Linkage sticking on equinox
- Thread starter tlingit
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I'm assuming you mean the linkage for the primary air. Just had this happen to my Mansfield last week. Went to dial down the primary air after getting a fresh load roaring. The lever wouldn't budge at all! It always slid a little rough, but it was completely stuck. Tried to work it back and forth, but was worried I was going to snap something. Grabbed some wads of aluminum foil and stuffed both primary air holes. I kept working the linkage until whatever was jamming it finally worked free. Still pretty poor action at that point. Went to hardware store - bought small tube of graphite powder. Gave the linkage about 4 or 5 good 'puffs' from the tube, working the linkage in between each 'puff'. It's never worked better - even when brandy new! Cheers!
Did it just start, or has it always been this way? On our stove, the primary air control is a little sliding gate mounted to the bottom of the stove with 4 screws. Ours had a stiff point halfway through it's travel range, ie, once you closed the air down to "half" after that the slider was very stiff.
I pulled it off after playing with one at the dealer (which didn't have this "feature" lol) and found it was bent just a little bit, straightened it out, smooth as butter now. Try looking under the stove and see if you can spot the actual control/hole. Now that I have had mine off, I can say that a person could, at least on my stove, have fixed it just by bending the little piece on the sliding gate, without removal from the stove.
I pulled it off after playing with one at the dealer (which didn't have this "feature" lol) and found it was bent just a little bit, straightened it out, smooth as butter now. Try looking under the stove and see if you can spot the actual control/hole. Now that I have had mine off, I can say that a person could, at least on my stove, have fixed it just by bending the little piece on the sliding gate, without removal from the stove.
from hearthstones pdf on linkage replacement for EQ
this has clearly been an issue...
let me know if you need the images as well
The primary air linkage moves through two holes in the bottom of the stove. As the cast parts expand and
contract in response to the heating and cooling of the firebox, the rod may shift very minutely, but enough to
cause it to bind on rare occasions. This may cause the air control to move with difficulty, or become stuck. To
completely eliminate this as a concern, the linkage rod (item 27 in the page one drawing) has been modified.
The exposed portion of the shaft above the connector arm on the top of the linkage has been eliminated. The
linkage now passes through a single hole and will not bind, but still has enough support to stay in place and
function properly.
To replace the linkage, follow these instructions.
1. Remove the ash pan door by first removing the two bolts located under the ash dump with the 7/16â€
wrench.
2. With the ash door removed and set aside, place a couple of boards directly under the ash dump. This
will protect the hearth and allow you to work on the ash dump.
3. Remove the five bolts that hold the ash dump (28) to the bottom of the stove with a 7/16†wrench or
socket. Gently drop the ash dump down onto the boards and pull it out to work on it.
4. Tap out the small roll pin (and retain for reassembly) in the linkage rod (27) so that you can lift out the
linkage rod (27) and the spring (26) and washer (not shown). Place the spring and new linkage rod
back into the ash dump.
5. Before you replace the ash dump, reach up into the bottom and make sure the air shutter plate moves
easily left to right. If you are experiencing any binding, the retaining bar above the plate may be bent in
a restrictive position. This is a light metal piece that you can easily bend up to relieve this pressure.
6. With the washer, spring, and linkage properly installed (remember to tap the roll pin back into the
linkage rod), lift up the ash dump (making sure the pin that extends down from the shutter plate drops
into the slot in the extension on the linkage rod – as shown in the circled portion of the illustration on
page one) and position it so that the bolts can be rethreaded back into the bottom to attach the ash
dump back onto the bottom.
7. Line up the ash door and secure it by turning in the two screws previously removed.
8. Check the primary air control for fit and function.
this has clearly been an issue...
let me know if you need the images as well
The primary air linkage moves through two holes in the bottom of the stove. As the cast parts expand and
contract in response to the heating and cooling of the firebox, the rod may shift very minutely, but enough to
cause it to bind on rare occasions. This may cause the air control to move with difficulty, or become stuck. To
completely eliminate this as a concern, the linkage rod (item 27 in the page one drawing) has been modified.
