Pit Boss Jammed Auger: PB1000 worst auger jam Pit Boss has seen! How to fix a stuck Pit Boss auger!

[@PenguinOutdoors]

What pellets do you prefer to use? I pretty much exclusively use Pit Boss Comp Blend pellets these days. The ones shown in this video are some really cheap ones from the farm store since I wanted some cheap pellets to burn up as I re-season the smoker and burn off the rust.

[@Smokedaddyinc]

I'm glad that the video helped!! Great job cleaning that auger tube out, its a terrible time if those pellets concrete up on ya!

[@PenguinOutdoors]

Yea this was an insane nightmare. Thanks for the idea!

[@nickkleaving2167]

For anyone watching this video the same thing happened to me, the hopper lid opened from wind and it got soaked inside. I took it apart and took the auger out. It was still extremely clogged. I used a screwdriver for the majority but I then realized I was able to put the auger on the end of my drill and use that to flush out all the pellets! This may be helpful to a lot!

[@PenguinOutdoors]

Thanks for the added tips!

[@michaelkaduk6043]

I fought this fight today. I ended up drilling a hole in the end of the pellet tube housing.and driving a 3/8 threaded rod through the clog with a hammer. That allowed me to start flushing water through, and eventually loosened it up enough that I could hulk smash the auger out by beating on the threaded rod. Needless to say, I'll be making sure I cover my grill from here on. Mother of mercy, what a terrible experience.

[@PenguinOutdoors]

A cover is great but I can tell you it doesn't stop swelling. The moisture will still get in. The only 100% solution I have found is what I do now. At the end of a cook I crank the temp all the way up and then pull the pellet plug. I drain them all from the hopper back into my 5 gallon bucket. Then I put the lid on the bucket and let whatever is left in the auger tunnel burn up / flush out. Pellets cannot swell if they are not in there!

[@Justanotherdegen]

Does anyone have a link to the rectangle shape piece that he was banging on the ground that has the auger tube running through it. I give up. The auger is not coming out.

[@PenguinOutdoors]

They do not sell that auger chamber to the best of my knowledge. But it will come out if you keep working it.

[@Justanotherdegen]

@ I found it. It’s called auger housing box. It’s 150 bucks. The bang method isn’t working. When the hardware store opens up in the morning I’m going to go grab a 5/16 drill bit that is 25 inches long and drill through the clog right down the center of the auger.

[@051658]

Thank you I’ll let you know tomorrow how it turns out, because I’m bold , and this problem with the auger is getting the best of me

[@PenguinOutdoors]

You can defeat it, even when it feels like you can’t.

[@AlexandKatieMcintyre]

Working on mine going to have to take the whole thing out like you did I've tried everything and nothing is working

[@PenguinOutdoors]

You’ll get it!!! Mine was about as bad as it could possibly be and eventually this worked out for me. Persistence, patience, and maybe a couple of cold beers will get you there.

[@alemesaid4711]

Thanks for let us know about auger problem

[@PenguinOutdoors]

You’re welcome. Thanks for watching!

[@elitetaxstrategies]

Dude I have a nasty jam on mine. I was cleaning it out for the spring and man I have been hammering on my auger for two days. Well a couple hours for the past couple of days. The pellets swelled up like you were talking about but where the hopper starts it is all black all the way through the auger tube or firebox like you call it. I got tired of hammering and started looking up videos to see what I can do. That’s when I found your video. I am so glad somebody else knows what to do. I would rather not spend the money for a new auger tube or firebox. Hope mine comes loose like yours did. Any other pointers for me?

[@PenguinOutdoors]

If you follow what I did, it should come out for ya! It’s sure gonna make you think it’s never coming out, but it will.

[@elitetaxstrategies]

@@PenguinOutdoors I have the hopper housing apart from the main drum. The wiring makes me a little nervous disconnecting and then making sure I put it back together properly. I will try to find some videos on disconnecting the auger motor. Also I will make sure I bring my profanity to the party.

[@PenguinOutdoors]

I am 99% sure the wiring all hooks up one way only.

[@seandrake7534]

My junk PB grill I have to pull the auger after every use and I clean the inside out really well also but yet the pellets burn in the tube during shut done now this morning trying to smoke thanksgiving turkey it jammed while running never had that before and the pellets were stand near this morning

[@PenguinOutdoors]

So here is the lesson I learned with this last bad jam, because it has never happened again and this is something I use a lot. When I'm done smoking, grilling, whatever I crank it all the way up to the max temp and shut the lid. I pop the pellet drop and let them all run into my storage bucket. Then I just walk away from it. It'll burn up the last of the pellets and by the time I come back it's in "Err" because it is empty and it's completely cold by that point. Next smoke I fill the hopper, click it on and let it feed and cycle till it is up and running. It cannot jam if there is nothing in there to swell or cause issues. It sounds like extra work but compared to jams it is nothing.

