Auger and motor separation? Any good ideas?

[Don2222]

Hello

I am trying to upgrade the multi-products 4 RPM auger motor on this Magnum CountrySide. I need to find a good way to separate the two! I tried PB Blaster and some wire brushing. The auger collar set screw came out with no trouble. So I took them both out together.

Now what? Any ideas?

See pic below
Click to Enlarge:

 

[Don2222]

Hello

Well, I use a small pry bar to budget it a little while on the stove. Then I smacked it with the rubber hammer at both ends which got it freed up enough to go back and forth. Then a good wack on the big part of the auger gear box. I think I may have bent the shaft a little so I got out the screw driver to get in there to bang the other side. See pics below.

One final whack as shown in the pic 1 & 2 below and it all fell apart! Yea!

So here is some analysis. This is an average quality Multi-Products 4 RPM auger motor. In my experience, I have seen these shafts completely break in half on a severe auger jam when the auger locks up. Now in this case because the shaft is a little softer, the set screw also creates a crater in the shaft. The raised edges of this crater is what snags when trying to remove the auger motor.

Therefore when purchasing a high quality auger motor, I always ask "What does it do for me?" So in this case a better quality auger motor such as the Gleason-Avery with a more hardened shaft will not break in two and will be easier to remove!

Pic 1 - Auger and motor ready for final whack
Pic 2 - Auger and motor ready for final whack (Close up)
Pic 3 - Yellow Arrows show crater in Auger from set screw
Pic 4 - Auger and motor right after it fell apart from final big blow
Pic 5 - New Gleason-Avery Aiger motor and Auger after brushing with wire wheel to remove all carbon and dirt

 

[Don2222]

Hello

Well the New shiny GA motor and Dry Moly coated auger is ready to go in. The chute was also wire brushed with the drill driver and the bottom or the hopper was also wire brushed and cleaned.

Auger motor is 4 RPM and turns counter clockwise looking from rear of stove.

See pics below. Click to Enlarge
Pic 1 - Auger and motor ready for Feeding a Fire
Pic 2 - Auger chute cleaned and Dry Moly coated
Pic 3 - Back of stove with No auger and motor
Pic 4 - Back of stove with Auger and Auger Motor
Pic 5 - Close up of new auger motor

 

[Don2222]

Hello

The stove is all back together and ready for testing.

My question is now.
Why is the design of this bottom feed Auger System not jamming up?

I know that the Englander 25-PDV and 25-PDVC went to the 2 auger system to prevent the bottom auger from jamming and that made it work quite well! These Englanders use 1 RPM auger motors.

This Magnum CountrySide auger is much smaller in diameter and uses a 4 RPM auger motor! I was also surprised to see a rather inexpensive Multi-Purpose brand auger motor!
Is the size and speed part of the secret? However the chute does not go into the burn pot, it is above it?

 

[DexterDay]

It's just a level auger chute. Less drag when lifting pellets. All fines get pushed into pot. Auger spins more, with the same amount of time on (a 3 second on time gets more revolutions, than a 1 rpm auger with 3 second on time) so more fuel fed, with less time on, means longer life and less drag because of no lift.

Horizontal feed is the way to go. Wether it's bottom feed into pot or top feed, dropping into pot.

So many things that are good about this type of system. The old 10-CDV had a similar system, IIRC.

 

[Don2222]

It's just a level auger chute. Less drag when lifting pellets. All fines get pushed into pot. Auger spins more, with the same amount of time on (a 3 second on time gets more revolutions, than a 1 rpm auger with 3 second on time) so more fuel fed, with less time on, means longer life and less drag because of no lift.

Horizontal feed is the way to go. Wether it's bottom feed into pot or top feed, dropping into pot.

So many things that are good about this type of system. The old 10-CDV had a similar system, IIRC.

Hi Dexter
Yes, that makes sense.

Just got it burning great on Level 1

It has a funny snap disc arrangement. There is a 110 Deg F snap disc that will shut the auger down if the stove temperature drops below 110 Deg F. Some of my customers say it will not stay running on heat level 1 because of that.

I tried changing the 110 Deg F Snap disc to 90 Deg F but that was too low because it makes the exhaust fan run too long after the stove shuts down.

The best change may be a 100 Deg F snap disc but to get 100 Deg "Close On Rise" - Low Limit switch you must purchase the 90 to 130 Deg F programmable one and set it for 100 Deg F.

Nice programmable from 90 to 130 Deg F "close on rise" - Low Limit Snap Disc
http://www.pexsupply.com/White-Rodg...-F-Includes-Tab-to-Screw-Terminals-14699000-p

See pics below
Click to Enlarge

 

[AlaskaAviator]

You can adjust the feed rate in setting 1 and 2. There is a small port on the control board with a small screw you can crank up the feed time a little. When you stop turning the screw the green light will flash with corresponding setting between 1 and 10 I think. 10 being the highest. This does not effect feed rates higher than #2 heat setting.

 

[Don2222]

You can adjust the feed rate in setting 1 and 2. There is a small port on the control board with a small screw you can crank up the feed time a little. When you stop turning the screw the green light will flash with corresponding setting between 1 and 10 I think. 10 being the highest. This does not effect feed rates higher than #2 heat setting.

Thanks AA, I did not notice that.

Have you tried the Draft adjust? Is that for Heat Settings 1 & 2 also?

