Harman Mag. Users ( Anyone)

 
Mossy Beard
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Post by Mossy Beard » Mon. Oct. 27, 2008 6:59 am

Newby question :
Does your stoker motor get really warm during extend runs ?
Mine is hot to the touch. (You wouldn't want to leave you hand on it very long.)
Just curious.

Thanks, Mossy Beard


 
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WNY
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Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Keystoker 90K, Leisure Line Hyfire I
Coal Size/Type: Rice
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Post by WNY » Mon. Oct. 27, 2008 7:24 am

Yes, I think most of them do, I know my hyfire and keystoker stoker motors both get quite warm when running.

 
Matthaus
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Post by Matthaus » Mon. Oct. 27, 2008 8:24 am

They all get warm, you can remove the cover and leave it off for a little extra cooling. I have even used a small fan to cool the area and lengthen stoker motor life.

BTW, here is a troubleshooting guide that was previously posted.

Harman Mag Stoker

 
Mossy Beard
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Post by Mossy Beard » Mon. Oct. 27, 2008 12:15 pm

I did remove the cover.
Thx, mossy Beard

 
LIFTER2
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Post by LIFTER2 » Tue. Oct. 28, 2008 10:36 pm

HI, just started my MAG. stoker for the first time on SUNDAY 26 2008,
when stoker is on and pushing coal it kind of makes a ticking sound every 8-10 seconds ( countershaft arm dropping ??? )

also put in a DHW coil in it ( washed the coil out first) now the HOT water coming out in sinks & shower SMELL for about 30 sec.
any one have this after putting n a SS coil????

 
commedic81
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Post by commedic81 » Wed. Oct. 29, 2008 3:51 am

A relative of mine is having trouble with his Harman Mag. He starts the stove and it burns a couple hours and then goes out, even at a feed of 3 or 4. He said the flue pipe is not hot either. Does this sound like a problem with not getting enough draft and maybe the damper is not set correctly or functioning properly?

 
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Horace
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Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Harman ST8-VF8 / Frankenstove

Post by Horace » Wed. Oct. 29, 2008 9:36 am

LIFTER2 wrote:HI, just started my MAG. stoker for the first time on SUNDAY 26 2008,
when stoker is on and pushing coal it kind of makes a ticking sound every 8-10 seconds ( countershaft arm dropping ??? )
My Mag does the same thing. Actually, it makes a "click" and "clunk." The click is the sleeve on the stroke adjustment rod receiving pressure. The clunk is the countershaft arm dropping. I oiled the pivot points on the stoker mechanism and that went away. I can't get the click to go away, but it's really not that loud.


 
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Horace
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Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Harman ST8-VF8 / Frankenstove

Post by Horace » Wed. Oct. 29, 2008 9:57 am

commedic81 wrote:A relative of mine is having trouble with his Harman Mag. He starts the stove and it burns a couple hours and then goes out, even at a feed of 3 or 4. He said the flue pipe is not hot either. Does this sound like a problem with not getting enough draft and maybe the damper is not set correctly or functioning properly?
Sounds like draft to me.

To ask the really stupid question: is the combustion blower running? If so, when the fire is out, can he feel air coming up from the grate? There's a restricter plate on the comb. blower that should remain somewhat open. Is it closed completely? Is it actually feeding coal while it burns? If so, is the burning coal getting pushed off the grate into the ash pan? What are the timer settings that he is using? He can plug the comb blower into an outlet and run it 24/7. I do this and get much better burns and heat from my Mag. When his stove goes out, has the fire burned all the way to the back of the grate or does it die on the grate with unburned, fresh coal still sitting on the grate?

Here's a long shot that happened to me last year. Middle of winter and the stove is dying off. The stoker is running, blowers are running, the hopper is full, but the stove is getting colder and the fire is dying. I fiddle with it for a few hours trying to revive it. Then I hear a hideous grinding from the push block. I shut down the stove and remove all the coal from the hopper and find 5 really big pieces of coal at the bottom of the hopper, right over the opening into the stove. The biggest piece was about 3" X 1" X 1" They were blocking all the coal from feeding. Pulled it out, reloaded, and away it went. How I missed it when loading the hopper, I'll never know, but I must have brought it in a piece at a time and it just took a while to sift down to the bottom.

 
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coalkirk
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Stoker Coal Boiler: 1981 EFM DF520 retired
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Coal Size/Type: Lehigh anthracite/rice coal

Post by coalkirk » Wed. Oct. 29, 2008 10:39 am

Horace wrote:My Mag does the same thing. Actually, it makes a "click" and "clunk." The click is the sleeve on the stroke adjustment rod receiving pressure. The clunk is the countershaft arm dropping. I oiled the pivot points on the stoker mechanism and that went away. I can't get the click to go away, but it's really not that loud.
The click and clank noises are from the fork looking part of the stoker. What has likley happened is you had an obstruction at some point in the pusher block area that caused your cam to bend open the forks. When it cycles now, it slaps, making those noises. To fix it, you need to disassemble the stoker and remove the fork. The prongs should be parralel. If they are spread, lay it on its side on some concrete and take a hammer and gently "adjust" them back into compliance. No more noise.

