# All American Canner Parts Help



## UmShy (Feb 4, 2019)

I have two very old All American canners and ordered the vent and weight for one. I became unsure if the pressure was right and wanted to upgrade. 
I have two questions. The first is how difficult is it to change the spring vent to replace the new vent?
The second question is I live at almost 9000 feet above sea level and the gauge pressure canners recommend 17 pounds pressure. The weight only goes to 15 pounds. Should I give extra time because I won't be able to bring it to 17 pounds?


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## arnie (Apr 26, 2012)

it is very easy to change the the the stem with the aluminum and stainless steel there should be very little or no corrousion (rust ) to deal with just use a wrench that fits ,and remmber to turn it counterclockwise to remove it and clockwise to install i'v done several very old ones both presto and All American both gauges and stems come out and in without much of a fight . i muchprefer the weights to the old petcocks as you don't have to sit and watch the gauge . i don't have a book handy but you should be good at 15 pounds , i'll check and get back if i'm wrong


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## arnie (Apr 26, 2012)

i checked a couple books, ball blue book ,and another and both say your good at 15 pounds pressure at 9000 ft.


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## UmShy (Feb 4, 2019)

Thank you so much, Arnie! I was very troubled about how taking the part off may be difficult. Thanks for the information on altitude. Now all I have to do is wait for the parts to come in.


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## po boy (Jul 12, 2010)

I converted my presto and an old national #7 to use this 3 piece gauge and bought some thin washers to add to the stem in order to increase the weight a pound or two.https://i5.walmartimages.com/asr/51....jpeg?odnHeight=450&odnWidth=450&odnBg=FFFFFF


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## UmShy (Feb 4, 2019)

Thank you too, po boy! I have a presto too but rarely use it because of the need to change the rubber rings. Thanks. I find they get hard in storage and crack. Someone I bought the canner from has the exact same weight. I never thought about adding a washer or two. ​I have little room left in the house for storage and the rings crack faster in the garage. It gets to -30 frequently in the winter and I forget to bring the rings inside for the winter. It is warmer tonight because of the snow. It is -3 now. The weather does a job on a lot of storage things so I have to store so much inside.


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## Wyobuckaroo (Dec 30, 2011)

Sweetie has 7 or 8 All American canners of several sizes. Even the oldest, worst looking one cleaned up to run just fine. 

Replace the gauge, replace the rubber over pressure plug, scrub the mating surfaces on the lid and pot with a green scrubby pad and dish soap. Wash well and good to go. Aluminum will eventually pit, but usually only gets a dusty oxidation that cleans easily enough. It may never come back to original machined bright color, but will likely be OK. When assembling threaded parts, use a little vegetable oil or shortening as lube. Clean all surfaces, but put in the new over pressure plug dry. 

Parts are easy to get from a distributor but not from All American.. Do a Google to find. We keep a number of spare parts on hand so it has been a long while since ordering for us. 

With her experience level Sweetie is comfortable with either the giggler or the lever valve... 
Your experience may vary....


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## JeepHammer (May 12, 2015)

At 9,000 feet you are going to need a SERIOUS heat source!

The guys are correct about how easy it is to change from lever to weight, and changing the real old pop-off to gauge, I've upgraded mine.
I also keep a couple extra calibrated gauges around... Just in case the lid gets clobbered in use.
The county extension agent will check gauges, but they won't calibrate anymore...
Even though it's dirt simple, everyone is afraid of getting sued.

I would suggest some food grade Teflon or silicone grease in the threads when you change stuff, it's simply to keep corrosion down so it comes back out when it's time for check/cleaning/exchange.

I use a lot of older hand cranked preparation equipment, and a quart of food grade silicone grease runs about $10 and lasts forever if you keep it clean.
Old metal on metal parts greatly benefit from a little grease, like the seal rim on the All American, the threads of the 'T' handle bolts, etc.
Food grade silicone grease doesn't get 'Gummy' & sticky like vegetable oil does.


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## JeepHammer (May 12, 2015)

For the cracking 'Rubber' seals...
Try getting a can of food grade silicone grease and coating the gasket before you store it.
Most are synthetic now, and the polymers off gas and dry out/crack.
Sealing them up makes them last longer.

I use food grade silicone grease for lubrication on my grinders/choppers/food processors,
I use it on the rim of my All American canner lid so it opens easier,
It saves my gaskets & seals on juicers, Presto canner, etc.
A quart can will last for YEARS if you keep it clean, never spoils (like vegetable oil).


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