inch compression ferrule

Drill a 3/8 hole in the bottom of the end cap. It needs to be off centered so it fits between the generator and the air tube. I put the ferrule on the cap and trace it with a marker.

Using a pipe cutter trim about a quarter inch from the end cap. While not necessary to make it function properly I think it looks better.

Then slide the ferrule into the hole in the bottom of the cap

Solder it in place. I am not the best with solder.

That’s it you are done

Materials cost about $2.00 at the hardware store. It takes me about 10-15 minutes to make one. I think the preheater cups are only a couple of bucks from Coleman but they aren’t in stock. If they were then I would just buy one.

My disclaimer added to the first post still applies. You are playing with fire and do this at your own risk.

 

[powerman]

The solder doesn't melt witht he heat?

 

[coastie]

Hasnt yet. Most of the heat is actually above the preheater cup.

 

[green_metalflake]

The solder doesn't melt witht he heat?

Alcohol burns hotter than the solder melting point but 2 things are going on. There is very little alcohol fuel used in the starter cup so the duration of the burn is short. The second thing is that the thermal mass of the cup acts as a heat-sink and sheds some of the heat while the alcohol is burning. My guess, and only a guess, is that the solder melting point is nowhere close to being reached.

 

[green_metalflake]

Making a preheater cup:

Excellent how-to, you should post it on instructables.com.

 

[coastie]

Preheater cups are again available through Colemans website. They are 2.50 each. At that price if you are ordering the rest of the parts for the conversion you aren’t saving any money by making your own. The materials for me to make the cup are 2.08. To save the .42 is too much of a hassle for me.

Also, it has come to my attention that you may need to change out the cleaning rod in the generator to get these to work correctly. I have had no issues using the existing 220 cleaning rod with the 200 tip but if you are having issues with the conversion try swapping the 200 cleaning rod for the 220 rod in the generator. Be careful as the little wire pricker is fragile. I tested them on a couple of my conversions yesterday and had no issues with either cleaning rod. It may help solve your problems and certainly wont hurt anything by switching them out.

There are also better mantles than the Coleman mantles available. They are the Peerless 2C-HG and can be purchased from the Leacock Coleman Center. Their phone number is 717-768-7178. They are supposed to be brighter and tougher than the current Coleman mantles. More like the old Coleman Silklites. I just ordered some to try out. I will let you guys know how they work.

 

[DukeInFlorida]

I got some Coleman 4 packs of mantles at Walmart, and they are a LOT tougher than the older Coleman mantles (1980's vintage) that I had in storage.

Coastie, after you and I talked on the phone today, I cooled my test run of the conversion down and dumped in some lamp oil (unknown maker/1970's vintage) which was dyed red, and fired the lamp back up. Ran fine. So, in a pinch, Coastie's conversion will do either lamp oil or K1.

I ran into an issue when I first tried this conversion: The skinny cleaning wire on the end of the cleaning rod is easily damaged. I apparently jammed that into the underside of the .006" hole in the tip, and partially plugged it. I had to secure a new replacement to repair my damage.

Heads up: Cabelas has the 220 and 200 generators at Coleman's direct price. They also have a bunch of the globes (all the models) at comparable prices.

NOTE: The generator consists of a few parts:
1) Outer tube - in Coastie's conversion, you want to retain and use your OLD tube.
2) Nozzle tip - the difference between the original 220 tip that you take out of the lantern and replace with the new 200 tip is the diameter of the spray hole.
3) Cleaning rod - This is the brass rod with the very fragile cleaning wire at the tip end. The L shaped hook at the bottom end needs to get slipped into the cleaning lever that coastie showed above. As part of the cleaning rod assembly, there's a long spring, and a white paper looking tube. Keep those together, with the cleaning rod, as they come out of the generator tube.

I see that my old cleaning rod and tip from my 220 were matched together. Straight walls where they went into the tip. The new 200 generator cleaning rod and tip seem to be a tapered fit. At least that's what I see on my set. I will suggest that you use the new cleaning rod assembly, and the new tip, and use that on your old tube. Think of the cleaning rod and tip as a needle valve assembly in a carburetor!

Thanks again, Coastie!

 

[guywithglasses]

Coastie great post. How is the odor when the converted lantern is running?

 

[coastie]

Coastie great post. How is the odor when the converted lantern is running?

I think the lantern smell more with Coleman fuel than with the kero. It is fine. I was running my 2 kero convert lamps in the house for a couple hours the other night and there was a very faint odor but it was a bother for anyone in the family.

 

[teckguy_58]

Great job on converting you lantern to run on kerosene.
I was looking on the Coleman site, and I found 2 generators.
1. 201B5891 KEROSENE GENERATOR
2. 200A5891 GENERATOR
What is the difference between the two generators.
The preheater spirit cup is available on the Coleman site.
I have several of the Coleman 220 lanterns, and plan on converting all of them to kerosene.
Where I live Coleman gas is $12.99 per gallon, so converting to kerosene is the way to go.

I have another question. I have an old Coleman 413E two burner cook stove, and of course
this is one that runs on White gas or Coleman gas. I was wondering if the same principle would
work for converting this stove to run unleaded gas. If I could find the right generator I could
remove the tip or jet and place that onto the old generator, but I maybe wrong about my
idea. I was hoping that some of you maybe able to offer some ideas on the subject.
Thanks

 

[coastie]

Great job on converting you lantern to run on kerosene.
I was looking on the Coleman site, and I found 2 generators.
1. 201B5891 KEROSENE GENERATOR
2. 200A5891 GENERATOR
What is the difference between the two generators.
The preheater spirit cup is available on the Coleman site.
I have several of the Coleman 220 lanterns, and plan on converting all of them to kerosene.
Where I live Coleman gas is $12.99 per gallon, so converting to kerosene is the way to go.

I have another question. I have an old Coleman 413E two burner cook stove, and of course
this is one that runs on White gas or Coleman gas. I was wondering if the same principle would
work for converting this stove to run unleaded gas. If I could find the right generator I could
remove the tip or jet and place that onto the old generator, but I maybe wrong about my
idea. I was hoping that some of you maybe able to offer some ideas on the subject.
Thanks

Ther 200A generator. You only use the tip from it.

As for the stove, I would not burn unleaded gasoline to cook my food with. There are some nasty additives. YOu can just burn unleaded with the standard genersator but it will crud up fast using gasoline.

 

[teckguy_58]

I converted two of my Coleman 220 lanterns today, and so I had to do the smoke test to see if they work. I have both lamp oil and kerosene. The lantern with the kerosene fired right up, but was not a bright as I hoped it would be. The lantern with the lamp oil didn't fair as well, but this lamp oil had been sold due to a freeze we had so maybe this is the problem. I tried this lamp oil in one of my kerosene camp stoves and it worked great, so not real sure what the problem is but will figure it out. The kerosene is pretty new, but the lamp oil is several years old and has been frozen.
The conversion went quite fast. Had to put new mantles on because the lanterns were in dire need. All in all I'm pleased with the conversion. It was simple and fast. Even tho the kerosene conversion isn't quite as bright it's OK, because kerosene is quite a bit cheaper the white gas so putting up with a little less light output is fine with me. Besides I'm not real interested in being blinded when I walk into camp.
All of the parts you will need can be found on the Coleman site including the spirit cup.

 

[Knob Creek]

I just picked up two 200"s that came out of a flooded cellar. One looks pretty good. The other had rusty gas that came out. I filled them up with pump gas and sloshed it around and I'm letting them sit right now. Anything else I could use to clean out the tanks. I'm thinking of converting them to kero. I also need at least one new pump assembly.