New term “Auger Motor Recoil” May indicate auger and auger Bushing health?

[Don2222]

Hello
The auger motor’s health being more visible may be easier to tell if it is weak causing more pellet jams or broken and not turning or shorted out. But what about the heath and cleanliness of the auger and bearing itself?? I have seen this a few times but when my technician heard a banging noise after the installation of a brand new auger motor we had to investigate!
Sometimes when a symptom is more severe like this one it is easier to diagnose.
The St Croix Prescott has an Auger Bracket that wraps around the gear box and bolted to the auger end plate.
This is what we saw.
After every cycle of the auger motor turning after the power stopped the auger bounced up away from the auger stop and hit the top of the auger bracket causing the auger banging noise. It can be clearly seen when the stove was in the run cycle under normal operation.
So we pulled the auger and the bronze oil lite bearing and found a very dirty auger and gunky and worn auger bearing. So we buffed out the auger and replaced the bearing and No More auger motor bouncing or auger recoil like the the push back when firing a gun.
This should make the auger motor last longer and help prevent pellet jams.
Has anyone else seen this??
What do you all think?

 

[heat seeker]

I've never seen it, but it makes sense. I think you're onto something here. My auger does something different; I know it's free and the bushing is okay, since I check it whenever the hopper gets really low and I can grab the auger and move it around a bit. When the motor stops, it often turns backwards a bit, which I would think impossible with all the gearing. It just might be some windup in the gearbox, and it's a ball bearing motor so it spins easily. It makes no noise, and the motor doesn't move off of its stop.

 

[bill3rail]

I have seen a similar banging from my lower auger but that was caused by carbon buildup at the end of the auger tube. What I believe it was doing is stopping the auger until it powers past the jam. Clear the carbon buildup and the issue goes away.

We are getting ready to breakdown for the off season (Maybe, it is 32f this morning.) Part of that process is tearing the auger motor's apart and re-greasing them. I will pay closer attention to the bronze bushings this year.


Bill

 

[Don2222]

I have seen a similar banging from my lower auger but that was caused by carbon buildup at the end of the auger tube. What I believe it was doing is stopping the auger until it powers past the jam. Clear the carbon buildup and the issue goes away.

We are getting ready to breakdown for the off season (Maybe, it is 32f this morning.) Part of that process is tearing the auger motor's apart and re-greasing them. I will pay closer attention to the bronze bushings this year.


Bill

Hi Bill
You may want to see if your bearings are the updated ones with the extra grease channel. They work better! See my pics here
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads...annel-to-hold-the-grease.160951/#post-2162240
Also
Here are my pics on greasing the block bearings
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads...-you-apply-the-red-stuff.141830/#post-1911156
Pics on cleaning the augers
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads...-burs-pimp-my-auger-pics.102423/#post-1318807

How do they look?
Don