[@seandrake7534]

@@PenguinOutdoors that sounds like a good idea. But the dang thing jammed up on me thanksgiving day halfway through smoking the turkey I had completely cleaned it out the night before and filled the hopper full of a brand new bag of pellets before we started I’m so aggravated with this thing I have always used the pit boss competition blend pellets even in my Traeger, and never had issues with them I’m wondering if the way the auger Motor is mounted and let’s the auger turn backwards is part of the problem. But this is a new problem with it jamming in the middle of a smoke

[@PenguinOutdoors]

@@seandrake7534 since it jammed in the process of a cook I would say either there was old pellets in the auger tube that got missed and were swollen, or more likely in the process of the prior jam or repair the auger got bent. I've also seen them jam when the motor wasn't installed quite right and got a chance to spin out of place. The Pit Boss pellets are sized and shaped specifically to reduce jams in the PB augers as compared to other brands so a jam during an active cook is extremely rare.

[@Tstorm-il5ih]

Trying this week. Thanks

[@PenguinOutdoors]

You’re welcome! The best advice I can give is that when it is a really bad clog it will feel like you’re just making no progress. And it makes you want to quit but trust me you’re making progress. Trust the process, crack another beer and keep at it!

[@JoeElegante]

I had to get a long drill bit into the auger and weld it to the auger. The drill still wouldn’t turn it, so I welded an impact socket on the other end of the drill bit and had to use an impact wrench. If it would let me post a picture I would do it.

[@PenguinOutdoors]

I’ve seen people weld nuts, sockets etc to it. I wanted to find a solution without welding as many people can’t do it. Great tip, though!

[@mccurdywi]

I just fought this same battle. I tried a lot of things before getting mine to break loose. The end of my auger broke off from the corkscrew part so lost the ability to turn it. I tried drilling with regular bit, spade bit, tried pounding with sledge, slamming on ground, pouring drain clog chemical down there, tried pouring muriatic acid down it, tried lighting it up with butane torch, tried dumping kerosine in it and burning that, tried spraying the pressure washer through it, nothing would work. Finally I removed the box, cut open the end where the fire pit is, bought a 17.5” auger bit from HF, that cut right through the clog with no problems. Then I let the whole thing soak in water for about 24 hrs, then hit the fire pit end with an air hammer and finally got the auger out. Then took a metal pipe and pounded it through the auger tube to clear the rest of the gunk out. I came so close to junking it several times over the last few days.

[@PenguinOutdoors]

Impressive! Yours might be the first I’ve heard of that is worse than mine was. Glad it worked out in the end 🤙

[@bobnavarro4419]

Completely empty out the pellets from the box and hold the prime button so the auger keeps turning and empties the remaining pellets into the fire box. Once the remaining pellets burn and the fire box cools, clean out the fire box. Don't leave the ash in the fire box. I do this every time I finish cooking. I haven't had any issues with the auger seizing up since. It is a pain but will save you from a huge headache later.

[@PenguinOutdoors]

These days I just empty the pellet box, crank it all the way up, and let it burn till it dies out. No issues since with the new way of doing it. Thanks for watching!

[@thomaswelch835]

How long did you have to pound both sides of the box before it started working? I’m in the same situation and am not getting any movement

[@PenguinOutdoors]

For a while. Once I had the box out I'd say I worked on it for probably close to an hour before I started seeing movement. I had set it down and walked away two or three times for a minute thinking there is no way this is going to work, and then went right back to it. It was extremely frustrating but stick with it because eventually it pays off.

[@tim6366]

2nd jam.. I am now at the step of hitting it on the ground. Already ruined the end of the augur.. ahhhh

[@zvirtual1724]

Yeah man running into this myself…. Will give it a try

[@PenguinOutdoors]

If the jam is bad enough you will reach a point while you're trying this fix where it feels like nothing is happening and it isn't working. When you hit that point keep going because it is and it will, it's just a really gnarly process.

[@thomassummerlin8006]

Thanks for the info

[@PenguinOutdoors]

You're welcome! Thank you for watching. If you haven't already please consider hitting that subscribe button!

[@robjardine2350]

Thanks fella, same problem here!

[@PenguinOutdoors]

Hey glad I could help! It can be a real nightmare but you can beat it! Thanks for watching

[@robjardine2350]

@@PenguinOutdoors I did beat it and cooked steak last night.

[@PenguinOutdoors]

@@robjardine2350 Awesome! I'm glad you got it fixed!

[@kaivonmortazavi8656]

Just wondering how much your hammers cost you vs buying a new auger and motor for about $65-$80? But Im like you, even if I purchased the replacement parts, I would spend days working the old unit until I fixed the problem. Happy smokin!!

[@PenguinOutdoors]

Good question! The first hammer that I burned up was junk was actually sent to me for free to be tested out by the manufacturer. It failed lol. The second one was dirt cheap from Amazon ($18.99), but a Harbor Freight cheapo would have done the trick as well. It's important to note that the auger would not have come out of the burn tube without all of the effort put in within this video, so even if I just bought new parts this labor was required either way. Thanks for watching!

