Taking Apart Gear Assembly on Key 90. Asking Your Experience

gitrdonecoal · Post by **gitrdonecoal** » Tue. Jan. 28, 2014 9:58 am

Dry coal, clean stove, no blockage, cam has a 50 second revolution which keystone says is ok. They suggested I take apart, clean, inspect and go from there. Stove is 350 screw bolt maxed out and 3 inches of ash. Something is up. I have minimal play in slide plate. What have you guys found when taking apart?

McGiever · Post by **McGiever** » Tue. Jan. 28, 2014 10:17 am

How's the carpet?
Sometimes they can bow or warp a little from heat, I guess, and then fines can work in under the carpet and then the fines can raise carpet even more to the point eventually it doesn't move as much coal as it should. If this may be the case, the fix is to empty hopper, pull carpet, straighten/flatten carpet, clear fines away from where carpet rides and then reassemble all before fire goes out.

gitrdonecoal · Post by **gitrdonecoal** » Tue. Jan. 28, 2014 10:23 am

You're talking that rope gasket type material between the hopper and the gear housing? If that's the case I never had one

WNY · Post by **WNY** » Tue. Jan. 28, 2014 12:25 pm

I would NOT take the GEARBOX itself apart, You can remove the entire assembly, however, there a bunch of gears inside it and if you get ONE out of line, it won't work. They are typcially only about 1 or 2 RPM, but high torque.

Does your have a NYLON cam bearing that pushes the slider? Sometimes if it gets hot, or burns back on the grate, due to an air leak or someting, the cam will melt and cause misfeeding.

OR you have a lot of fines in the pusher area and it not pushing properly.? If you drop the gearbox out, you can gently pull the pusher block out, it has gaskets and some nylon screws on the sides for adjustment.

OR Make sure the screw adjustment hasn't backed off too much and still attached, that happens sometimes too! You said it all the way IN? Clockwise I assume? that would be full feed.

I don;t think there is a gasket between the hopper and the gear housing. Mine just sits on top of it.

McGiever · Post by **McGiever** » Tue. Jan. 28, 2014 12:29 pm

gitrdonecoal wrote:You're talking that rope gasket type material between the hopper and the gear housing? If that's the case I never had one

No, I mean the Pusher.

gitrdonecoal · Post by **gitrdonecoal** » Tue. Jan. 28, 2014 1:00 pm

Well I took the gear motor screws out to slide push bar out. Let me tell ya, it barely slid out! So much fines accumulated between plate and housing. Had to work back and fourth gingerly for a minute or so to get it out. I also found two of the four screws that attach the motor to the metal shroud (think I'm explaining this right) were backed out quite a bit. I'd imagine it was making everything bind. Between the two problems I figured I did the job. Put everything g together and plugged back in. Now I notice the motor does not whine when it has pressure on it. It always sounded like this so I thought it was normal, as I bought this unit used. I think I got it! A few hours will tell.

gitrdonecoal · Post by **gitrdonecoal** » Tue. Jan. 28, 2014 1:05 pm

McGiever wrote:
gitrdonecoal wrote:You're talking that rope gasket type material between the hopper and the gear housing? If that's the case I never had one
No, I mean the Pusher.

I guess I've never noticed a carpet there. I especially didn't see one while taking things apart

gitrdonecoal · Post by **gitrdonecoal** » Tue. Jan. 28, 2014 1:42 pm

Oh when you say carpet you mean that actual pusher plate. Sorry battling a sinus/virus thing and I'm also polish. So yes there was a lot of fines in there. The previous owner had a piece of flat smoke rope between hopper and frame piece, that's what was mixing me up. Cleaned up and waiting

McGiever · Post by **McGiever** » Tue. Jan. 28, 2014 2:40 pm

Yep, some stoker stoves have a longer thin steel plate the width of the grate that gets push and pulled to move coal down the inclined grate...it's called a carpet cause it goes under the coal, I guess.??? But, your pusher does the same and it and stays behind the coal.

None the less, coal fines can sure bind them up and they only get worse till something breaks or overheats.

Good that you got it solved...and now you know what to look out for.

gitrdonecoal · Post by **gitrdonecoal** » Tue. Jan. 28, 2014 2:44 pm

I must say I love this site and the people at keystoker. When I finally upgrade to a furnace it will be a keystoker for sure

WNY · Post by **WNY** » Tue. Jan. 28, 2014 6:21 pm

Hopefully it works for you. Yes, that is a place around the pusher block that always needs cleaning! Always good to do the spring maintenance and clean it all out.

My keystoker is about 10+ years old and still works great. Only a combustion blower has been replaced so far. But did get the old working after putting some good electric motor oil and let it soak a while. the sleeve bearings collect dust, ash, etc...and will bind up.

gitrdonecoal · Post by **gitrdonecoal** » Tue. Jan. 28, 2014 7:45 pm

Yea I'm really loving the stove. With two kids now work and more work load at the fire dept it's hard to do wood. Loved the workout no time. The stove is almost undersized for my 1700 sq ft ranch. But if the propane kicks on twice a week in this sub zero weather so be it. For the 400 dollars paid for a stove like new I'd say it's money well spent

shanedoe · Post by **shanedoe** » Tue. Jan. 28, 2014 9:20 pm

My koker sometimes gets fines wedged on top of pusher block. I have been using a hack saw blade to to push/cut fines out. Easy fix and no need to shut stove down.

2001Sierra · Post by **2001Sierra** » Tue. Jan. 28, 2014 10:20 pm

My push block gets some build up. I oil my coal with peanut oil, when it starts to make noise I clean it and oil the motor. Otherwise if it does not complain, I just oil the motor every other month with it running. Every spring the block and motor gets pulled, the block is cleaned on a wire wheel, and the motor gets a blast of air from the compressor and a careful oiling.