Harman Stove Auger Feed Shaft Replacement

Welcome back to Pellet Tech 101! In today's video we go through replacement of the Harman Auger Feed Shaft.

[@edwardwoods7523]

Have had a Harman stove for over 15 years. Came home today to a high pitched squeal coming from it. Never knew about that sawdust clean out door! Needless to say it was jam packed. Vacuumed it all out and no more squeal. Great video, thanks for the info

[@EarthSense]

Fantastic to hear! So glad the video was helpful and the squeal is now gone! Any future questions or needs please let us know. Thanks!

[@adambatstone9545]

Great informational videos. Thanks for posting!

[@EarthSense]

Absolutely Adam! Any questions just let us know, appreciated.

[@KevinBuck-e3x]

Great video! My old P61 developed a crack in the feeder tube at the opening near the burn pot. Shortly after I bought it Harman started replacing these feed tubes due to cracks appearing. They would not replace mine because there was no crack. Now,14 years later, a crack developed and Harman will not fix it. So it's up to me. Do you have a video on replacing the the feed tube (i think i have to replace the entire weldment?). I "fixed " the crack last year using a QuickSteel product and it held up until now. I am trying to "fix" it again with this product but I don't think it will last. Thanks!

[@EarthSense]

Thanks for contacting us. Sorry to hear of the frustrations and crack in the feeder tube. Unfortunately we don't have a video on that one. Yes, I do believe in the P61 it is the entire weldment as it is for other P-series models for replacing that. If you have the ability to fix it up safely, great. This kind of item would be special order for us; happy to inquire on the cost and lead time from the factory if you'd like. Just let us know. Thanks.

[@Dan-vr6mn]

Love your videos, been watching for a couple years and I feel like I have a much better understanding of how my stove works in basically every aspect. Wish you were located in Canada, would definitely hire your company! Curious for your opinion; I have a metallic popping/clicking noise that's happening when the auger motor turns on to feed pellets to the firepot. It's quite loud, and sometimes it's actually causing the entire auger motor to move. The motor is also very hot to the touch. I've scrapped out the firepot down to the auger so there's no carbon build up at the opening, and vacuumed out the finebox and hopper several times, but doesn't seem to make much of a difference. My impression is that auger is catching on something, but I don't see any obvious wear in the finebox area or on the sideplate. Any ideas? Could it be the auger has become misaligned somehow? Thanks a lot!

[@EarthSense]

Hey Dan, so glad to hear the videos have been helpful for you, that's what it's all about! Based on what you are describing, I would suggest pulling out the actual auger shaft and inspecting the shaft and flights on the shaft as well as the auger housing area. To me it sounds like one of the auger flights may have got damage and is periodically hitting resistance in the housing as pellets feed through, especially if the the slide plate and overall function of the feed system appear to be correct. The auger motor casing will get very hot in normal operation, however if the motor is under further load from the auger shaft periodically binding, it will tend to be hotter and put more wear on the gears. Let us know of any questions and what you find, happy to help!

[@Dan-vr6mn]

​@@EarthSense Thanks for the reply! Really appreciate it! I ended up pulling out the auger and there doesn't appear to be any damage on the auger flights/shaft and the bearing looks good. There was also no damage anywhere in the feed body itself. Although while I was taking it apart I did notice something different from your video, in that I wasn't able to fully lift up the arm that connects to the side plate mechanism in the fines box even when the cover was off. It will lift a fair amount, but not to the extent where I'm able to remove the sideplate off of the mechanism. The model I have is a P43, so I'm not sure if that's just a difference in the make, or a contributing factor to the problem I'm having. There's was also a bit of grease coming out the auger motor spindle once I removed it.

[@EarthSense]

@@Dan-vr6mn Hey Dan, thanks for the message back. Glad you inspected the auger shaft and housing. The swing arm on the P43 should lift up enough to release from the slide plate. Something is going on here if you are not able to do that with the sawdust cleanout cover off. Let's inspect that a bit closer and see what is preventing that arm from going up to a point where the slide plate is released. I think it's important we inspect the slide plate as well, but we need to pull it out to do so. Grease coming out of the motor spindle area is also a bit concerning. Let's run that auger motor to direct power for a bit to see how it runs continuously. Here is a video that will show you how to do that. kzbin.info/www/bejne/qJ3QmnaPfpeKhs0 Keep us posted, happy to help.

