EFM gooseneck bushing

Post Reply
 
Buffalojoe
New Member
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed. Oct. 24, 2018 4:02 pm
Stoker Coal Boiler: efm
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: harmon trident
Coal Size/Type: rice

Post by Buffalojoe » Wed. Oct. 24, 2018 6:20 pm

Hi, I'm new to the forum but I've been burning coal for years. My EFM started showing a lot of fines when I drain air plenum. I noticed a bushing I think is the gooseneck bushing is a sloppy fit in the opening. There is another bushing with threads that fastens to the auger with a set screw. It looks like the threaded bushing rides inside the gooseneck bushing. The threaded bushing and the gooseneck bushing seem to fit together pretty well, but the gooseneck bushing is sloppy in the opening. How much play should there be? Is this causing my large amount of fines? Is there a remedy besides replacing the pot as that is what appears to be worn?
Thanks for any help.
Joe

 
User avatar
StokerDon
Site Moderator
Posts: 7486
Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 11:17 am
Location: PA, Southern York County!
Stoker Coal Boiler: Gentleman Janitor GJ-5, Van Wert VA-600, Axeman Anderson130 X3.
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Harman SF3500 reduced down to 3 grates connected to its own plenum
Coal Size/Type: Rice, Chestnut and whatever will fit through the door on the Harman
Other Heating: Noth'in but COAL! Well, Maybe a little tiny bit of wood

Post by StokerDon » Wed. Oct. 24, 2018 6:32 pm

Welcome to the forum,

There should be no play in the gooseneck bushing. It's kind of a press fit, you bang it in with a large punch. If it doesn't fit at least snug, it will fall out.

Just to be clear, this is the bushing in the gooseneck that the pot auger bushing rides in. If the gooseneck has decayed in that area you could try to glue it in somehow to get by.

I'm not 100% sure that this is your fines problem though. A lot of time that is caused by rusty or worn pipes or augers.

-Don

 
User avatar
Rob R.
Site Moderator
Posts: 17977
Joined: Fri. Dec. 28, 2007 4:26 pm
Location: Chazy, NY
Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Chubby Jr

Post by Rob R. » Wed. Oct. 24, 2018 6:38 pm

Even when mine was new I got about a coffee cup worth fines per ash tub.


 
Buffalojoe
New Member
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed. Oct. 24, 2018 4:02 pm
Stoker Coal Boiler: efm
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: harmon trident
Coal Size/Type: rice

Post by Buffalojoe » Wed. Oct. 24, 2018 8:02 pm

StokerDon wrote:
Wed. Oct. 24, 2018 6:32 pm
Welcome to the forum,

There should be no play in the gooseneck bushing. It's kind of a press fit, you bang it in with a large punch. If it doesn't fit at least snug, it will fall out.

Just to be clear, this is the bushing in the gooseneck that the pot auger bushing rides in. If the gooseneck has decayed in that area you could try to glue it in somehow to get by.

I'm not 100% sure that this is your fines problem though. A lot of time that is caused by rusty or worn pipes or augers.

-Don
Wow I didn't expect a reply so quick. The first flight on my auger is worn a bit. Figured that was caused by the worn bushing. I thought I would try something like PC7 to hold it in place. I imagine a new pot is pricey. Thanks for the help.
Joe

 
User avatar
StokerDon
Site Moderator
Posts: 7486
Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 11:17 am
Location: PA, Southern York County!
Stoker Coal Boiler: Gentleman Janitor GJ-5, Van Wert VA-600, Axeman Anderson130 X3.
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Harman SF3500 reduced down to 3 grates connected to its own plenum
Coal Size/Type: Rice, Chestnut and whatever will fit through the door on the Harman
Other Heating: Noth'in but COAL! Well, Maybe a little tiny bit of wood

Post by StokerDon » Wed. Oct. 24, 2018 8:48 pm

I'm sure a new one is pricey.

The first flight of the pot auger is the highest ware point. That is where the coal turns upwards, there is a lot of friction there. If that first flight is sharp or has visible ware, it's time to repair or replace the auger. That could be where your fines are coming from.

-Don

 
LouSee
Member
Posts: 80
Joined: Tue. Jul. 30, 2013 12:07 am
Location: scranton-ish...
Stoker Coal Boiler: '57 EFM DF'd 520
Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: LL Independance
Coal Size/Type: Buck & Rice

Post by LouSee » Thu. Dec. 06, 2018 11:58 pm

if you need to "glue" in your pot bushing, PC7 won't cut it. It can't handle the temps. you want to use xpando - https://www.xpando.com/xpando.php.

I used it to cement in a gooseneck bushing a few years ago and it's still holding strong. It's much easier to do this with the pot outside the boiler. I set the pot on its side and used a silicone plug (like a bottle-stopper) wrapped with some masking tape to make it a perfect snug fit to plug the hole so the bushing wouldn't just fall through (yeah, that loose...); coated the bushing with xpando and set it into place.

I fired up a hand-help propane gun and heated the area to about 125 or so and let it "cook" for an hour or so - nice gentle heat. It basically cures through evaporation. Not too hot because if you boil the water, the expando with crack up in a non-humorous way. Mix it on the thick side so it doesn't run or sag.

At its worst, when my auger was flexing from the worn bushing, I was getting over a cup of fines a day - it was a pile in the ash. and I could hear the auger and the coal scraping. After the repair, it was down to a tiny little individual piles from the windows in the dumper and the auger went silent. night and day difference - didn't really notice how much louder it had gotten until after it was fixed. like sharpening a knife... or chainsaw...

Post Reply

Return to “Stoker Coal Boilers Using Anthracite (Hydronic & Steam)”