See arrows in pics below
Click to Enlarge

 

[AlaskaAviator]

Same thing for the draft. If this stove is moderately clean they have a lot of draft. One thing with the small auger diameter the stove doesn't do well with extra long pellets, other than that, if it will feed it will burn. I've even burned grass pellets in mine.

 

[Don2222]

Cool
How much are the grass pellets?

Also does your stove have the brass trim?

I painted mine over with Flat Aluminum Header Paint from the Auto Parts store. It makes it a little more updated of a look. What do you think?

Click pic to Enlarge

 

[AlaskaAviator]

Guy that was making them gave them to me to try. Burned fine but for every bag you would get about half a bag of ash. That paint looks good. I had a gold door on mine. I'm a dealer for these stoves and sold the ones I was using and put in a couple of Country Flame units. I might try that paint, the gold doors are expensive.

 

[Don2222]

Guy that was making them gave them to me to try. Burned fine but for every bag you would get about half a bag of ash. That paint looks good. I had a gold door on mine. I'm a dealer for these stoves and sold the ones I was using and put in a couple of Country Flame units. I might try that paint, the gold doors are expensive.

I am a Magnum Dealer also. I have repaired two Country Flame Little Rascals last winter and a Boat Load of Magnum Baby CountrySides LOL The good news is that they are well supported with parts and upgraded parts. For Example that MF3560 105 CFM Upgraded Exhaust blower really makes them into a fire breathing dragon!

I also made a cleaning mod on the Baby for an air compressor connection to blast them out! Wow, what a difference on the Manometer reading after a good blast!
See my pics and video
(broken link removed to http://www.pelletstovemaster.com/1_36_Baby-CountrySide-Cleaning-Upgrqde.html)

What Country Flame models are you heating with now?

 

[AlaskaAviator]

I have a Harvester in my house and a little rascal in one of my shops. Harvester is a real beast. Like it lot. I think it throws more heat than the 3500 even though its rated less. I just started using the rascal about month ago. It took me a few days to get the air and trims set but it seem to be a good stove also. Its heating a 1200 sq ft building right now with ease. Its not that cold out now,running between 0 and +30 but thats still perty good. Must be getting spring where your at now eh?

 

[Don2222]

I have a Harvester in my house and a little rascal in one of my shops. Harvester is a real beast. Like it lot. I think it throws more heat than the 3500 even though its rated less. I just started using the rascal about month ago. It took me a few days to get the air and trims set but it seem to be a good stove also. Its heating a 1200 sq ft building right now with ease. Its not that cold out now,running between 0 and +30 but thats still perty good. Must be getting spring where your at now eh?

Yea, after April 15th there is no need for heat. The livingroom was 67 degrees this morning. Our house is a split and the second floor where we live really holds the heat since there is R53 insulation in the attic. I still put the heat on in the shed/workshop where I rebuild the stoves.

The Harvester looks like a larger Little Rascal. Seems like a good stove. I have not seen any around here.
It says 50K BTU and the CountrySide is 56K BTU but it all depends on the heat exhanger design.

How is the control board? Is it digital like the LR01 and does it work better?

 

[AlaskaAviator]

The only thing they share, Harvester and Rascal is the auger motor and the control board I think. Rascal has an igniter which is nice. No stirrer in the rascal and the ash pan is the area around the fire pot. Kind of a strange set up but if your pellets don't produce to much ash its not a big deal. Rascal burns good but if you have the air to low it will over fill the pot. If to much air it can burn out on low setting. With the igniter you can set the stove on auto and it will shut completely down and restart when called on. I've burned about seven tons in the harvester this winter and have not had to remove the pot once yet. It has a smaller ash pan then the 3500P and my pellets are a high ash content. Have to empty the pan about every 12 bags burned. Biggest problem I have with any of these stoves is the little hoppers they come with. Useless in my opinion. I make hopper extensions for all of the stoves I sell. Between 3 and five bag hoppers.

 

[DexterDay]

Cool
How much are the grass pellets?

Also does your stove have the brass trim?

I painted mine over with Flat Aluminum Header Paint from the Auto Parts store. It makes it a little more updated of a look. What do you think?

Click pic to Enlarge

What is the actual brand of paint you used Don? I like that color and may steal your idea

 

[Don2222]

The only thing they share, Harvester and Rascal is the auger motor and the control board I think. Rascal has an igniter which is nice. No stirrer in the rascal and the ash pan is the area around the fire pot. Kind of a strange set up but if your pellets don't produce to much ash its not a big deal. Rascal burns good but if you have the air to low it will over fill the pot. If to much air it can burn out on low setting. With the igniter you can set the stove on auto and it will shut completely down and restart when called on. I've burned about seven tons in the harvester this winter and have not had to remove the pot once yet. It has a smaller ash pan then the 3500P and my pellets are a high ash content. Have to empty the pan about every 12 bags burned. Biggest problem I have with any of these stoves is the little hoppers they come with. Useless in my opinion. I make hopper extensions for all of the stoves I sell. Between 3 and five bag hoppers.

Thanks for the Info, I always appreciate that. It may come in handy to help my customers.
I just picked up my 1st Harmy so I may use it in my house. They are proven to be fairly bullet proof!
See https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/my-first-harman-what-color-is-it.108227/

 

[Don2222]

What is the actual brand of paint you used Don? I like that color and may steal your idea

Hi Dexter

Yes, it was VHT Flame Proof High Heat paint from Pep Boys Auto Parts

You can buy it here
http://www.amazon.com/VHT-SP117-Fla...qid=1366335411&sr=8-2&keywords=vht+flameproof