Problem With Auger/ Auger Extension/ Coupling Grinding Coal

Anyone have a photo of the correct 'ball' connector??

Berlin, Bill [bksaun] suggested on the phone that your auger to tube gap is way too large.
His auger to tube gap is 1/8" leaving 1/16" on each side of the auger flights.. yours is double that..

Personally I can't see any size or type of coal 'liking' to be pushed into a gap in the flights then being
picked up again by the next set fo flights. Each time it must grind up some more..

Berlin: can you compare the diameter, pitch and shaft size of the GJ auger to your Stokermatic or Combustioneer auger??

Greg L

I don't have a GJ coupling, but I do have some dimensions from a new (i.e., unused since installed) GJ pot auger that might be of help. From the end of the flighting to the center of the pin hole is 3/4" and from the center of that hole to the end of the shaft is 3/8". If the dimensions on the end of the bin auger are the same, and if the coupling leaves no space between the two shafts, the gap in the flighting should be around 2.25".

Also, on all of the old school EFM couplings I have, the couplings are secured with pins with rounded/low profile heads.

Ideally. I think there should be more than 2 but less than 3 flights exposed beyond the end of the bin auger tube. Based on the flighting of the pot auger I have, 5" exposed could be a little too long. If the shaft of the bin auger gets trimmed a little, that could help both the exposure and the gap.

Mike

P.S. If any of this is useful, please thank Rob, who PM'd me about this issue.

Posibly the unworn auger is delivering more coal to the coupling than the used auger is taking away?

Thanks everyone for the suggestions.

1. I will reduce the exposed length of the auger in the bin; I'll try three full flights.
2. The gap in the flights in the coupler is indeed close to 2.25"
3. Will try it with pins pressed in the coupler, not bolts.
4. I have a new, thicker, smooth auger extension pipe, will try that.
5. I have carefully inspected the stoker auger and it is in similar excellent shape to the extension auger.
6. the angle on the joint is only a few degrees; I will try it with the joint straight.

The measurements I posted initially were entirely wrong . I have a number of different bit coal augers/auger tube measurements written down and somehow posted those NOT the measurements for the GJ stoker that I had questions about. The correct auger/tube measurements for THIS stoker are as follows:

stoker pipe - ID-2 1/4" auger - 2 1/8"

feed pipe (extension) 2 1/4" auger (extension) - 1 15/16"

If this doesn't work out, I may just get rid of this stoker and buy one that is a similar straight -through design with a larger (as close to 3" as possible) auger/auger tube. I would just use one of my bit stokers, but I'm trying to do a bin-feed setup.

Why are your augers not the same diameter/pitch. That could cause all kinds of problems.

Berlin: try reducing the exposed flights to 1 or 1 and a half.

Greg

UPDATE:

I was able to get the GJ stoker to feed buck ant. ok without excessive grinding. New bin pipe (smooth) and coupled straight to stoker pipe. No "coupler" on the outside of pipe, just butted the pipes together and used sheet metal and hose clamps to keep the pipe from moving or twisting. Still will not feed bit pea coal to the pot w/ out excessive grinding. I believe that the pot design itself is partly at fault. The opposing augers just under the retort rather than a slope for the coal to "flow" is contributing to the problem w/ bit coal IMO. Thus I've decided to replace it with an Allen stoker unit from Matt D. Picked it up two weeks ago and will be installing and testing within the next couple of weeks. Thanks again to those who contributed ideas; will be keeping this thread updated with final results.