Magnum BabyCountrySide Auger Improvement!

Hello

Well there was sawdust all over the bottom of the stove and in the convection blower! #@#$$ !!

So I yanked the auger and cleaned it and buffed it and sprayed it with Dry Moly.
Then I replaced what was left of the Delron Bearing with a new one and the Top Auger brass bearing that had green corrosion with a new one and a few drops of light machine oil under the brass bearing.

Then, I found two set screws in the collar, one under the other. very strange and I did not like it.
They probably ran out of long ser screws that day and used two shorties! So I got an Englander Auger collar with it's monster Set bolt. The collar was to big for auger but when I tapeped out the collar threads, I found that the Englander Set Bolt fit PERFECT! Nice!

There was an issue with the auger set screw coming loose when pellets from Home Depot with alot of fines jammed up the auger. Therefore this monster Set Bolt should really help this poor baby!

So after putting the motor and auger back with the new bearing set, I also upgraded the High Limit switch to a nice 250 limit Selco and a new BC2600 Cast Iron pellet pot, the stove blazed on Heat Level 5 ! ! !
View attachment 143898

See pics - Maybe this bolt will fit collars on many other stoves? ? ?
Pic 1 - Melted Delron Auger Bearing
Pic 2 - Fines on bottom of stove
Pic 3 - Fines in room blower
Pic 4 - Old collar with set screw next to new collar and big Set Bolt
Pic 5 - Tapping out old collar with Home Depot Tap & Die set
Pic 6 & 7 - Old collar with new set bolt.
Pic 8 & 9 - New Delron Auger Bearing and New Auger Collar Set Bolt.

PU-2X570 Locking Collar (1 lb. each)
$3.64
3/4" I.D. Auger Shaft Locking Collar for pellet stoves. Price listed is for one piece (two pieces are on each stove, one per auger).
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Lake Girl said:

While I don't have a Magnum Baby, I'm sure those that do appreciate you documenting your repairs and upgrades...

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Thanks Lake girl.

What does your Ecotek stove's auger collar have? A set screw or heavy set bolt?

Lake Girl said:

Set screw...

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Well if you ever have problems with getting the set screw out, you may want to change it to a nicer set bolt.

Arti said:

Then, I found two set screws in the collar, one under the other. very strange and I did not like it.

Experienced Mechanics do this to form a locking set screw. Sort of like putting 2 nuts on a bolt to keep it from loosening up. Someone was sharp enough to put the 2nd set screw in to band aid the loose bearing.
If you use a longer set screw with a nut on it you can tighten in the set screw and then tighten down the nut to lock it in place.
If the bearing was bad then I suspect that the shaft was wobbling around and that was the cause of the set screw coming loose.

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I found 2 short set screws in the stove I worked on too! I think the stove assemblers were out of long set screws that day! Anyway the set bolt works so much better and much easier to get out!