Creaking auger - name that sound

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bcarton

Feeling the Heat
Oct 15, 2014
313
Pelham, NH
Okay experts, my stove has started making a bad sound, intermittently. It'll go for hours without any issues, than creak for 1/2 an hour, then do so only once every few minutes, etc. etc.

It's a 1996 Enviro EF2 which has been rock solid since I bought it last year. Here's the sound. Sometimes it lasts the full duration of the 3-second ON cycle, other times it's just a quick peep:



Twice in the last week, when running on low, it has failed to feed enough pellets to keep the fire burning and the stove shut down.

Recent changes:
In the fall, I replaced the original auger motor with a Gleason Avery motor. I still have the old one as a backup.
I also replaced the original lower bearing and mount with the "Nylatron" upgrade.
Also, I recently changed to my colder-weather pellets, which are MUCH longer than what I've been burning up to this point. most pellets are an inch or so long, whereas the previous batch were barely longer than they are wide, maybe 3/8" on average.

I'll be pulling all this apart to examine later today, I need to go out and run some errands for a couple hours. I'll pull the auger, clean the upper bearing as best as I can, run the motor on a test cord, and put some type of lube (suggestions welcome) on the Nylatron. Also, if anyone knows any tricks for getting that upper bearing out without drilling out the cover inside the hopper I'd appreciate it.

Thanks!
 
Yes that's the sound of gears not meshing properly or at all:(
When you pull the auger try and paint the flights and tube with graphite paint. Will make things slip easier for the next gear motor assembly.
 
Its a coincidence - sounds like your neighbor is starting his old chevy.

I'm betting the auger motor is slipping gears under load. If you take it out and plug it in it might work fine, but then try to hold the auger still and you'll probably have your noise.
 
Well I did take it apart. Motor ran fine just plugged into an outlet. I tried to hold the shaft still (without auger) but couldn't grip it enough.

The auger was binding, in the upper bushing. I couldn't get the bushing out, so I cleaned it in place with a wire brush with solvent on it. Then I stuck a cotton ball with 3-in-1 on it up there for about 1/2 an hour. There was also a burr on the top of the auger, on the side where it goes into the bushing, and a stripe all around the shaft right in line with the burr. I took that down and cleaned it up. So it' all back together now, and it's no longer screeching. If the motor does fail, I have another that I can put in there to get me through.
 
Update: motor started groaning again this morning. Pulled the motor, and found that the auger was, once again binding.

I once again cleaned the upper bushing, lubed it, and this time I took the Dremel to what little was left of the bump on the upper shaft. I also put the old bottom brass after agressively cleaning it and soaking in oil. Put the auger back in, spun by hand and it would actually coast a few degrees with a good spin.

Installed a new motor, too. So, let's see what happens from here.
 
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