 
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Horace
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Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Harman ST8-VF8 / Frankenstove

Post by Horace » Wed. Oct. 29, 2008 1:02 pm

Coalkirk:

Thanks, but I think mine is different, unless we're talking about a different part of the stoker. If by fork you mean the part that the feed motor drives - the round thingy attached to the motor shaft essentially moves it up and down (sorry for the technical jargon :D ) - then I don't have a fork, I have an oval loop. I don't see anything else that resembles a fork.

The more I am on this site and that I talk to others with Harman Mags, the more convinced I become that I do not have a Magnum. I think that it's a generation prior to the current Magnum. The stoker timer box is marked as a Verti-Flow Spiral Flame Stove System, and aside from some other design differences, it has three small windows instead of one large, the grates are not removable or replaceable, there's not fly-ash clean-out mechanism, and a few others. It's not listed on Harman's web site. I think, though, that the stoker mechanism is essentially the same.

Thanks again.

 
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coalkirk
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Stoker Coal Boiler: 1981 EFM DF520 retired
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Jotul 507 on standby
Coal Size/Type: Lehigh anthracite/rice coal

Post by coalkirk » Wed. Oct. 29, 2008 4:19 pm

If you look in the manual (you can download a pdf from their website if you don't have one) it's part number 6 called the pusher arm, it looks like a two prong fork on one end. The cam turns around inside of the fork area. My boiler has the same stoker and I've rebuilt tow mag stokers so i'm sure yours should have that part.

 
commedic81
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Post by commedic81 » Wed. Oct. 29, 2008 11:16 pm

Horace

I passed that info on to him to look into. I haven't had time to go look at it myself yet. I know he has had it burning for a couple hours but it goes out overnight. When I was on the phone with him he had the feed set about 3, and said that the flue pipe felt cool/cold. To me that flagged a draft issue since the pipe should be hot to touch. It sounded like it may just be smothering it out or something.

 
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heatwithcoal
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Post by heatwithcoal » Thu. Oct. 30, 2008 12:20 am

When I get the clinking sound in my stoker, I have a poker that I stick down into the hopper and poke in front of the pusher block. time it carefully as you poke. This usually stops the clinking sound. I have not figured out exactly why this fixes it, but it seems to work. I think the sound is the adjustment sleeve dropping onto the threaded rod as it reaches the slack in the stroke. In fact it is making that noise now, I just looked, the noise is definitely coming from this.

Mark

 
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Horace
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Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Harman ST8-VF8 / Frankenstove

Post by Horace » Thu. Oct. 30, 2008 12:34 pm

coalkirk wrote:If you look in the manual (you can download a pdf from their website if you don't have one) it's part number 6 called the pusher arm, it looks like a two prong fork on one end. The cam turns around inside of the fork area. My boiler has the same stoker and I've rebuilt tow mag stokers so I'm sure yours should have that part.
I usually don't argue with other members on this site because I realize your greater wisdom and experience, but in this case, I will. I think that the stove that I have is an early generation Mag .... if it's a Mag at all. The manual on Harman's site is different than mine. I have yet to find my stove on Harman's site. I attached two pictures of where I think that fork on your stoker is. If I'm looking at the wrong part, then I apologize for the argument. I took a look at the manual, and, yep, it's the same part, but mine is a closed loop. I don't think that I can pound it into "true." I also attached a pic of the stove.

I think that the stokers and stove are very similar, but the newer Mags have some design improvements that make them operate much better.

Anyone know if this is in fact a Magnum?

Attachments

100_2728.jpg

Wow, with the flash it looks REALLY dirty back here!

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100_2727.jpg
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PIC-0095.jpg

Excuse the toys ...

.JPG | 97KB | PIC-0095.jpg

 
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Horace
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Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Harman ST8-VF8 / Frankenstove

Post by Horace » Thu. Oct. 30, 2008 12:36 pm

heatwithcoal wrote:When I get the clinking sound in my stoker, I have a poker that I stick down into the hopper and poke in front of the pusher block. time it carefully as you poke. This usually stops the clinking sound. I have not figured out exactly why this fixes it, but it seems to work. I think the sound is the adjustment sleeve dropping onto the threaded rod as it reaches the slack in the stroke. In fact it is making that noise now, I just looked, the noise is definitely coming from this.

Mark
That's where my "clink" comes from, too. I can see the sleeve drop as the pressure comes off of it, making the sound. It's not nearly as loud as the "Clunk." After looking at the pictures that I took (above) maybe a REALLY good cleaning would allow it to rotate more freely.


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