Frozen Loading Door Handle.

 
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EarthWindandFire
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Post by EarthWindandFire » Sat. Nov. 15, 2014 12:54 am

Frustrated!

The stove is over 500 degrees and I can't move the door handle. If I pull too hard the whole stove moves and I'm afraid it will disconnect from the exhaust pipe. I was hoping that the heat would loosen the handle up a bit. I can't believe its 1am in the morning, this sucks.

Can the handle be removed and a new one installed?


 
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freetown fred
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Post by freetown fred » Sat. Nov. 15, 2014 6:31 am

Can't picture your latch set up, but ya can on the 50-93

 
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blrman07
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Post by blrman07 » Sat. Nov. 15, 2014 6:51 am

Come on EWF. You have had a scad of people tell you how to do this task for over a year now. Let the fire go out. Free up the handle and don't relite until it's free.

Put a wrench on it and horse it after you spray it good. My handle on the stoker was frozen solid. I sprayed it for two days and using my pipe wrench I got it to move and kept working it and spraying it till it moved. Kept working it until I could spin it all the way around.

 
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McGiever
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Post by McGiever » Sat. Nov. 15, 2014 10:17 am

McGiever wrote:
EarthWindandFire wrote:I'm having the same problem with the door this year. I removed the glass, took the door off the stove and put it on my work bench. I've been spraying the spindle in Liquid Wrench Penetrating Oil for two weeks with no sign of improvement. I can't just order a new door because Dave said they are all different and not interchangeable.

Any other suggestions?
After you get this free you can lube it w/ some high temp anti-seize. (graphite or nickle base)
At the end of this season reapply so to be free till start of next season. :idea:
If/when you recover from all this, besides the anti-seize...leave a light bulb burn, or better yet a thermostatic controlled heater on low setting. It is way cheaper than all this drama.

 
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EarthWindandFire
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Post by EarthWindandFire » Sat. Nov. 15, 2014 11:02 am

McGiever,

I've seen people post the most annoying and asinine comments on this board. I'm sorry if my door handle "drama" has bothered you. However, I don't own a fancy Harman Magnum like yourself, I own the poor man's stoker stove that has caused me more stress and anxiety than I can withstand. I'm sorry I ever bought the damn thing. I would do anything to just burn oil again.

 
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McGiever
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Post by McGiever » Sat. Nov. 15, 2014 1:46 pm

EWF,

I truly only want to see you get out of this frozen handle situation and never to go through it again.
.
Many suggestions have been offered yet no acknowledgment of any attempts to use the offered suggestions on your part and this is the second season.

What more can we "the board" do to help you through this?

Okay, one last idea, take the door off the hinges and take it to a fabrication/welding shop.
Tell them your plight and pay them a fee to take it off by any means possible.
Worse case scenario, you will have to buy a new handle if they trash the frozen one...maybe just order the handle and have it with you when you go.

How do you like them apples? :)

 
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Post by windyhill4.2 » Sat. Nov. 15, 2014 3:41 pm

EWF, seems to me you could solve this problem by treating the pass thru the door part of the handle with never-seize at the end of the heating season,then you would be ready to fire up trouble free & not repeat this problem when re-firing each yr.I would work it loose,take it out of the door,clean all the high rust spots off(they are expanding when heated which causes the jamming) coat it with never-seize & then get on with living a trouble free heating season. I realize that not all of us are blessed with the same talents & abilities ,if we were closer I would drive over & quickly fix it for you but too many miles from here to there.Good luck with this problem,hope it's over soon & your stress level can drop to near normal again ( crap like this can really peg the stress meter ) :) :) :) :)


 
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Post by warminmn » Sat. Nov. 15, 2014 3:49 pm

I don't know what stove this is, but just possibly, you could cut the latch off on the inside. Drill a new hole somewhere else and put a new handle and latch in the new hole. This is after you have exhausted all other remedies. Cast iron drills easy. Just a thought

 
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freetown fred
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Post by freetown fred » Sat. Nov. 15, 2014 4:35 pm

Soooo, what's keepin ya from burnin oil if you think that's the solution? AND, after following this similar post for a year & some, I'm thinkin you're probably right.

 
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EarthWindandFire
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Post by EarthWindandFire » Sat. Nov. 15, 2014 5:44 pm

Thanks Fred,

You always seem to know when I'm down and you come in and give me a sucker kick to the gut.

 
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freetown fred
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Post by freetown fred » Sat. Nov. 15, 2014 9:04 pm

Oh stop EWF, I was just tryin to be supportive of what you stated in your post. Can't you sell the HITZER & get something different?

 
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windyhill4.2
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Post by windyhill4.2 » Sat. Nov. 15, 2014 9:12 pm

His profile says he sold the Hitzer, some posts this year seem to indicate the problem is with the LL Lil heater.

 
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Post by Mikeeg02 » Sat. Nov. 15, 2014 9:21 pm

I would say you have one of two issues, and it will continue to aggravate you for the rest of the doors life. The shaft is probably hardened and machined steel, and has started to rust. Every year after shut down, it gets cool, stays cool and the moisture further aggravates the rusting problem. If the shaft itself is not whats rusted, then the hole that shaft goes through has started to rust and probably "scale" meaning the hole has actually gotten smaller and has clamped the shaft.

If possible, get another handle assembly. If not possible, get one made with a hardened steel or stainless (304 not 409) shaft, you can order just about any size hardened or stainless steel shaft you want from mcmaster.com. Once you have a satisfactory replacement, cut the existing one off with a cutting wheel on a grinder, and use a punch to drive the remnants of the old handle in. Now, before installing new handle, drill out the hole where the handle goes through 1/64 larger to ensure a smooth bore.

If you wanted to get fancy, you could get a bronze bushing that the new door handle shaft fits through, and drill the door to tightly fit the OD of the bushing, and softly with a drift punch set the new bronze bushing. Bronze typically is lubricating by nature, and should prevent this in the future as well.

Hope that helps.

 
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freetown fred
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Post by freetown fred » Sat. Nov. 15, 2014 10:22 pm

Yep, meant to say the LL.
windyhill4.2 wrote:His profile says he sold the Hitzer, some posts this year seem to indicate the problem is with the LL Lil heater.

 
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Post by blrman07 » Sun. Nov. 16, 2014 7:32 am

Guys......... I believe we have been approaching this on the assumption that EWF is mechanically inclined, has tools, uses them on a regular basis etc etc etc.

Reading past posts from EWF shows that he is hesitant to pull the trigger maybe because he is not a mechanic. My son until recently had zero tools except for the pre-requisite hammer, two screwdrivers and a roll of electrical tape. When ever he had something to do he called me to "help" him.

The best recommendation I have seen on this thread is to stop stressing about it, take the door to a shop, give it to them and pay them to fix it. A perfect place is your local automotive garage. A good garage loves challenges.


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