Armortek Smoke Unit

[phil fitzpatrick]

Hi guy's
Can anyone give me advice on my smoke unit problem in my Panzer 111L

Every think was working fine for a while,and I was using Johnsons baby oil.
Then after stripping my Panzer and sorting out my suspension I thought I would try and find the leak that I had in my smoke unit.
Which I sorted out after discovering the fixing holes for the base plate to smoke box were drilled straight through,which I hadnt noticed on first assembly,so I sealed every thing.
The smoke Unit worked Fine for the first run,but then I decided to try some smoke fluid,the type I bought was Skytec smoke fluid 160.643.
It worked fine at first but I dont know whether this was due to some
Johnsons baby oil still being in there.
But it doesnt work now.
I have checked every thing and the smoke box is hot to touch from outside
and the wiring is intact and correct.
I put the tank onto blocks to see if the fan was working and it is fine.
Has any one got any recomendations.
I have just discovered and watched Antony's you tube vidio of Richie's
smoker,It was brilliant,so now I'm even more brassed off.

Cheers
Phil

[Adrian Harris]

Professional smoke fluid is designed to be squirted into a superheated chamber to create the smoke, rather being wicked up around an element, as per the Armortek smoker.

I've used Le Maitre smoke fluid in mine and it's worked OK but you may find with your brand that it's just boiling the water off without getting hot enough to smoke.

Can you try it with the smoker lid off, to see what happens as the element heats up

Adrian.

[phil fitzpatrick]

Hi Adrian
I think you are right.
In my post I said the box was hot to the touch,I should have said it was hot enough to boil the fluid until it bubbles,because I could hear it.

Its a bit of a pain to strip it out and drain it,do you think that it will boil away on its own quick enough,theres probably 10 ml at most in it?
Cheers
Phil

[Adrian Harris]

I know Mark says in the instructions that the smokers can survive running dry but I would recommend running it till the bubbling subsides, then adding baby oil. The remnants of the smoke fluid will mix with the baby oil and slowly be worked through the system.

Adrian.

[phil fitzpatrick]

Thanks Adrian for the advice,
I will do as you recommend gradualy adding the baby oil a little at a time,
after the boiling has seased.

Thanks again
Phil

[Richie Wignall]

Hi Guys

I use baby oil/ liquid parifin/ diesel mix. works great even a bit of engine oil too.

BUT NEVER LET THEM RUN DRY, ITS A WICK KILLER.

glad you like the smoker in Ants Panther.

Richie wiggytronics

r-wignall@sky.com