Keystoker 90 Not Feeding Enough Coal

 
coalnewbie
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Post by coalnewbie » Sat. Jan. 07, 2017 11:07 am

Your photo of a black cat in a railway tunnel at midnight is creative. We will see but I don't think that bar is the issue.

 
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CoalisCoolxWarm
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Post by CoalisCoolxWarm » Sat. Jan. 07, 2017 11:14 am

FarmerJ wrote:Thanks everybody for the info looks like the adjustable bar is a little bent going to tweet it back for now and order a new one monday. I'll keep you posted how it turns out.
Check my thread linked above. If the bar is bent, it has likely jammed at some point. Make sure to check the gasket material on the sides of the slide and with it all removed (hopper off, feed motor dropped), make SURE the slide can move freely.

It can/should be tight, but shouldn't be stiff- once aligned. When inserting it for reassembly, it's okay to be a bit stiff, just be sure you aren't getting the gasket material folded or stuffed up or it will jam again :shock:

FYI. That can also happen if you get too much damp coal and fines, or a larger chunk of coal (some report nut size in bags of rice), or piece of rock, etc. Keep your coal and switch suppliers if you find too large pieces in it.

No need for unnecessary breakdowns.

Your pic is completely black/blank?

 
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CoalisCoolxWarm
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Post by CoalisCoolxWarm » Sat. Jan. 07, 2017 11:16 am

coalnewbie wrote:Your photo of a black cat in a railway tunnel at midnight is creative. We will see but I don't think that bar is the issue.
It's likely a symptom. He will hopefully find the cause when he removes it to straighten. The gasket on the sides is my suspect...double-sided tape :mad:

 
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oliver power
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Post by oliver power » Sat. Jan. 07, 2017 11:26 am

CoalisCoolxWarm wrote:
coalnewbie wrote:Your photo of a black cat in a railway tunnel at midnight is creative. We will see but I don't think that bar is the issue.
It's likely a symptom. He will hopefully find the cause when he removes it to straighten. The gasket on the sides is my suspect...double-sided tape :mad:
Good point..... Could be binding within itself, and not anything to do with a rock, etc. obstructing.


 
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Post by FarmerJ » Sat. Jan. 07, 2017 12:07 pm

It may have bound at some point, when I replaced the nylon sews they were pretty wore in the front which leads me to belive they have seen a bit of coal dust cleaned everything before I put it back in and made sure it moved freely. The gasket was still intact and as it should be. The photo must have not uploaded properly. Still doesn't seem to be pushing as much as it should be I'll give it a day see how it operates and probably make a new bar tmro.

 
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CoalisCoolxWarm
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Post by CoalisCoolxWarm » Sat. Jan. 07, 2017 12:15 pm

Sounds like a plan!

FYI. If your fire is out and the hopper is removed, you can run the boiler on its own, usually by just turning it on.

I did that on the KAA2 to watch the feed mechanism all work for about a half hour, kept checking it, before reassembly.

Also- there wasn't a gasket on the stoker flange where it sits against the body of the stove section on this KAA2. I recommended he get the flat fiberglass gasket material that we can install there. You can use furnace cement or whatever, but then you have to remove and reapply it each time. Better to go with the gasket, IMHO.

Here's a pic from the net of what I'm describing.
StokerGasket_example.png
.PNG | 545.8KB | StokerGasket_example.png

 
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oliver power
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Post by oliver power » Sat. Jan. 07, 2017 12:50 pm

Yes, I went with gasket from day-1.

 
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oliver power
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Post by oliver power » Sat. Jan. 07, 2017 12:57 pm

FarmerJ wrote:It may have bound at some point, when I replaced the nylon sews they were pretty wore in the front which leads me to belive they have seen a bit of coal dust cleaned everything before I put it back in and made sure it moved freely. The gasket was still intact and as it should be. The photo must have not uploaded properly. Still doesn't seem to be pushing as much as it should be I'll give it a day see how it operates and probably make a new bar tmro.
Hard to see by eye, but every turn on the adjustment screw makes a difference. Give it an hour, then check it. Good rule is 1 hour between adjustments. Without checking, my adjustment is about 4 turns back from full stroke. Turn all the way clockwise, then 3 or 4 turns counter clockwise. That'd be a good starting point for you. I'm burning straight "Buck".


 
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Post by FarmerJ » Mon. Jan. 09, 2017 1:23 pm

So I am having a little difficulty sourcing buck but I did go ahead and straighten the adjustment arm/bar and also tacked an .0625" piece of sheet metal to in I am getting a better burn but still not quite full. I am probable going to pull it again and tack another to it. Temp went up to just under 400°F on the side a lot better than the consistent 300° I was getting.

 
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CoalisCoolxWarm
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Post by CoalisCoolxWarm » Mon. Jan. 09, 2017 1:34 pm

FarmerJ wrote:So I am having a little difficulty sourcing buck
Where are you located? We keep pretty good track of suppliers on here ;)

 
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Post by FarmerJ » Mon. Jan. 09, 2017 2:58 pm

Central New York in between Utica and Syracuse. Trying to get my old man using coal again so I can justify sourcing my own trailer load.

 
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CoalisCoolxWarm
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Other Heating: Oil Boiler

Post by CoalisCoolxWarm » Mon. Jan. 09, 2017 3:07 pm

FarmerJ wrote:Central New York in between Utica and Syracuse. Trying to get my old man using coal again so I can justify sourcing my own trailer load.
Not in my neck of the woods, but someone should be along shortly to offer a suggestion

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