Got myself a 6039 4 button stove

[SidecarFlip]

Couple good things, one, the view glass isn't cracked (it's original), I know that because I cracked mine and the replacement didn't have the 'American Harvest' logo on it and the board works, I checked that before I paid him for it and I have the 'faux' brick panel as well. The 4 button boards are very expensive to replace.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Here you go, more pictures.. Pulled the combustion fan, loaded with ash (expected) and the fan has skate bearings but they are rough so I'll replace them with new ones. Obviously another owner who never read the instruction manual.... I have to say, I've never seen ash buildup on the back inside of the combustion blower housing. Must have been roasting some very dirty pellets.

I removed the fiberglass gasket completely and I will use a bead of red RTV around the perimeter of the housing and let it vulcanize before re-assembly. No gasket ever needed again.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Getting deeper into it. Just about have it gutted out. Interestingly, the vacuum switch terminals on the mother board have a jumper on them and the switch mounted on the side of the HX on standoff's is disconnected. I'll have to hook up my silver line hand vacuum pump to it and see of it's showing continuity or not. Got all the drive motors dried out bearing re lubed, lubed all the reduction boxes with fresh, high temp synthetic grease, cleaned and lubed the room air fan, everything was disgustingly filthy. Still have to do the firebox and regasket the door and then on to paint and reinstall all the works.

Kind of scratching my head about all the old dirty coagulated oil on the floor of the cabinet and all the baked on oil crud on some of the components, like who ever owned it, tried and failed to oil the mechanical components but just spread the oil in the cabinet floor. I'll have to clean up that mess as well.

 

[tlc1976]

Here you go, more pictures.. Pulled the combustion fan, loaded with ash (expected) and the fan has skate bearings but they are rough so I'll replace them with new ones. Obviously another owner who never read the instruction manual.... I have to say, I've never seen ash buildup on the back inside of the combustion blower housing. Must have been roasting some very dirty pellets.

I removed the fiberglass gasket completely and I will use a bead of red RTV around the perimeter of the housing and let it vulcanize before re-assembly. No gasket ever needed again.

View attachment 283889 View attachment 283890 View attachment 283891 View attachment 283893

Sounds like that might make the exhaust blower a hint quieter too.

 

[SidecarFlip]

One thing I noticed (and fixed) was the connection of the combustion fan housing to the firebox. The screws were loose and that would allow smoke to escape on startup. I tightened all of them securely. I wonder if the 'smoke smell' that people are getting on their stoves is because the joint between the firebox and the exhaust fan housing is loose???? It is gasketed but loose is loose.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Awesome news, very happy to hear your health is good! Keep kicking ass on this rebuild, I love seeing the progress!

Not perfect, I suspect never will be but it is nice staying on this side of the dirt. So long as I can farm, ride my motorcycles off and on and run my fabrication business and post on my favorite forum (here), I'm all good with life... and nag my understanding wife too.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Back at the stove today (later). Got some parts in from Pellet Head this AM. One thing I'm in a quandary about and that is, it's missing the base trim pieces. Found them online but the cost is way out of line for 3 formed metal cove like pieces. I need to either procure them somewhere or fab them up which will require my forming rolls, sheet metal and some welding on of threaded nuts or Rivnuts. Cheapest I could find them online was 75 bucks for each of the side pieces and 80 for the front piece. I'd say all in, the parts probably cost a buck to male, if that. All they are, are 16 gauge hot rolled sheet, painted flat black. I don't mind buying them used but 230 bucks for 3 pieces of cheap formed metal is way over the top.

Gonna do the door today for sure. Got the glass gasket in and the silicone gasket for the room air blower. Waiting for the Tripp Lite single outlet surge suppressor yet.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Better correct that, 'Stove Parts for Less' not Pellethead.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Reworked the door. I had to drill and re thread the threaded holes for the clamping plates, all the screws broke off and were not about to come out so I center punched them, redrilled them out and retapped them. Got the new glass and door gasket in so I set the glass and regasketed the door. It's done been working on the stove itself. Previous owner bypassed the vacuum switch, why I have no idea, unless it failed so I replaced that with a new one. The OAK was never hooked up so I ordered the OAK/FAK kit on Flea Bay and installed the flex pipe from the outside boss to the intake boss in the firebox. Knocked out the plug and drilled 4 holes in it so it can breathe outside air. Greased all the drives, oiled all the bearings and reinstalled everything. Took paint thinner, scotchbrite and an old towel and cleaned up whatever was in the bottom of the stove, not a clue what it was but it's gone now. Vacuumed out all the ash, took 3 times with the shop vac and a bottle brush to get it all out, there was a huge load. I don't see how it even worked., painted the hopper lid inside, flap wheeled and sanded the outside front. The side and back panels are good to go as it the top so I won't paint that.

