Newer Breckwell Big E Auger Bushing bug-A-Boo Bugaloo!!!

Hello
I just worked on a newer version Breckwell Big E. It has the 300 Degree Manual Reset Snap disc which I agree if it trips then it makes it easier to diagnose the problem then if it auto resets and you do not know what happened!
However there seems to be another very frustrating change that I found.
In this case the issue was what I call, “the lazy auger syndrome” when there is an Auger jam and in this case it seemed to happen because the pellets used had a higher moisture content. Help we really need low cost wood pellet moisture meters!!
Anyway, the motor tried to turn and sheared the hitch pin off and ripped the hole in the auger shaft and bent the bottom of the auger enough so after grinding down the ripped metal, the auger bushing would still not slide off!
So I pulled out a new Breckwell Auger which turns Clockwise compared to a US Stove auger which turns counterclockwise! It does not matter to me which way the auger turns as long as it does turn! However these auger are only 1/2” in diameter and that does matter! If they were 3/4” in diameter like the old Whitfield augers they would still be working!!
The real frustration here is that the Breckwell Auger Bushing did not fill the hole and the retainer did not fit the Bushing! It was too large!
So I said Ah Ha, US stove bought out Breckwell so I pulled out a US Stove auger Bushing! The inner diameter is the same but the outer diameter of the US Stove bushing is larger. So I tried inserting the US Stove bushing into this newer version Big E. Well it is very close but even with some tapping it really did not want to go in!! So I said let’s clean and lube the old version and put it back! Remember it does not slide off, so I pulled out a sawzal and cut the bottom of the auger off, slid the Bushing off, cleaned the inside with a wire brush on the drill and added synthetic bearing oil!
Then the new auger, Auger Motor, and auger bushing with retainer clip all went back together and the stove is working better. The brand of pellets was also changed from the big box store brand to a better quality.
Should it be this hard? Has anyone else seen this issue???

See old bushing and ripped auger hole below!

 

Mine is a 2004 model and did the same thing. One of the 1/4” bolts that hold the top of the stove on worked loose and hung up the auger. Ijust cleaned up the auger shaft (my bushing came off without a problem) but the hole was pretty rounded out so the slightest tension in the tube would shear the hair pin. So auger shaft came out again and i welded the holes shut and redrilled. Been much better since. I think the welding hardened the shaft end more. But it sits idle now

 

Wow - Good Work!
I had to replace the auger shaft because when the sheer pin broke it ripped the hole in the auge and bent the bottom of the auger.

I bet the reason the bolts fell out is because there was no lock washers and the nuts just vibrated loose!

Why is it sitting idle?

 

how did ya know! little loctite blue and nylock nuts fixed it. sold all my other projects and ive had the ol'girl so long can't sell it. It still a good back up if needed

 

Oh Yes a backup is very very important!
My first P61a is in the garage under the house. We have a split entry. When I got it going, I opened the door to the basement and the door to upstairs and it can just about heat the whole house. Then I got the P61a in the basement going. I hade to put the liner and the Selkirk Masonry conversion kit in the block chimney and then put a new Stainless Steel chimney behind the block chimney for the Buderus FHW oil boiler! A bit tricky but works super!
So now I have a good backup and I can heat the garage when I need to with a few pellets.
Then I just put in a DHW On Demand EcoSmart Panel and now the oil boiler sits idle! But that too is a backup for heat or hot water! LOL
See
EcoSmart 27kw IHW installation - any tips?

 

Hello
I just wanted to sho the difference between the Breckwell Auger Bushing in the bottom of the picture and the US Stove Bushing with the thicker wall in the top of the picture. Although this may be changing as US Stove intergrates the Breckwell Stoves into their line of stoves!