Austroflamm auger motor replacement

[Frank Nuhfer]

I have an Austroflamm Integra II pellet stove insert. It isn't working.

Looking at page 9, figure 4 parts description, shows #11 auger motor and #10 auger end plate. The plate has 4 bolts holding it to the stove hopper. In between #10 and #11 is a collar (not itemized) which has one 5mm allen head bolt holding the motor shaft to the auger shaft. Since I am looking at this with an inspection mirror, it is hard to see clearly, but I believe I can remove the motor without removing the auger end plate, by just loosening the colar screw.
Underneath the motor was a small amount of sawdust which somehow came out of the end of the auger shaft. Maybe about a 1/2 cup maybe a little more. I vacuumed it up, and so another question is how did this sawdust get out of the auger shaft?? If you look again at the figure 4, in between the auger end plate #10 and the auger shaft #9, is an unidentified part. Maybe it is a bushing or seal between the auger end plate and auger. Should I replace this seal?
Could this unidentified part/seal/bushing also be worn out, and letting the sawdust past it. Just don't know. Since my insert is still sitting half in/half out on my hearth, access is my problem.
When I grab the auger shaft at the bottom of the hopper, and turn it clockwise, it moves, as does the motor. I mean the motor moves physically. I can watch it rotate as someone turns the auger. It only goes a short ways, and returns back when you let go of the auger. Is this normal??
Should I replace the motor?

 

[Mt Bob]

Hi.I assume your only problem is that the auger motolor does not run?Yes,loosening set scre will allow you to remove the motor.Motor hits on back of stove to stop it from turning,otherwise motor would spin and not auger.Before you go too far,your stove has a safety switch on the hopper,shutting off auger if lid opened.These are known to go bad.Bob,fromerly from MD.

 

[Frank Nuhfer]

Hi.I assume your only problem is that the auger motolor does not run?Yes,loosening set scre will allow you to remove the motor.Motor hits on back of stove to stop it from turning,otherwise motor would spin and not auger.Before you go too far,your stove has a safety switch on the hopper,shutting off auger if lid opened.These are known to go bad.Bob,fromerly from MD.

So are you suggesting that the hopper lid safety siwtch may be defective? How do I check it?

 

[Mt Bob]

Sorry spelled formerly wrong.Have never worked on a 2,just an old car mechanic.The switch to the lid will have 2 wires,hook them together and try.If you remove motor you can put 120 volts to it to test.Please unplug stove before handling wires!

 

[Frank Nuhfer]

Sorry spelled formerly wrong.Have never worked on a 2,just an old car mechanic.The switch to the lid will have 2 wires,hook them together and try.If you remove motor you can put 120 volts to it to test.Please unplug stove before handling wires!

Thanks, I will try that tomorrow. When I started it today, the auger started to rotate, then stopped. I could hear the motor cycling off and on, but the auger wasn't turning. It is so hard to get to the motor as it is still in my hearth, and now the set screw has turned to the most difficult side. If I remove the motor, should I undo the 4 screws holding the plate or the allen head screw holding the motor to the auger??????

 

[pinetop12]

When I grab the auger shaft at the bottom of the hopper, and turn it clockwise, it moves, as does the motor. I mean the motor moves physically. I can watch it rotate as someone turns the auger. It only goes a short ways, and returns back when you let go of the auger. Is this normal?? Should I replace the motor?

Hi Frank,

Checked my auger and motor to confirm. When the stove is off , I cannot manually spin the auger clockwise, nor does the motor rotate.

 

[pinetop12]

Frank,

This You Tube clip may help

 

[Mt Bob]

You might want to remove auger cover inside hopper,you may have a jam from "fines" or bad bushings.Loosen set screw,motor will slide off.

 

[RKBAGUY]

I have a '91 Integra v1 so take my input with that in mind.