Tomorrow, I have to do some welding on it. The bolt that secures the door latch broke off, so I'll weld the latch on. Don't need no stinking bolt anyway... lol I'll use the glue gun to weld it. Tomorrow is supposed tp be nice so I'm gonna roll it outside and give it the '5 gallon finish' and let it sit a few days and put it all back together and fire it up and see how it runs. Parts wise, I'm into 2 cans of HT stove paint, new vacuum switch and hose, new FAK/OAK kit, new door gasket, new glass gasket and sweat equity. Still need to pick up a couple 2.5" electrical knockout plugs for the backside of the inner firebox wall and I did buy a new thermostat for it as well and a surge suppressor... I'm keeping it for the shop.

Door pictures. Next post will be all pictures and that will be tomorrow.. need to find another stove to refurbish. maybe a Harman this time...

 

[SidecarFlip]

This is all pictures. Ready for the 5 gallon finish and I need to weld the door latch on yet... Sure looks nicer than when I brought it home. Going to replace all the TEK panel fasteners with Rivnuts and machine screws too.

It's coming along...

 

[SidecarFlip]

I'm almost 100% sure this one will wind up heating the shop as I heat it with in floor PEX but the heat source is propane fired. My buddy who owns the propane dealer I get my gas from was just over.. Yesterday, Propane was at $2.09 a gallon. It's going up like everything else is.

I usually burn around 600 gallons heating the shop every winter.

 

[Washed-Up]

What a transformation, looks great! Yup propane is high up here too, not sure of the current price tho

 

[SidecarFlip]

I still have not figured out what was all over in the bottom pan but it did clean up with paint thinner and some old (now in the garbage) rags. Looked like thick oil peppered with pellet bits. It's coming along. Next pictures will be after the 5 gallon finish.

One thing that bothered me was the previous owner defeated the vacuum safety switch, why, I don't have a clue but I bought a new one and a new vacuum hose as well. Need to pull his home made jumper on the control board too.

All the motors and drives work smoothly now. Got plenty of grease and oil in the right spots.

 

[SidecarFlip]

It's done: Gonna put it in the shop. No point in selling it as it burns corn....

Items I replaced:
New Vacuum switch
Fresh Air Kit
Isobar Surge Protector
3' Duravent 3" ID vent pipe
(to get it off the wall far enough to access the back panel so I can service it easier). I got the outside venting with the unit.
2 spray cans of HT flat black
2 knobs for the cleanout slides.
Honeywell digital Millivolt T'stat
12' of thermostat wire
2 1 1/2" electrical sealing plugs
Rutland 5/8" door gasket kit and glass gasket kit.

Plenty of sweat equity. I took it all apart and cleaned out all the filth and caked in ashes took the drives apart, greased the gearboxes, oiled all the motor bearings, had to take the combustion fan off (hard to do but I heated it with my oxy-acetylene torch and coaxed the socket screw out. Had to wire brush all the caked on crap on the blades. Put a ring of Red RTV around the edge of the housing, let it vulcanize and replaced the combustion fan, no more gasket needed. Quiet as a mouse now. Convection fan got taken apart and cleaned and the motor lubed as well. Cleaned the floor of the unit and got all the filth out of there. Welded the door latch on the stove body, I broke off the bolt trying to remove it. Not going anywhere now. I changed all the outside panel Tek screws to threaded Rivnuts with socket head capscrews in their place. I don't like Tek Screws. They look (and are) cheap.



I took a pad of scotch brite and scuffed the entire stove (except the top and hopper lid because they were in good shape, took my 4.5" air angle grinder and a 80 grit flap disc and sanded down the front and removed all the rust, wire brushed the inside as well. Masked off and painted the stove in HT flat black. Put the sealing plugs in the false firebox wall behind the faux brick panel. Re did the door with new glass gasket and door gasket and added the flex pipe for the FAK and drilled the blanking plug under the burn pot for the fresh air (OAK) kit.

I still need to fire it up and smoke off all the paint which I'll probably do tomorrow on straight pellets.

Would I do another one? You bet your life I would if I can find one for a good price. Maybe a Harman next...lol

 

[SidecarFlip]

I'm still amazed it even worked. It was so filled with old solidified ash, no way it worked and if it did, which would have been a miracle, it surely didn't put out much heat. Either the guy that sold it to me was an idiot or was just plain lazy and obviously never read the manual. Good to go now.

 

[Washed-Up]

I'm still amazed it even worked. It was so filled with old solidified ash, no way it worked and if it did, which would have been a miracle, it surely didn't put out much heat. Either the guy that sold it to me was an idiot or was just plain lazy and obviously never read the manual. Good to go now.

Wow, it looks great….awesome job….if it wasn’t for people like the guy you bought it off of…we wouldn’t stay busy saving money

 

[SidecarFlip]

Not sure about saving the money in as much as I'll keep it so I didn't save squat but then I did because a new one (slightly different fuel feed) but same board is 2400 retail and I'm pretty sure with the way thing are today, that price is pretty firm.

You need to excuse the wire hanging out the side in the one picture. I hooked up the remote thermostat wire to the board and put it in the hopper (thermostat is in there as well.)

