Question on vistaflame vf100 insert

[Kevin Ferrie]

Greetings all. First time poster, I've been happily burning a vf100 for 8 years until the start of this season. It started with an auger jam. I loosened the auger mounting plate and cleaned it out and it's now it's burning, but it's not right. The stove isn't burning nearly as hot as it should. It barely stays lit on low, and high puts out heat equivalent to what normally would be a medium-low setting.

I tried to look further into it but I can't remove the auger to check the bushings because I am having trouble separating the auger from the motor. I've removed the mounting screw and I think I'm to a point where they should be detached from each other. So my questions:

Is there a trick to pulling the motor, or does it just take force after 8 years?

Does this sound like a fuel issue (auger) or should I be looking at something else?

Thanks in advance for any help. I'm sure this is old hat to many of you but this is the first time I've been deep into the stove so I appreciate your response!

 

[JDenyer236]

Make sure you remove the set screw from the coupler. It may take some force to separate them as they often get rusty and stick to the shaft. A little penetrating oil can help. Some stoves have a small pin that you need to remove from the coupling. Your auger motor could also be slowing down from age. It should be rotating at 1rpm when running all out.

 

[Kevin Ferrie]

Thanks for the reply! I did remove the set screw and will check for a pin. I doubt it has one as the coupling was free spinning. I think it just needs some oil to loosen it up. Hopefully the problem is in the auger. Pretty sure it is.