[@PatriciaRodriguez-kp7hf]

I'm trying to save mine now

[@PenguinOutdoors]

Good luck! If you have any questions I’ll try and assist

[@rexrentzel]

I found out what works amazing I am dealing with the same issue to wear nothing else in the world is working I decided to put seafoam down the tube top 10 seconds to break the whole tube loose and I was able to unthread the auger

[@PenguinOutdoors]

That is not a bad idea at all. I'll be honest I don't think it would have worked on mine. I have had some really bad jams and I've helped fix some REALLY bad jams but this was EPIC lol. Thanks for watching!

[@paulfry7378]

Glad i didnt have your problem....took me 20 minutes to remove covers / slip the fan off/loosened up with water/ roll the auger out....then took a hollow pipe and rammed, rammed rammed the hardened material out

[@PenguinOutdoors]

I have cleared it dozens of times that ranged from almost no effort to a fair amount of effort but this particular one was horrendous.

[@Frogcreek1938]

What about burning them out.

[@PenguinOutdoors]

They harden like concrete inside of there and there’s no access to burn them. Even if there was they trap a ton of moisture inside that pellet cake and aren’t going to burn.

[@maknbacon7367]

Look at all that pellet dust in the hopper at the 37 second mark. Sift the pellet's before dumping them in the hopper to keep that dust out. While moisture is the enemy, that dust is what literally turns to concrete. Pellet's and moisture is bad enough, add dust and you have the makings of this video.

[@PenguinOutdoors]

A good tip I'm sure! For me that extra step is just extra work. My routine now after a cook is to crank the temp all the way up, dump the hopper pellets back into their bucket and let the smoker burn up whatever is left in the tube. No more jams!

[@maknbacon7367]

@PenguinOutdoors I have to question the extra work. Sifting the pellet's before you dump them into the hopper actually will prevent the extra work of emptying the hopper after every cook and will also save on the wasted cash of burning unnecessary pellet's. Been Sifting my pellet's for 3 year's now and only empty my hopper when I change flavors. I've never spent 12 hours clearing a jammed auger either as I've never had one. Do what you need to do, but I honestly believe there is a better, more efficient way....just trying to help.

[@PenguinOutdoors]

@@maknbacon7367 I appreciate the advice! Other viewers may find it extremely informational and helpful. For me, I have sifted pellets in the past. I have also stored smokers inside, or stored them with covers, or a combination of all the above. Despite all of that, and regardless of brands of smokers or pellets, the only thing I have found that prevents swelling and jams 100% of the time is emptying the hopper and burning off what is left. That is why I see it as extra work.

[@kkhollywood9353]

If you use this barbecue grill more often it wouldn't have been jammed so bad.

[@PenguinOutdoors]

Unfortunately that just isn’t always true.

[@teddibiase5332]

Pitboss could easily solve all the problems by moving the motor and running the auger shaft all the way out to the end and putting a nut on it so you could ratchet the auger to free it. But they're too fucking stupid

[@PenguinOutdoors]

A nut to ratchet the auger would not have worked in this situation. Thanks for watching!

[@redbone7040]

👌💯

[@PenguinOutdoors]

Thanks for watching!

[@dondiesel1100]

Like easy E said throw it in the gutter and go by another

[@PenguinOutdoors]

I value my money too much to toss something I can repair!

[@ryneteston8978]

You spent two hammer drills instead of buying a $200 grill

[@PenguinOutdoors]

I spent a minimal amount (Under $50) on two drills to repair a grill I paid like $800 for and that I love. You're right how silly of me.

[@JoeElegante]

I’m not sure if my last comment posted, but I took a drillbit that barely fit inside of the auger and welded it to the auger, and when my drill still would not turn it out, I welded an impact socket on the other end of the bed and got it out with my impact wrench. I wish I could post a picture of it so you can see what I did.

[@gordonwaldner9792]

That was pretty useless. Why not show what you succeeded with.

[@PenguinOutdoors]

I'm sorry you feel that way. I'll have to hang my hat on the few thousand people the video has helped I guess. Thanks for watching!

[@Justanotherdegen]

Does anyone have a link to the rectangle shape piece that he was banging on the ground that has the auger tube running through it. I give up. The auger is not coming out.

[@PenguinOutdoors]

They do not sell that auger chamber to the best of my knowledge. But it will come out if you keep working it.

[@Justanotherdegen]

@@PenguinOutdoors I got it out. I used a 15 dollar set of 3 drill bits from harbor freight that are 25 inches long. Drilled right down the center of the auger through the clog. Punched the auger out with a hammer and a piece of rod after banging it on the ground a few times. Thanks for the help I wouldn’t have made it without you.

[@PenguinOutdoors]

I’m glad you got it out! You’re welcome happy to help. I hand over my worst clog crown to you cuz that sounds bad 😂🍻