Now I'm on the lookout for another 'gem' to rebuild and sell. I figure this next summer will be the time to get one from some disenchanted owner.

USSC for some reason went to a canted vertically fuel feed, why I don't know. There is no chance of burn back because they are negative pressure stoves.

Was so much rotten ash in it I had to change the bag in the shop vac, it literally filled a bag.

Kind of wish it was auto ignition, then I'd hook up a millivolt WiFi T'stat so I could fire it up from the comfort of the house and not have to go out in a cold shop to light it. Cannot have everything I guess.

I'll still use the floor heat to keep the shop above freezing when I'm not in there. I have stuff in there that would be ruined if it froze.

Should reduce my propane bill appreciably. It takes about 600 gallons of propane to heat it all winter. At the current price, it's about 1300 bucks.

Not getting fancy with the venting either straight vent out to the cleanout and vertical about 6 feet to a 90 to the hood. Probably get the outside wall black but no big deal. It's pre paint Fabral anyway so the pressure washer will take care of that.

In the house, the central furnace has not been on yet. I do keep the blower on manual so the entire house is an even 72 degrees. Been below freezing here almost every night for a week now. Cannot wait for the first snow event.....not.

 

[Washed-Up]

Not sure about saving the money in as much as I'll keep it so I didn't save squat but then I did because a new one (slightly different fuel feed) but same board is 2400 retail and I'm pretty sure with the way thing are today, that price is pretty firm.

You need to excuse the wire hanging out the side in the one picture. I hooked up the remote thermostat wire to the board and put it in the hopper (thermostat is in there as well.)

Now I'm on the lookout for another 'gem' to rebuild and sell. I figure this next summer will be the time to get one from some disenchanted owner.

USSC for some reason went to a canted vertically fuel feed, why I don't know. There is no chance of burn back because they are negative pressure stoves.

Was so much rotten ash in it I had to change the bag in the shop vac, it literally filled a bag.

Kind of wish it was auto ignition, then I'd hook up a millivolt WiFi T'stat so I could fire it up from the comfort of the house and not have to go out in a cold shop to light it. Cannot have everything I guess.

I'll still use the floor heat to keep the shop above freezing when I'm not in there. I have stuff in there that would be ruined if it froze.

Should reduce my propane bill appreciably. It takes about 600 gallons of propane to heat it all winter. At the current price, it's about 1300 bucks.

Not getting fancy with the venting either straight vent out to the cleanout and vertical about 6 feet to a 90 to the hood. Probably get the outside wall black but no big deal. It's pre paint Fabral anyway so the pressure washer will take care of that.

In the house, the central furnace has not been on yet. I do keep the blower on manual so the entire house is an even 72 degrees. Been below freezing here almost every night for a week now. Cannot wait for the first snow event.....not.

No balking….you saving money’s in the long run

 

[SidecarFlip]

I guess it's a ROI deal....

 

[SidecarFlip]

Balls to the wall time...

Running it wide open (HR9) to burn the 'cobwebs out'. Sitting in front of the shop door on my usual 2-1 mix... She's a cooking...lol Plenty of heat, I won't run it that hard as a rule, HR5 is plenty enough. It's 71 in the shop with the door open...

 

[Washed-Up]

Gotta burn the paint in somehow

 

[SidecarFlip]

Letting it stink for a while....

 

[SidecarFlip]

I can see a new burn pot in the future. The one that came with it is for some reason, badly corroded. Not sure how that happened as they are 304 stainless. 304 will corrode like mild steel will, but much more slowly. Makes no sense to me as the interior steel in the stove isn't badly corroded but then I have no idea what the previous owner did or attempted to burn. All I know for sure is, he was lazy.

 

[art 65]

Great thread. I found it particularly helpful since I picked up a 6039 not long after you started the thread. I know nothing about pellet stoves and have always been a wood burner. This year I decided to try and make the switch to pellets.
Thanks for the pictures and explanations on what you were doing. I have been able to figure out how everything works and take mine apart to clean it out the right way. It was completely full of ash. Now I am going to take the gear boxes for the auger and agitator off and clean the inside and regrease. I plan to make my own gaskets for the blowers too like you suggested. Couple of questions about the bearings. What do you mean by skate bearings on the blowers? Do you mean bearings from an actual set of skates? Mine has a Fasco Blower that says the bearing are permanently lubed. I know permanently lubed usually means lubed for a while until you need new ones but I thought I would try to oil them myself. I have a needle oiler but I don't think anything was getting down past the shields when I tried. Are you disassembling the blower so you can get at the bearing easier? If so I can do that but would rather put it back together with upgraded bearings. I assume the skate bearings are the upgrade. Another question about the thermostat, where can I find information about connecting one of those? I searched but did not see anything specific to this stove.

 

[Jeremy6500]

I am not sure about the bearings, but I have a 6500 hooked to a thermostat. I followed this