Sawdust leaking from Magnum Baby

[GMadd]

I'm a new Magnum Baby owner. It came with my first home about a month ago. I'm having fun with it but I'm getting a lot of saw dust in a few places. This makes my wife unhappy with my fun new toy. Also it seems that maybe the dust is burning a little above the burn chamber which seems bad. You can see this in my last photo. Advice? Thanks.

 

[Don2222]

Hello

Usually when the Baby leaks sawdust, it is due to either a bad lower Auger bearing or No lower auger bearing! I have seen both issues! They use a white nylatron bearing that can easily be replaced. I usually buff out the auger and throw on a nice new higher quality and shiny 2 RPM Gleason- Avery auger motor while I am at it.

 

[Don2222]

Hello

Here are more pics and info I know about these stoves. I have rebuilt a few.
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads...ow-has-new-lease-on-life.110617/#post-1462566

They work well once you put in all the updates and upgrades. It is fun to work on! Good luck.

 

[GMadd]

Wow, thanks! So it sounds like an auger mounting bracket issue? Maybe if I add these parts

"For the older stoves all you need is the newer auger mounting bracket part # P-8090
There is also an auger flange P5028C"

 

[GMadd]

Ha ha ha. "Suck it up honey." That's plan B. I'll let you know how that goes!

 

[GMadd]

I opened it earlier and it definitely seemed like the dust was coming down the auger shaft.

 

[Don2222]

Wow, thanks! So it sounds like an auger mounting bracket issue? Maybe if I add these parts

"For the older stoves all you need is the newer auger mounting bracket part # P-8090
There is also an auger flange P5028C"

Hello

No, you need the auger bearing set. Just google the following:
Baby Countryside Auger Bushing Set RP2091
It leaks sawdust thru the bottom delron auger bushing.

 

[GMadd]

Can you open the side door while it's operating to watch and see if the auger shaft is the source of the dust or is that dangerous?

 

[Don2222]

Usually there is a pile of sawdust under the auger motor.

 

[GMadd]

This is awesome! Thanks guys. Now I can save my pellet stove from my wife's list of things to sell on Craigslist! Awesome!

 

[GMadd]

Here is AES's response to my forum post. Does anybody know what he means about tie wrap?

The guys on the forum did a good job of answering your questions. The
Delron bushing is probably the problem, (part number P1178). Also, when
putting back together tie wrap the motor to the long bolt leaving a
little of wiggle room and the motor will work better. No need to go out
and spend more money on the Gleason motor, it is not any better than the
original from the factory.

 

[GMadd]

Hello

Usually when the Baby leaks sawdust, it is due to either a bad lower Auger bearing or No lower auger bearing! I have seen both issues! They use a white nylatron bearing that can easily be replaced. I usually buff out the auger and throw on a nice new higher quality and shiny 2 RPM Gleason- Avery auger motor while I am at it.

So I took the auger motor off today. I had gotten my new Delron bushing in the mail. It turns out there was also no metal lower auger bearing also. Like you had said Don. I hadn't bought the lower metal one because the tech said replace the Delron. Two questions? AES says sometimes you don't need the lower metal one. When do you need it and when don't you need it. Also it seems like you need to take off the plate to insert the Delron bushing from the other side? If you do the do you have to put silicone when you bolt it back on? Thanks!

 

[GMadd]

Mine is oriented like this with the fat side in the hopper. Is that right it? Seems like the schematics might have it reversed.

 

[Don2222]

Mine is oriented like this with the fat side in the hopper. Is that right it? Seems like the schematics might have it reversed.

That is correct, the fat side holds the Delron bearing in the hopper on top of the bearing end plate. There is no other way.

The Delron auger bearing you got is the lower auger bearing the top auger bearing is brass.

 

[GMadd]

As always, thanks Don

 

[GMadd]

Do you need to put silicone between the auger plate and the hopper when reassembling?

 

[Don2222]

Do you need to put silicone between the auger plate and the hopper when reassembling?

Yes, Put high temp clear RTV silicone around the edge of the hole in the back of the hopper before you bolt the end plate back to seal it for air leaks. That is what they do at the factory too.

I rate the Delron better than the bronze oil light but not as good as the Nylatron.
I have seen quite a few Magnum Baby CountrySide sawdust leaks but here is the story of my first Enviro and Whitfield sawdust leaks!
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads...alon-vs-a-failed-17-year-old-nylatron.133913/

 

[GMadd]

DONE! And totally better! No more dust. No more auger clunking around (I thought that was normal. Thanks again!

