I use Hexane for my pilot light. However, if the pressure is below 20 psi it risks being blown out. What do you think the right pressure should be?

Mike Tuck
Treasurer &
Membership Secretary

The right pressure is the one that works for you

I use the Maxwell pilot light with the Coleman 500 generator. I try to keep the Hexane pressure at 12 PSI, however it still works well down at 5 PSI. The Hexane fuel that I use is very reliable. My pilot light does have a 3/16" stainless steel rod that is directly over the pilot light flame and it is called a re-igniter. It glows red in the flame and if the flame briefly blows out, the red hot igniter relights the flame. Hardly ever is a problem with my pilot lights in our three Stanleys. Another method that I practice by is the lower the pilot light pressure is, the easier it is for the generator to vaporize the fuel. It is like boiling water on a mountain top. With the lower air pressure at the higher elevation, the water will boil at a much lower temperature. It works the same with fuel. The opposite is also true, the higher the pilot air pressure, the higher the temperature has to be for the vaporizing of the fuel to occur.

Mike, assuming your car has a Goold made pilot like mine, I found that pressures above 20 psi give best results, suppose on average I tend to run around 25 psi, usually pump up to that or getting in for 30 at start of a run.

Peter

Hi Peter, yes it is a Goold pilot and I run it at 25 to 30 psi. However, when I heat the pilot the jets start to drip and light. At lower psi, this doesn't happen.
That's why I thought I was wrong to have a high psi.