On my Freedom 33, which now sails in France, I have kept the two 6lb aluminum gas cylinders. I could have replaced them with two newer laminate cylinders, but I found that the shape of the Worthington cylinders was perfect for easy storage on board.
The rear of my F33 has been significantly modified, and I found a new location for the two cylinders, which I think is perfect.
You can guess where it is just by looking at the photo.
So I decided to dismantle the valve on the bottle in question. My first attempt was a complete failure, as there wasn’t enough room to move the wrench. So I decided to cut off the top of the cylinder.
Then I heated the aluminum near the valve a little with a blowtorch, and the valve began to unscrew.
Beforehand, I had cut off part of the valve to allow better access for the wrench.
The question of replacing the valve now arises, and that’s where the doubts come in. If I understand correctly, cylinders from that era were equipped with POL valves.
However, the valves currently sold for 6lb Worthington cylinders are equipped with OPD valves. I believe these valves can be used with the old fittings, but this needs to be confirmed. Furthermore, my cylinders are marked DOT4E240, but what I find on eBay is the DOT4E260 valve. I can’t figure out what the difference is.
I would have loved to buy two new Worthington cylinders. But with shipping costs to France, the total cost comes to at least $650. For now, I still need to buy some blockers to finalize the reefing system on the Freedom. The new cylinders will have to wait.
I ran into a similar issue when my tank ran out of certification (in the US) and found gas cylindersource.com which (occasionally) sells refurbished cylinders. (At very reasonable prices)
I’m not sure what it would mean to ship it to France, but I would encourage you to consider it, especially given your method of removing that valve.
Looks like none available now, but stock does replenish.
The price of these 6LB bottles seems so low that I wondered if it wasn’t a scam site, as we sometimes come across.
I’m going to send a message to find out when I can expect to receive a bottle and if shipping is possible.
The method I used to dismantle the cylinder may seem a bit risky.. I’m not worried about the final result.
When I tell French people that gas cylinders are refilled in stores in the United States, they are very surprised because it seems inconceivable !
I found an answer on this official website of the State of North Carolina.
“The same piece of equipment that fills tanks with the POL valve will also fill through the Acme valves or OPD valves because of those internal threads.”
This is also confirmed by a picture I found in an old forum archive, taken by “Camillo,” owner of a Freedom 35.
The valve supplier, “Propane kit,” on eBay provided me with the answer to another question.
The old 6LBS cylinders (like mine) of type DT 4E240 are therefore being replaced by those currently available on the market, the 6LBS DOT 4E 260.
The DOT 4E240 is set at 375psi relief.
The DOT4E260 is set at 400psi relief.
