Coalpail.com Forum

Third season using this stove. Replaced the pusher block last year. Everything is moving, but the pusher isn’t pushing the coal. There seems to be a lot of play at the pusher rod. The pusher tube doesn’t stay tight to the weldment. Thoughts? Do I need to replace the weldment piece?

Welcome Jimmy!

The weldment or "Fork" needs to be no wider than 1-3/4"...it will and does get spread wider as a safety instead of ruining the gear-motor due to a stuck or hard to move "pusher block". Wet coal fines will form a cement type of "crud" that locks up the pusher while that powerful motor keeps driving on...something has to give...and gear-motors are high dollar...

A big pair of Channelocks or water pump pliers can often times squeeze the gap back into specs.

A bit of reading for ya Jimmy:
Harman Stoker Stuck

McG's fork suggestion is probably the culprit. One other thing I have seen is the threaded rod and tube should be tight to the back of the pusher block. If they are loose it also won't feed coal correctly.

Thanks to you both. There was some slop between the tube and the fork assembly. The block wasn’t being pulled back the whole way. I shimmed it so that it is getting pulled back further and seems to be working now. Just need to dial in flow now.

Jimmyjames wrote: ↑

Sat. Oct. 20, 2018 9:54 am

Thanks to you both. There was some slop between the tube and the fork assembly. The block wasn’t being pulled back the whole way. I shimmed it so that it is getting pulled back further and seems to be working now. Just need to dial in flow now.

JimmyJ, Hope you noticed I edited the fork measurement, it was incorrect before.

Glad it's working for you again! I am about a week away from firing up for the season.