Lighter fluid substitute

[Glen Oakes]

I ran out of the Ronsinol lighter fluid I had that I use to flush Jewell triggers. It's getting hard to find but I did find some at Walgreen's. But, I hesitated to pay $5.69 for 12 fl. oz. I know the stuff is naptha. You can buy a gallon of something labeled VP&M Naptha at Lowe's for about 14 bucks.

Two questions:
1) Is VP&M Naptha (whatever it is) OK as a substitute for Ronsinol lighter fluid for flushing Jewell triggers?
2) I've read that Coleman stove fuel is also naptha. Is that a suitable substitute?

OK, so I'm cheap.

Thanks,

Glen

[Bob Kingsbury]

use brake cleaner

[Louis.J]

Naptha is Ronsonal Lighter fluid and it used to be noted as such on the older containers as you have stated. They have removed the name Namptha on the newer containers and now it just says it contains petroleum dissolutes.

The Naptha I pickup in gallon form just says Naptha on the can so I am not sure what the adde verbage relates to in your question.

J.Louis

[Butch Lambert]

Same as white gas or as we used to call it coal oil.
Butch

[John Kielly]

Help a puzzled Aussie here.

Apart from it presumably having a higher flash point & perhaps a bit more of the "oily" fractions, why flush with naptha & not gasoline - or are those the reasons?

[Glen Oakes]

John,

I can appreciate the confusion. What I grew up here in the U.S. knowing as "gasoline" is something totally different today. Then, it was a blend of light-end distillates, maybe with a few things added. Today, it contains "ONLY GOD KNOWS WHAT", thanks to our ever-helpful EPA. I know it includes ethanol, mandated by our Congress as an additive to support/subsidize farmers to the detriment of others. As I said, whatever else it contains, ONLY God knows. I do not think I want to use it as a trigger flush fluid.

I don't know of any source of "white gas". That was common when I was a kid, but not any more. Again, we can thank our ever-helpful EPA (Environmental "Protection" Agency).

I checked at my local sporting goods store the other day for Coleman's stove fuel. NADA!. They had substituted something, not specified as naptha. I declined purchase.

Thanks for your input.

Glen

[Joe S]

Do you have any pipe shops or smokers stores in your area?

[Dennis Sorensen]

What is wrong with plain old varsol?

G96 Gun Treatment?

There are several different pressurized brake cleaners.

[Larry Elliott]

Brake cleaner would work except that it leaves the parts totally dry. I'm sure that the VP&M Naptha would work (but have no idea what VP&M means), and if someone can find it anymore carburetor cleaner would work since it has a tiny amount of lubricant in it to lube the throttle shafts.

[eww1350]

Charcoal lighter fluid is a very high grade naptha...buy it at any Walmart, etc...

[fbc3]

VM&P is short for Varnish Makers and Painters.

[kansasvet]

It's been close to 45 years since I heard the term "coal oil", I thought it was the same as kerosene? We used to use white gas in the lawn mower but
we couldn't use coal oil in anything but lanterns and starting wood fires.
Maybe someone was using the wrong terms when I was a kid and confused me more than usual?

[alinwa]

Well US Gasoline STINKS, smells better now that it's polluted with corn but smellllyyy still.

Naptha is wicked easy, Lowe's or Home Depot.

And pleasantly nonsmelly.

al

[rcheek]

kansasvet, I'll have to go along with you on the coal oil and white gas because, as a kid, I had to make the walk to the nearest service station to purchase the coal oil for my lantern and the white gas for my mower. - Ronnie

[fishbone]

I used Coleman (thinking it's Naphtha) in my hit & miss antique engines because it wouldn't go stale between runnings.
I used white gas in the early 60's in my TR-4 for performance, but because it lacked lead, it burned the valves out.
Coal oil....now that's old.! LOL