The exposed portion of the shaft above the connector arm on the top of the linkage has been eliminated. The
linkage now passes through a single hole and will not bind, but still has enough support to stay in place and
function properly.
To replace the linkage, follow these instructions.
1. Remove the ash pan door by first removing the two bolts located under the ash dump with the 7/16â€
wrench.
2. With the ash door removed and set aside, place a couple of boards directly under the ash dump. This
will protect the hearth and allow you to work on the ash dump.
3. Remove the five bolts that hold the ash dump (28) to the bottom of the stove with a 7/16†wrench or
socket. Gently drop the ash dump down onto the boards and pull it out to work on it.
4. Tap out the small roll pin (and retain for reassembly) in the linkage rod (27) so that you can lift out the
linkage rod (27) and the spring (26) and washer (not shown). Place the spring and new linkage rod
back into the ash dump.
5. Before you replace the ash dump, reach up into the bottom and make sure the air shutter plate moves
easily left to right. If you are experiencing any binding, the retaining bar above the plate may be bent in
a restrictive position. This is a light metal piece that you can easily bend up to relieve this pressure.
6. With the washer, spring, and linkage properly installed (remember to tap the roll pin back into the
linkage rod), lift up the ash dump (making sure the pin that extends down from the shutter plate drops
into the slot in the extension on the linkage rod – as shown in the circled portion of the illustration on
page one) and position it so that the bolts can be rethreaded back into the bottom to attach the ash
dump back onto the bottom.
7. Line up the ash door and secure it by turning in the two screws previously removed.
8. Check the primary air control for fit and function.
- Feb 4, 2009
- 86
You guys are the best. Dave, I'd appreciate the images. You can send them directly to my e-mail if they can't post here. Is this a warranty issue? I went to the Hearthstone site and didn't see anything about this problem.
9 times out of 10 it worked perfectly, but would stick occasionally. Now, after a run of very cold weather and constant burns, its is seized up. Thankfully it has warmed up a little, 20 today. However, predicted for -20 by tomorrow. Stay warm and happy holidays everyone!
9 times out of 10 it worked perfectly, but would stick occasionally. Now, after a run of very cold weather and constant burns, its is seized up. Thankfully it has warmed up a little, 20 today. However, predicted for -20 by tomorrow. Stay warm and happy holidays everyone!
- Feb 4, 2009
- 86
Just an update. We called the dealer, who said there is a kit for this. He ordered it, and is researching if this is a warranty issue. Hearthstone has a lifetime warranty on all cast iron parts, so perhaps this falls under that. Anyhow, for other equinox owners, you might want to call your dealer and make a plan to change out this part.
Thanks for the update, and any follow ups you can give. I always hate to go back to a thread with an interesting question, and it just ends with no resolution. Happens A LOT on a Mustang forum I lurk about on.
- Feb 4, 2009
- 86
So, heres another update. The dealer sent out two guys to work on stovezilla. Guy one, looks at it and says that we already have the updated part, since our stove is newer (2.5 years). He showed me how to push down on the air control lever and said that resets a spring that connects to the linkage. I'm not sure I'm pleased with this answer and I'm sure my husband is not. The reset is only a temp fix, and most of the time, the air control damper is not working. I had "the guy" talk to my husband, my mechanical engineer for life, because I did not want to be the one to tell him about this "solution." So, pushing the air control handle down does temporarily allow the air control lever to slide freely. For about 10 minutes. When we bought the stove, it worked perfectly. My husband will be calling the dealer to discuss this.
Mine sticks every time! It only sticks when turning air setting up from completely off. A gentle wiggle back and forth releases the stuck condition every time. To be honest, I kinda like it like this, I don't want anyone but me messing with the air setting on our stove and this does the trick. I do worry about someone trying to force it open which I'm sure would cause damage. One of these days I'll fix it for good.......not by thoes guys that come over and repair it though, don't trust them with my stove.
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