Removing the bottom cover and the auger motor, are you able to rock the auger back and forth to try and free it up? If you can do that, you can try to rotate the auger manually to get all the water packed dust out of the system.
Bullseye Found this in the hopper today.
- Thread starter Panthar
- Start date
This is where I'm at right now and cannot get the auger to budge. Anything that I can fit where the cottor pin was to try and rotate the auger just bends (allen wrentch, nail ect) The rep said the next step is using two hammers to break it free, think I'm going to take a break from it today.
I've done quite a few cooks on it with no problems until the rain, also the sawdust at the bottom of the hopper and end of the auger are damp.
Instead of trying to turn it right away, have you tried pushing the auger in and out to try to break the auger free a bit?
Yes Ive taken a flathead and a hammer to it trying to get some kind of movement, can't get the thing to move at all.
ghuns
Well-known member
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- Grill(s) owned
- Bull
Thanks for the link sadly I don't have an angle grinder. I did try chucking my drill to it but the bit of auger sticking out isn't long enough for the drill to catch on it.
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Or twisted. It seems to me with visegrips on it and rock it back and forth it would eventually screw out and I still think there's a fact ot two missiing.
A pinch of C4 should be all that’s necessary.
Cooked many a meal with that!
Yep! Been there, done that too. Thanks for your service, @mikeporter616.
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It's been a while, but I used to teach the hazardous devices piece in the academy. I'd toss a C4 brick at a recruit and showed that it just bounced. Then we would light a piece with a torch. It just burned. Then we'd move on to the improvised stuff.
Sorry, enough of a hijack. My apologies.
Perhaps a solvent (not water) with a low evaporation temp and relatively inert (like maybe vodka or denatured alcohol) would soften things up to make progress. I wouldn't use anything more exotic, but something to dissolve the muck just a bit.
I was thinking the same thing; something relatively inert to soften things up a bit. Even really hot water might work.
Where are you located? Maybe you are close to someone here that can come by and help?
Sorry for your troubles. I love my 380. Not always perfect, but a great system for my wants. As some have noted if the hopper was dry, but wet at the entrance to the auger shoot only, then it would imply that the moisture came from below. Not sure where you live or how humid it is there or how driving your rain was, but it's possible if there is an unsealed seam in the auger shoot, moisture could perhaps gather there. You won't be able to inspect that until you free the auger though. I would carefully put the water in the shoot and be careful not to splash and then observe if you have water dripping from below. If it does, then yes you do have a defect. Although may be easily fixed with epoxy sealant. But I understand it's a new grill. One other note, on several pellet grills I have used self stick felt gasket similar to BGE felt for lids and hoppers. I used some smaller stuff and put it around the inside edge of the hopper lid. When you lock the latch it tends to seal the hopper from above and prevents moisture. It also stops the clanging of metal on metal when you open and close. Good luck!!
DenStinett
Well-known member
Our Bull had this issue (twice) a couple months back:
https://www.recteqforum.com/threads/our-bull-let-us-down-today.5757/
Turned-out, the cause was a newly adjusted Sprinkler (thanks Honey) that was spraying on the Fan Housing, sending enough moisture up into bottom off the Hopper
Wood Pellets and/or Dust act as a very efficient Wick
We moved the Grill, vacuumed-out the clumps .... no more issue
So, figure-out where the water's coming in from and give the Grill a chance
https://www.recteqforum.com/threads/our-bull-let-us-down-today.5757/
Turned-out, the cause was a newly adjusted Sprinkler (thanks Honey) that was spraying on the Fan Housing, sending enough moisture up into bottom off the Hopper
Wood Pellets and/or Dust act as a very efficient Wick
We moved the Grill, vacuumed-out the clumps .... no more issue
So, figure-out where the water's coming in from and give the Grill a chance
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