You need Hikin Jim, he is the stove guru! What I recommend, is to put that old stove on the shelf and perhaps buy a newer one.

That canister of fuel is capable of a very large explosion and I would really hate to see you injured by a stove. You may also consider borrowing one from a friend for your trip. Then you can figure out the stove problem later. Seriously, I once put an "empty" canister in the trash and my then landlord burned the trash weekly. The explosion was a small scale thermo-nuclear looking fireball and it is really good no one was close by.

Think safety first, please