Try the simplest things first. Unplug the stove, unscrew the allen key and remove the motor - the collar is the only thing holding it onto the auger. Plug the stove in and turn it on to power the motor when it's physically detached from the auger. If the motor turns, test the lid contact (if you have one - mine does not) to see if that's working properly by opening and closing the lid. If everything is still ok with the motor, my guess would be that you might have something jammed in the auger inside the hopper (do you know where your cleaning rod hook is?) or that the bushing in the end plate might be jammed, requiring you to empty the hopper for further exploration.

In any event, it's not a huge problem. A new auger motor is $120-ish, the other parts far less.

 

[Frank Nuhfer]

I went and bought good pellets, poured about 1/3 bag into hopper, and started stove. Auger turned about 180 degrees and stopped. I could hear the motor cycling on and off but the auger wasn't turning. Bob Bare suggested I check my hopper lid safety switch. I did, and it is stuck in the lid closed position so it completes the circuit. I tapped it with a screwdriver and it pops open and an ohm meter confirms it is open and closed when lid is shut. The switch is defective, but not the problem other than from a safety standpoint. As it is, the auger should run with lid closed or open.

I bit the bullet this morning and pulled insert out enough to get to motor, removed it and connected it to 110V AC. It turned 1 revolution in 45 seconds. I then tried to stop it by holding the shaft. Could not do so. So went to auger shaft and tried turning it by CW by hand but could not. Turned it just a little CCW and then CW and it moved, but was very hard. Pushed up on auger and it seemed to turn much easier, at least I could turn it by hand. I'm now leaning toward a bad auger bushing. After playing with it, I noticed more sawdust under the auger which wasn't there when I started because I had vacuumed it. I am getting disgusted.

 

[RKBAGUY]

...went to auger shaft and tried turning it by CW by hand but could not. Turned it just a little CCW and then CW and it moved, but was very hard. Pushed up on auger and it seemed to turn much easier, at least I could turn it by hand. I'm now leaning toward a bad auger bushing. After playing with it, I noticed more sawdust under the auger which wasn't there when I started because I had vacuumed it. I am getting disgusted.

That sure sounds like it's the auger, either bushings or fines that are jammed. On my stove, I find that fines aren't the problem that others have because I find they just come down the chute with the pellets. In other words, when I run the stove to empty, there are less fines in the hopper than there were in the bag, suggesting to me that this stove does a pretty good job of dealing with them.

I know it's a PITA right now, but if you get it running properly, you should be alright. You may have noticed my stove is 22 years old, so while it might be frustrating at the moment, you have many years of successful operation to look forward to. Pellet stoves are fairly simple mechanisms, so they're not hard to fix, and the Austroflamm models have a reputation for reliability and long life. Hang in there, and your persistence will be rewarded. Touch base if you need more help.

 

[Mark_ms]

If the "sawdust" you noticed is directly below the auger motor then the bushing is shot and needs replacing.

 

[Frank Nuhfer]

If the "sawdust" you noticed is directly below the auger motor then the bushing is shot and needs replacing.

It is right directly under the end of the auger shaft. I will order a bushing. Thanks

On edit, just ordered the auger bushing, a gasket kit (combustion motor gasket/lower cast iron gasket, and low limit switch gasket) plus another lower cast iron gasket for $105 with free shipping.

 

[Frank Nuhfer]

Sorry spelled formerly wrong.Have never worked on a 2,just an old car mechanic.The switch to the lid will have 2 wires,hook them together and try.If you remove motor you can put 120 volts to it to test.Please unplug stove before handling wires!

Bob Bare, the microswitch looks like it can be disconnected from the wires. Look at this picture of my micro switch. It has two little clips that might hold the swithc to the wires. Tried to pull it apart but it didn't budge and didn't want to damage it. Anyone know how to disassemble the switch?

 

[skibumm100]

Thanks, I will try that tomorrow. When I started it today, the auger started to rotate, then stopped. I could hear the motor cycling off and on, but the auger wasn't turning. It is so hard to get to the motor as it is still in my hearth, and now the set screw has turned to the most difficult side. If I remove the motor, should I undo the 4 screws holding the plate or the allen head screw holding the motor to the auger??????

