Hiking Jim got me thinking about stoves, and then some opportunities came along -- now I have four (yes 4) new, old stoves to use alongside my XGK-EX and Pocket Rocket. Two lightly used Svea 123's (an older pre-R with the slotted safety valve and an early '70's R) an almost new condition Primus 111B and an unused (I would guess it was fired only once) late 70's XGK with the yellow and black pump and all the pre REI stuff except the cup.

Repair parts are easy to find for the 123's and the 111B since the basic units are still in production. Also there aren't many wear parts in a 123. The XGK is also still in production, but with a different design, new pump, etc.


The XGK works, but the pump could use a rebuild (the o rings from the EX work, but I need a new leather - and a spare) and the air tube is gone. The jets from the EX are different (GK and X for the new one, G and K for the old one). The surge damper is not present in the new one either.

Does anyone know of a place to get parts for the older XGK?

Thanks in advance.

Jerry,

And Thanks to HJ for putting me in touch with some old friends!!

(Have no suggestions, but am watching this thread with popcorn at the ready. )

I bought the original Model 9 MSR stove from Larry Penbarthy, they cost less than $20 when first introduced. Every year I would go to the Northwest to climb and hike and every year I would stop by MSR at SeaTac airport and take the stove in for a checkup. Every year I would get traded at no cost to the latest version. Those were the days!! Since REI took them over, things have changed. I took my pump in because it was allowing fuel into the pump and the person at the REI store took it apart and lost my ball which is a critical part of the valve. Dead pump! Thanks REI.
I heard somewhere that if you had an old yellow pump they were replacing them for free with a newer pump, but that's been awhile. I would write or call MSR tech support and see what they say. I do know some of the variations of the XGK and earlier models had some interchangability. There may be a whole pump assembly that would fit your stove or some parts kits available from MSR.
I still have 2 of the yellow pumps, one with the trashed valve and one in pristine (although probably not working) condition. Not sure I have the cup either although I did use the cup when I carried the stoves back in the day to keep the wire pot supports from poking things in my pack.
BTW, have you asked HikingJim for advice? He is the stove guru and known around the world for his excellent stove information.

What did REI take over? AFAIK REI (among others) markets MSR products, but Cascade Designs, Inc. owns them. Did REI take over that storefront?

widget,

I too bought my first XGK (one with the yellow pump almost identical to the one I have now) from Penberthy. He was a great man as well as a great stove designer. I think the main purpose of the cup was to protect the pack, not as a pot.

There is a lot of interchangability even with an old one like mine (I said Penberthy was a genius didn't I). Most of the o-rings replace (even though the bottle gasket on the pump was just that - a gasket). I don't know if the newer rubber pump cup will replace the old leather one, but I will try it if I can't find the leather. The jets from the older XGK interchange (not the EX though), but they don't allow the surge damper to stay. The newest jets also use the same jet for gas and kerosene (GK) where the older ones used to separate ones. I don't know if the GK will work, although I expect it will.

The things I would most like to find are a replacement leather or two for the pump, an air tube, as well as a spare check valve. For the stove I would like a spare surge damper, spare G type jets, and additional priming pads.

Thanks for the reminders.

Respectfully,

Jerry

If I remember correctly, originally REI bought MSR. I guess somehow they are separate again with Cascade Designs as owner. Not sure I understand all the changes but I do notice less MSR offerings at REI compared to a few years back.
It seems possible that perhaps even Cascade Designs is owned partly by REI. Just a speculation on that!

According to the Cascade Designs website, they are privately owned.

Today, we’re fortunate to remain a private, family-owned company that has grown to be one of the most respected outdoor equipment manufacturers in the world.

The things I would most like to find are a replacement leather or two for the pump, an air tube, as well as a spare check valve. For the stove I would like a spare surge damper, spare G type jets, and additional priming pads.

Jerry,

I just reread what you asked for and noted the priming pads. Those were a small square of asbestos and considering the hazards of asbestos, I doubt you'll find any. Unless someone has some very old spare parts kits laying around.

The problem with the MSR stoves is that they have been remodeled so many times, it is almost impossible to keep abreast of the changes and the parts associated. That's one reason I haven't messed with mine for many years. Even the Dragonfly I have has had a complete remodel since I bought it. I've pretty much become a lazy man and use a Snow Peak canister stove these days. Light, easy and reliable. I don't climb mountains any more and have not done any winter snow camping in a long time. That was where the MSR XGK was really the best, melted snow and ice in a hurry!
My old Model 9 originally had a white pump, for at least the first 2 pump changes from Larry. The yellow was probably about the 3rd gen. You are right Larry was a great man and a genious to boot. He had a very practical approach to climbing with safety as an important ingedient! Few people today recognize his contributions. He was responsible for the high strength ice axe shafts, the MSR dead man anchors with fixed angles and introduced the climbing world to lithium batteries for cold weather use, long before anyone had heard of a lithium battery.
I still have somewhere around here a bunch of the MSR newsletters which always had some great information in them. I even still have a first generation MSR Gore-Tex parka, now that is OLD!

MSR was originally bought by REI. Not sure when they went to Cascade Designs. That would surely explaiin why MSR products are more sparse now at REI!
Maybe the MSR/Cascade Designs merge is a good thing. I never got the impression that REI put enough into the MSR product, mainly the stoves. Perhaps as a small company the stoves will get the attention they deserve. I know as a former mountaineer the stove could be a matter of life or death actually.