Anyone snap their left Burn Pot bolt on a Quadrafire Santa Fe?

Hello

I removed the burn pot for cleaning. The Lytherm gasket disintegrated which is almost normal but when I turned the left bolt to remove the burn pot the bolt head SNAPPED!

The bolt shaft was still in the nut since it broke close to the head. Looks like a special nut that goes into a hex hole in the bottom of the burn box with a flange on top that holds the nut on the sheet metal.

See pics below. It looks like a standard all thread Cap Hex Head Bolt that is 1/4 x 20 x 1" long
The nut of course is special OEM job but I did bend the flange and twist it out.

Should I replace with a Stainless Steel Bolt and Nut. How about a Wing Nut?

I'd use stainless if possible, but regardless what type, I'd put hi temp anti seize on the threads during re-assembly.

Wire brush the threads on the used bolts first until clean & shiny, and try running a tap through the threaded inserts too to clean-up the threads..

what about a grade 8? Not stainless, but with the antiseize, youll get a bit more torque on them

Good idea on the tap for the existing nut and good idea with the anti-size! I got a 2 new stainless bolts.

I will do that after I paint the fire box and get things back together.

The electric parts are all working great on this stove. The enormous heat exchanger and deep fire pot puts out more heat than it is rated! specs say 1500 or 1600 sqft but I know someone that heats 2,000 sqft with no problems!. Nice little diamond in the ruff. Works great on a T-stat!

Grade 8 sounds great but the best hardware I have in town proudly display grade 5 ! ! ! :-( @%$#$@#%^^!@

Where do you get grade 8 ?

the burn pot bolt breaking is quite common if the burn pot isnt taken out from time to time and "worked"

most outfits with a Hillman display should have them

It did not happen on my year 2000 quad classic bay but the burn pot bolts as well as the stove was quite larger!

Too bad they did not use larger bolts and stronger sheet metal for this stove. However it still seems like quite a stove for it's size!

What do you think about this stove Scott?
Have you seen this problem with one of the heat tubes?
http://www.reviewstream.com/reviews/?p=12877

Here is another used one for $1500

Quadra-Fire pellet stove purchased in 2009
comes with pipe and 20 bags of pellets
http://eugene.craigslist.org/for/3076503433.html

Great bolts, but we're not holding an aircraft carrier together here....just a burnpot that has virtually no stress on it.

What is a Hillman display? ?

It's a company that has big display/serve yourself bins/racks/drawers in places like Lowes and has all kinds of hardware.

www.hillmangroup.com/hardware-essentials-builders-hardware.html

All fixed!

Using new Stainless bolts, washer, lock washer and nice Stainless Wing Nut! Tried stainless nut and too hard to remove!

Put a dab of Never Seez, Cut a new Lytherm Burn Pot Gasket and a little Flame Proof Header Paint paint and Bingo!

See pics below. Click to Enlarge

Those look like 'weld nuts'. You sure as heck don't need grade 8 bolts to hold a burn pot in place. The biggest thing, like everyone says, is to use anti-sieze.

I like the wing nut idea! KISS

Thanks, the stainless steel wing nut was a whopping $0.95 !

Here are some new pics of the Santa Fe
http://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/quadrafire-santa-fe-wood-pellet-stove-1195-salem-nh.88501/

Hi tjnamtiw

Can you please check pics 3 and 4 in my new post of the hopper blocking plate and tell me if your stove is set the same?
http://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/quadrafire-santa-fe-auger-servicing-any-tips.88577/
Thanks

Hi Don, yes my Sante Fe's blocking plate is the same as yours with the screw keeping it from closing all the way. Mine is an insert so the 'push rod' has a dog-leg bend in it rather than a straight rod but otherwise it's the same.

Hi tjnamtiw

So is your blocking plate all the way down? I think that is the factory setting.

Santa Fe Manual page 23
The feed adjustment control rod is factory set, and should
be adequate for most fuels. However, if the flame height is
too high or too low, you will need to adjust the feed rate. Wait
until the appliance has been burning for 15 minutes before
making your adjustments and allow 15 minutes for feed
adjustment to take effect.

No, as someone else said and I have said on many posts, the position of the blocking plate depends on the fuel you are burning. According to the instructions, you must be running on HIGH and then adjust the feed plate so that you get a flame 4 to 6" high. Then leave it alone for the other settings. That is until you change pellets or get into a new batch or you see the pellet length changing. In any event, the setting of the plate is not 'static' but must be adjusted from time to time to keep the flame height correct for the given air flow.

Yep... Very well said.

Its NOT a what works for you, will work for me.. No "One size fits all" here....

You must adjust accordingly.

Sorry I didn't give you the credit, Dexter. I saw you said the same thing over on the other thread.

Hello

Thanks Guys. I got the stove running real good last night! Wow, the parts in this stove are built to last!

No worries... Been said before and will be said again down the road...

The more places the info can be found, the better