It sounds like your motor is turning but your auger is not? Is there a key or a flat side to the auger shaft? Is the key missing (fell out) or is the set screw just loose allowing the motor to turn but not the auger shaft? Once you put it together check to make sure the set screw isn't messed up and not allowing the collar to grip the auger shaft tighly. Just a suggestion...

 

[Frank Nuhfer]

It sounds like your motor is turning but your auger is not? Is there a key or a flat side to the auger shaft? Is the key missing (fell out) or is the set screw just loose allowing the motor to turn but not the auger shaft? Once you put it together check to make sure the set screw isn't messed up and not allowing the collar to grip the auger shaft tighly. Just a suggestion...

SkipBum, the set screw goes on a flat on the motor shaft and it was tight and wasn't jumping off the flat. I have cleaned the auger shaft 3 times. The first two times with the motor hooked up and this last time without the motor hooked up. Right now the auger spins freely, but it is clean, no pellets and no motor hooked to it. When I put pellets in is when the auger stops.

I have ordered a new auger bushing and when it comes, I will try it again.

If that doesn't fix it, I will concede defeat and call the repair man.

 

[skibumm100]

SkipBum, the set screw goes on a flat on the motor shaft and it was tight and wasn't jumping off the flat. I have cleaned the auger shaft 3 times. The first two times with the motor hooked up and this last time without the motor hooked up. Right now the auger spins freely, but it is clean, no pellets and no motor hooked to it. When I put pellets in is when the auger stops.

I have ordered a new auger bushing and when it comes, I will try it again.

If that doesn't fix it, I will concede defeat and call the repair man.

Hi Frank,

I think you meant to say the flat is on the auger shaft, not the motor shaft, correct? If the motor will spin the auger without pellets but stops when you add pellets, my guess is the motor, or the gears inside the gearbox, are bad. If you change the bushing, which sounds like it's worn, and the motor still won't turn the auger, I'd replace the motor. You're already becoming a pro at this. Best of luck.

 

[Mt Bob]

Frank,the switch is disposable,non repairable.Go to mouser or digi-key,you can probably get one for five bucks.From your description,your bushings are bad,you probably need both,upper and lower.Happened to me once years ago when I got a batch of really dirty pellets.There is the possibility you will still have a problem after bushing replacement,as the motor may now be weak.I would not give up,you have one of the best simple stoves made,very trouble free.I have been running my type 1 for over 15 years,3 auger motors,1 combustion blower,handfull of convection bloer bushings,and now it needs a board,it's first one.Bob

 

[Frank Nuhfer]

Hi Frank,

I think you meant to say the flat is on the auger shaft, not the motor shaft, correct? If the motor will spin the auger without pellets but stops when you add pellets, my guess is the motor, or the gears inside the gearbox, are bad. If you change the bushing, which sounds like it's worn, and the motor still won't turn the auger, I'd replace the motor. You're already becoming a pro at this. Best of luck.

Skipum, my motor has a flat on the shaft. See picture. I can't see the end of the auger shaft, but did see a video of another model and it had a hollow end that the motor fit into. A collar goes around the auger shaft with a set screw that screws into a hole in the auger shaft and hits the flat of the auger motor. Since I have not pulled my shaft yet, I assume it is like that. Will let you know when the parts arrive.

 

[skibumm100]

My mistake. I was looking at mine (an older V1 like Bob's) and I thought the motor was a hollow shaft. I need to remove my motor as it's noisy and the wife says I can't install it until the motor is quieter. I am looking for side glass today as I have a cracked window. Then I need to give it a paint job and it should be ready to go. I'm looking forward to getting this installed before the really cold weather hits. My York has actually been doing a good job. It was 70 degrees in the house this morning burning shoulder pellets on setting #4. Stick with it, these are pretty simple machines and you'll learn a lot in the process.

 

[Frank Nuhfer]

This is the motor I have, but what is under the shrink tube??

 

[RKBAGUY]

This is the motor I have, but what is under the shrink tube??

Just guessing, but maybe a capacitor to protect the motor from overvoltage?