Hopper Is Stuck/Frozen on My AHS S130

Hello, I'm looking for any clever ideas on how to remove the hopper on my AHS S130 boiler.

I removed the two holding screws and tried to remove it from the collar it slips into but it hasn't been removed since Fall 2008 and now it won't budge. Due to rusting, I sprayed some WD40around the collar neck to see if it would penetrate and loosen things up. So far, nothing.

If anyone has any ideas, I'd be grateful. Thanks

http://www.amazon.com/Kano-Kroil-Penetrating-liquid-KROIL/dp/B000F09CF4

http://www.cyclefish.com/forum/The-Garage/General/Penetratin ... 611-1.html

It's probably going to take vibration to break the rusted parts also. Do some tapping with a hammer. Don't bend anything, just tap hard enough to make it vibrate good.

DITTO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Before you regret it please be sure to invest in a heat gun and use it
to heat the collar the hopper nests in to. The collar will expand and
the hopper throat will break its rust bond with the coal feeding tube
(if you have good heat gun great).

After you have heated it for while you need to take a piece of good
2 by 4 and a 4 pound hammer if you have one and place the lumbers
flat wide side on the inverted cone and tap it several times heavily in
several places around the cone and it should pull up while you are
hammering the lumber on its wide side.

Heating it with heat gun may just be enough to let you lift it up but
I believe you will need the lumber and the four pound hammer to do it.

?? If the metals as dissimilar they may have melded together ... effectively making a pseudo-weld. If that's the case hammering would do no good (at least hammering that would not damage the parts).

http://www.amazon.com/CRC-Knocker-Penetrating-Solvent-Aerosol/dp/B000LEVE00#customerReviews

Maybe start with minimal banging .... penetrating stuff ^^^ 1st

2nd --- heat/ cool (torch or dry ice) don't give up on just one try ... sometimes it takes 2-5 cycles

3rd (you're blaming the wife at this point) ... hammer as directed above

If any product is equally as effective as the ATF & Solvent homebrew, then it is just the same thing except with a fancy price and label.

So Tim, how are you making out with the hopper? What are you taking it apart to accomplish? Mike

Actually I think Mike meant--WHY??? not what! Oh yeah, it's early-- --whichever----how's it going?

Sorry I haven't comment back with an update yet. I've tried several times using the 50/50mix penetrant and the 2x4 w/ hammer to try and break things loose. So far, no success. I have an improved plan I'll try this Saturday which will include heating the collar. I have an industrial heat gun, but I'm also thinking of using the propane torch. Other than keeping the keep spread out, any concerns there?

The reason for dis-assembly is that circumstances are dictating a more hands off heating solution and so I'm going to be going back to oil. I had a buyer on the S130, but I haven't heard from him lately.

Anyone looking for an AHS S130 coil gun boiler? (Installed Fall 2008).

Heat gun? Likely not going to be a success but it won't hurt.

No need to explain why you need to do this .. "because its there" is good enough for me.

With all of that acetone on there, be careful to not burn the house down when you heat it.

Hah! Maybe a little fire might make that collar expand.

If you have a welding supply store nearby it may be worth your while to see if
they have the fire stop putty that you use to keep things from catching fire
from both large and small smoke wrenches. I do not remember who makes it.

If possible I would buy some dry ice stuff a towel in the bottom of the hopper tube
and then and toss in the dry ice in the bottom of the hopper and then throw a couple of
heavy towels on the dry ice and let it work for a couple of hours.

The dry ice will not melt into water so no worries there.

The Sub Zero Temperature created by the dry ice may be just enough to break the rust with
a mallet and 2 by 4.

Short of all the above a Bernzomatic Fatboy Torch(yellow gas bottle) will heat it up the outer
collar quickly for you.

Hello Tim W,

Do you have any news good or bad about your boiler surgery??????????????????????

I have checked back periodically wondering how it went or whether you kept working
on it?