Auger Jam....Mt Vernon AE.....Need Help
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Kappel15, lately my feed motor has been making the clicking sound when running. Seems to happen when the stove is running on a lower setting and I know it's the feed motor because the noise ceases when I lift the hopper lid. I did a search and it seems to be a compliant of the MVAE but I couldn't find a resolution. A few enteries I read suggested that this is how it is on some of these motors. Any thoughts? Thanks.
I've been fighting this same issue with my AE insert. I've cleaned auger and tube, replaced optical sensor, checked wiring etc. Still getting an auger jam error...auger is spinning fine. Aargh! Any other suggestions? Stove is 2007, never had any issues.
Wilbur Feral
Minister of Fire
Hi Kap,
I don't want to hijack the thread as Mikebar22's jammed auger is more serious than my problem, but since the two problems are similar, I'll ask: Is the clicking feed motor at low speeds a sign of on impending failure, or just a nuisance that is peculiar to the MVAE? Ours has done it for quite some time (multiple seasons) but the warm temps this year have us running at low settings often, so I think we notice it more. And if it's just a nuisance, is there a fix? Wondering if I need to replace it, or just accept that this is a MVAE quirk. Thanks in advance.
I don't want to hijack the thread as Mikebar22's jammed auger is more serious than my problem, but since the two problems are similar, I'll ask: Is the clicking feed motor at low speeds a sign of on impending failure, or just a nuisance that is peculiar to the MVAE? Ours has done it for quite some time (multiple seasons) but the warm temps this year have us running at low settings often, so I think we notice it more. And if it's just a nuisance, is there a fix? Wondering if I need to replace it, or just accept that this is a MVAE quirk. Thanks in advance.
The clicking motor is standard operating procedure, much to most peoples annoyance(me included). The way these motors were built, leads to the noise on low settings, or until you reach ssmed. on higher settings. Wish there was a fix as it is sad with all the other advances they did to make this one of the quietest running stoves, that they didn't address this. kap
Wilbur Feral
Minister of Fire
Wilbur Feral
Minister of Fire
<b>Preface:I don't recommend doing this unless you have a spare motor or just want to tinker
</b>The clicking you hear in the motor is a misnaleinment of the primary and secondary gear in the motor itself. If you were to take this motor apart, do so by removing the motor and auger so you just the motor on a bench. Additional note: there were two motor styles and I'm speaking to the most recent motor that is black with a silver screwed on casing, this one needs to be taken apart. The older motor was silver and white and has a compression clip over the top of it. If the old style is clicking try applying a c clamp on the motors from the base and tightening down with just a wee little bit of pressure. Clicking should subside, the expose metal compression clip that holds the two motors together loses its force as the motor feels stress from use. Stress goes away and the clip gets stretched. Mount it back with the c clamp attached.
Back to the newer style motor....
Once you get it on a bench you need to flip it over and remove the 3 Phillips screws. Very very gently you need to pull the motor away until you can see the gears inside the black casing. At the very bottom, under the primary and secondary gear you will see a triangular piece of metal that is convex kinda like a bolen washer. Actually, it's a round washer-like spring but has three tabs equidistant that props the gear up off the motor base. It's brass. Under pressure from the feed system the gears ride down and this spring can get mushed down into the grease and then it either gets flattened or the grease hold it down via suction. When this happens the primary and secondary gears clip each other and that is the ticking you hear. In 1 of 3 motors I inspected I was able to replace the spring washers (there are actually two, one under the primary and one between the primary and secondary gear) with a very very thin metal washer that I bent slightly with pliers to suspend the gears.
The trick is putting this all back together. Truthfully I've had more success with a Rubics Cube, but there you go, that's the issue.
I kept old motor which is the black with silver casing with spring clip.I will try tho if it works I will have a spare.
Wilbur Feral
Minister of Fire
Well, I'll try a lot of things, but that may be beyond what I want to do until at least the end of the season (especially with a 1:3 success rate by a pro). I find that if I just run the stove on Manual Medium it goes away. It's when we run in auto and it runs at speeds below Medium (which auto tends to do, especially in warmer weather) that we hear the clicking. We would prefer to run it on auto, but the clicking is incredibly annoying, so manual it is. Eats through more pellets when temps are over 35 or so, but at least I'm not ready to smack the stove all the time.
This is a manufacturing / design defect, but one that tends to show up after year 1. Buyers of MVAEs out of warranty should be aware of this. Heck, I guess buyers of ANY of these over-complicated stoves should be aware of it. Live and learn... Great stove, but with some definite flaws. This is another of them.
Thanks for the info, Steve. Greatly appreciated.
This is a manufacturing / design defect, but one that tends to show up after year 1. Buyers of MVAEs out of warranty should be aware of this. Heck, I guess buyers of ANY of these over-complicated stoves should be aware of it. Live and learn... Great stove, but with some definite flaws. This is another of them.
Thanks for the info, Steve. Greatly appreciated.
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