[@SteveK99Sub]

Thanks for the video. My Harman P61 just started getting a whistle noise when feeding pellets. You mention the feeder shaft could cause that type of noise. I'm guessing it would be the bearing which you said comes with a new feeder shaft? What about the bearing on the set collar? Is that a replaceable part and should it be changed out as well? Thanks!

[@EarthSense]

Thanks for the message Steve. Let's see if we can pin-point where the whistle noise is coming from. A stethoscope can be a great tool to hone in on where the noise is coming from; even a child's toy stethoscope works well. Generally speaking if it was a bearing issue in the feed system it would be more of a squeal than a whistle. Double check your sawdust cleanout box cover. Make sure the gasket seal on the cover looks good and it's tightened down all the way with the wingnut. If that cover wasn't making a solid seal it would create a whistle type sound. Video on the cleanout cover: kzbin.info/www/bejne/omSQiJpnrbeIr5Y If you determine it's coming from the auger shaft, yes the bearing is apart of the auger shaft in a single assembly. The bearing on the set collar is also a replaceable part, however it's rare that this would wear out. Keep us posted with what you find, happy to assist!

[@shotover7719]

I have a very old P61 that I need to replace the auger shaft and other components. I have removed the auger motor but the cam bearing and retainer wont come off the shaft. The auger assembly is siliconed into place and wont come out. Any tips on removal? There is no heat exhaust probe so I am thinking of removing the fire pot and "persuading" the auger shaft assembly backwards from the front.

[@EarthSense]

Thanks for the message. Sometimes on older units you have to get a bit 'aggressive' to bust the auger shaft loose. Soak down the cam bearing with some PB Blaster and give light taps with a mallet or hammer on the retainer to bust it loose. Use a box cutter around the silicone on the auger shaft. Grab a Channel Lock pliers, get a good grip on the shaft and turn clockwise and counter clockwise until it busts loose. Hope that is helpful.

[@brandonshorey]

What is the wire that goes into the box there? Is there a sensor inside? Is it something that could possible fail?

[@EarthSense]

Hey Brandon, The Blue and Yellow wires will be the igniter wires. The black white and green wires coming around the side are for the auger feed motor. There are no sensors inside the Harman feed system. Certain models will have a sensor inside the fuel hopper, but not down in the feed system. What model do you have and what kind of issues are you experiencing? Happy to help.

[@theconquers]

Thanks for the vid. I had to pull mine from a Harmon P45. There is silicone around it. Should I replace that dab of silicone, or am I good to go?

[@EarthSense]

Glad it was helpful. Yeah, if yours had silicone around it then it's best to put silicone around the replacement there. Just to ensure seal and security. Let it set up for an hour minimum before operating. Any other questions let us know. Thanks.

[@wendyd2831]

Just working on mine today and it has silicone, does this need to be a high heat or just plain old silicone?

[@EarthSense]

@@wendyd2831 Thanks for contacting us. We would recommend high heat silicone for that application. Reference: pellethead.com/product/nuflex-high-temperature-black-silicone-sealant-adhesive-2-8-oz/ Any other questions please let us know. Thanks.

[@wendyd2831]

@@EarthSense thanks so much for the quick response!! 👍

[@EarthSense]

@@wendyd2831 Absolutely! Let us know if any other questions come up. Thanks!

[@patrickstracko4910]

how do you remove the back cover of the XXV to be able to access this more easily? thanks

[@EarthSense]

Hey Patrick, there will be two 5/16" screws on each rear panel that you will loosen on the XXV. (They are where the metal rear panels meet the cast iron body) Once loose, the side panels will slide out to the sides so you can access this area. Let us know if that's helpful. Glad to assist. Thanks!

