p61a combustion blower cover latch

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hockeyfan

hockeyfan

Member
Dec 28, 2011
45
Western MA
It's time for the one ton cleaning, and for the life of me, I cannot move the combustion blower cover latch on the Harman 61A with any available tool I have.

This is the fourth year I've had the stove, and I've never had so much trouble before trying to move the latch. It may sound like a stupid question, but what is the best tool to use to move the latch far enough to get the combustion blower cover off? How does one get any leverage to pry it open?

It appears the professional chimney and stove cleaner I hired over the summer bent the latch a little when it was last moved, although it's unclear if that is a factor in this problem.

It sounds like it would be a bad idea to spray something like wd-40 in the combustion area, but is there some other way to free up this latch?

Thanks in advance for help..............
 
Grab the latch handle fin piece with pliers and then gently tap it up with a hammer.
 
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Dont worry about a little shot of penetrating oil. The 1/4 20 bolt may just turn as I found no lock washer on a pc45 project I took on. Worse yet it just broke off. Very soft bolt. Tried to turn with a 1/4 inch drive socket wrench with only 6 inch handle. The whole bracket is held on by three self tapping screws. One them broke the head off too.
I usually get the tab to go when using a wonder bar and a block of wood.
 
bags said:
Grab the latch handle fin piece with pliers and then gently tap it up with a hammer.
Click to expand...

Thanks, although I did already try this, and with a great deal of force. The latch will only rotate about 20% of the way before it gets stuck again.
 
Is it bent or just rusty or cruded up? Ya just have to be smarter than the metal and possibly a bit frustrated too.:mad:
 
hockeyfan said:
Thanks, although I did already try this, and with a great deal of force. The latch will only rotate about 20% of the way before it gets stuck again.
Click to expand...
If you have got that much movement get some grease on it, maybe apply some heat with a torch to help to get the lube behind it and continue to work it. My project had zero movement.
 
On mine I just loosen the bolt when I remove the cover. I don't tighten it very much when I reinstall it- I just snug it up.
 
I was going to second the pliers and hammer (had to do that earlier this year). The first time it went up only part way, then I brought it back down into place and worked it again, which did the trick. However, seems you have already tried this, so try for the bolt.
 
This spot is the number 1 area IMO for the use of a anti seize compound on the Harman stove.
 
Bioburner said:
This spot is the number 1 area IMO for the use of a anti seize compound on the Harman stove.
Click to expand...
BIO tells no tales!
The 68 is getting it. Might be a little late on the 45. I tried the set screw on my combustion blower fan. Ha Ha Ha! No dice. When that motor goes bad it will have to be cut off. While it's still in the garage I'm going to anti-seize all I can. Cover plate and latch move fine still. Might leave well enough alone if bolts give me any grief.
 
Thanks for all the replies.

I will try again this weekend (I put the stove back into 24/7 service for now) to loosen the bolt. The cover latch is bent and there is some rust underneath. If I get the chance I will snap a picture this weekend if that helps with the diagnosis.

I have always had to resort to the hammer/pliers method even when the stove was newer (it's only 3.5 years old now). The Harman manual states this as the average homeowner's way to clean after one ton, but it's definitely not even remotely user friendly to try to move that latch.

I think I will order the cover latch (Retainer Assembly - part number 1-10-08533S) for eventual replacement.
 
The part is not all that heavy duty. I would after removal get a big hammer and beat it back to shape and maybe use some graphite paint to make it self lubricating.
 
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If the dealer serviced it and bent it tell him to fix it.
 
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bags said:
If the dealer serviced it and bent it tell him to fix it.
Click to expand...
I have to agree if the offender did the damage it should be fixed. Can't be that expensive or that hard. PIA, yes. They should have put some type of lube on the latch to keep it from continuing the degradation or its movement too.
 
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