 

[GMadd]

So funny thing. My auger bearing repair lasted pretty much the whole season. But it started leaking again. I asked the tech guy at AES and he said I must have installed it wrong. I guess, but I followed the steps they gave me and it worked pretty much all season. I don't really buy that it's cause I did it wrong, I feel like something is causing it to prematurely wear, Maybe I need a new auger plate? Would changing or cleaning and lubing the top metal bearing have any affect? Do I just have to put a new one in at the beginning of every season (I'd prefer not to). And no, I can't afford a new stove, and I know nobody likes the Baby, but it heated really well this year. Basically I'm stuck with my sorry little baby, plus I kind of like it, it's like quirky, lovable, crotchety old relative.

 

[GMadd]

As I'm watching my auger motor work I notice it's bobbing up and down along the auger axis, is it supposed to do that? Could this be the problem? Maybe it traps dust under the bearing when it rides up?

 

[rafmt]

If your auger motor has a wobble to it.....might be a bent auger. Mine is stable and has no movement in it at all when it runs.

 

[smwilliamson]

And the dust is dangerous too. The convection fan will pick in up and blow it into the heat exchange tubes where it will combust and get blown into the room. Happens on st croix York inserts and Hudson river Saranacs and tasmans too. Funny, AES's response to just about everything is you must have done something wrong if what we sold you isn't working right.

 

[GMadd]

THat is exactly what is happening. Just shows the auger tolerances are out a bit and there is a bit of up/down play. Nothing to worry about at all. You can fix it by extending the leading edge of the auger to reduce the clearance from the bottom plate or machining the shaft so that the flight comes down for the same result. Personally I would not bother and just catch the fines as they drop through.

So basically if you push up on your auger it shouldn't go anywhere?

 

[Don2222]

In the ideal world yes. But in reality there will be a bit of slop in the shaft as the precision of the original build will have fairly lenient tolerances.
I dont know your specific machine but I am assuming that it has the common shaft with a shoulder which sits on top of the brass bush at the bottom of the auger tube. If the leading edge of the auger flight rides over a fuel particle and lifts the shoulder off the bush then fine particles can drop down between the bush and shaft. Very hard to stop without doing what I suggested earlier. You don't want to take out all the slop because then you could jamb the auger so I would just live with it. Dont let the dust build up in the back of the stove though. It has the potential to cut out your bearings over time. Also like Scott says it can be sucked up by the circulation fan and blown into the room. It aint gonna catch fire though otherwise we would have seen the youtube videos by now.

Hello
I am more familiar with the machine. You have a good operational description there Chickenman. Are you getting ready for winter? Thanks, I just want to add that in this stove, it is not a brass bush but a plastic type Delron bush.
Also it is unfortunate that the way the components are arranged in the stove, when looking at the front of the stove, the exhaust blower is on the right side and the convection blower is on the left side with the open side of the squirrel cage facing the auger motor! Therefore it is very easy for the room blower to pick up the fines and send them thru the heat exchanger. I had a customer with this model stove which came from the factor with NO lower auger bearing. The customer saw embers shooting out the front. I saw a large pile of fines next to the squirrel cage!
After installing the Delron bearing the problem was fixed. So care should be taken not to let the fines pile up so if it gets worse a new bearing should be installed.

The best auger bush or bearing on the market today is not Brass, not Delron and not Nylon but the hard high temperature permanantly lubricated NYLATRON.
I have the nylatron bush but only for an auger that has a 3/4" shaft which was originally developed by Dr. Whitfield.
The 3/4" Diameter auger shafts are the most durable, where I have seen the 1/2" diameter auger shafts break often!

If this bearing could be made for 5/8" diameter auger shafts and 1/2" diameter auger shafts, then many more stoves could benefit! ! !

The Nylatron gives auger motors much more life and helps to prevent auger jams.

The Baby Countryside auger shaft is 5/8" diameter.

 

[Don2222]

Hi Don,
Yes we are just starting to get the odd cold night and the stove is getting a 3hr run from about 5AM (auto start is da bomb!) each day just to take the chill off.
THe phone has started ringing again and we are doing about 2 stoves per week so that is okay for this time of year.
You Yankie buggers are making it damn hard for me with your strengthening greenback, gonna cut into my profit in a big way this year as the Oz dollar is now 75 cents on the dollar. Last year it was $1.05 on the dollar
Such is life.

Nice to hear from you. I did not know about the Oz dollar!
My Harman has the auto start but also can vary the pellet feed rate so the room does not get too hot! That saves pellets! Only Harman stoves can do that!

Our biz is settling down but it was a very good winter season this year with extreeme cold and lots of snow!