[@patrickstracko4910]

@@EarthSense thanks...i already know about the 2 side panels. what I am asking is how to remove the whole back of the XXV...I need to tighten the bolts on the auger motor and cant do it with just removing the side panels. need to take off the WHOLE back so I can have more clearance with my gorilla hands 🙂

[@EarthSense]

@@patrickstracko4910 Hey Patrick, yeah the two side panels is all we have on the XXV. The rest of the metal backing is riveted in place. If you can, I would suggest taking out the 3 bolts on the exhaust hub/snout so you can pull the stove out and turn it a bit to get a better angle at accessing your auger motor and bolts. This is generally what our service guys will do in the field on something like this. Keep us posted, happy to help however we can. Appreciated!

[@billbruce5528]

My Accentra is not feeding sufficient pellets, the motor turns at 4 RPM , the auger turns freely but the pellet output is low ( even when running the motor continually by hitting test mode multiple times). Could the auger be worn out?

[@EarthSense]

Thanks for contacting us Bill, happy to help. First thing I would have you check is the sawdust cleanout area and feed slide plate. Let's make sure that area is cleaned out and let's check the movement of that slide plate. Make sure the hopper is completely cleaned of pellets when doing this. Video below. Generally speaking if the auger shaft was worn down you would be running into auger jams frequently and also hearing grinds/squeals when turning. It doesn't hurt to pull the auger shaft out and clean that area. You can also inspect to see if there is 'play/slop' with the auger shaft in the housing. kzbin.info/www/bejne/omSQiJpnrbeIr5Y Keep us posted, happy to help.

[@EarthSense]

Hey Bill, one more thing after speaking with one of the other techs. If you pull your auger shaft out, check to see if it's 'gummed up'/has sticky creosote build-up in the tube or on the shaft. There was a period of time with the Accentra model that we were running into this. The factory came out with a 'Tube Job Kit' to remedy the issue. If this does happen to be the case with your unit we can provide additional info about the 'Tube Job' procedure. Thanks!

[@billbruce5528]

@@EarthSense Thanks for the reply, the advise above is exactly the problem. The auger shaft had a thick hard buildup and the pellet windows were almost completely blocked so that only a trickle of pellets would reach the auger. It's all cleaned up now and will wait 24 hrs for the silicone to cure before testing tomorrow. Feeling this will make a huge difference. I bought the stove new in 2008 and the auger has never been out for a cleaning.

[@EarthSense]

@@billbruce5528 Excellent to hear Bruce! Send us over an update tomorrow and let us know how everything is operating. Appreciated!

[@billbruce5528]

@@EarthSense The stove is running like new again, nice big flame and not shutting off after about an hour of run time. Also, it is not making clunking and squealing noises anymore. I understand Harmon has a crossover kit to solve the gumming issue, along with eliminating exhaust gases from entering the hopper. I am interested in installing this mod, do you have a video showing this?

[@michaelmckinnon6833]

Why do I hear grinding as the blower kicks on and builds speed?

[@EarthSense]

Generally speaking if a blower is making a grinding noise, it's typically an indication there is an issue within the blower motor. What stove make and model do you have? Which blower is grinding? Happy to help.

[@jacobpalmer5139]

That’s the same stove I have! But I need to know how to get the motor off :/

[@EarthSense]

Sure thing Jacob! Here is the replacement of the Direct Drive Harman Auger Motor - kzbin.info/www/bejne/fYOyppegZ6hqp68 Here is replacement of the Chain Driven Harman Auger Motor - kzbin.info/www/bejne/d5bYlp6GfcmiedU Any other questions please let us know. Thanks!

[@jacobpalmer5139]

@@EarthSense thank you so much!

[@EarthSense]

@@jacobpalmer5139 Absolutely Jacob! Any questions or needs just let us know!

[@frankgervasio7498]

@@EarthSense h How do I remove the auger on a Harman advance stove ,?

[@EarthSense]

@@frankgervasio7498 Hey Frank, it will be very similar to the removal in the video here once you have your auger motor out. You can always call our tech team at 800-236-6647 if you need further guidance.