Bisquette feeding problem, need help.

[Dare]

Ok got the BDS 4-rack.  Seasoning went fine, also first use, but now its not feeding the bisquettes right.  I took the smoke generator apart. - way apart.  Whats happining is that the swing arm is binding when it turns in a counter-clockwise direction.  Since it goes cw a few times then ccw a few times I'm skipping half my bisquette feeds.  Works fine if I take the shute off, but still binds when I put it back on.

Yes I cleaned  and blew out everything twice at least.

Has anybody had this specific problem before?  Any fixes? Recommended lubes that won't get all crappy in the heat and dust and wood chips and make the problem worse?  Just call bradley?

Please let me know.  The big 5-uhoh is coming up and I'm planning on eating as many baby backs as I can.

Thanks for all the great advice here.  If I look long enough I usally find an answer without bugging you guys.

Dare

[Gizmo]

Welcome Dare,
There have been a few posts on feeding problems and some of those issues you have eliminated.  There was also a few that mentioned good products for lubrication but I'll let those with the hands on elaborate.

You mentioned the advance working with the feed tube removed.  There have been posts with the feed tube not being inserted correctly causing the problem.  Check to make sure the feed tube is not being inserted to where it interferes.

[Mr Walleye]

Dare

Because your unit is new I would give Bradley a phone call. Any dealings I've had with them have been great. They have always resolved the problem. Give them a shout, they will probably be able to trouble shoot it over the phone and/or send out the appropriate parts.

Good Luck
Mike

[Habanero Smoker]

Dare;
Welcome to the forum.

If the chute is interfering with the mechanism then it may be being inserted too far. There should be a lip around the end of the hole that you insert the chute in. That prevents you from inserting the chute too far. Its a very small lip. Check to see if the lip is damage, if it is back the chute out so that it is even with the end of the hole. This should allow you to use the chute, while Bradley resolves the issue for you.

If the lip is there and undamaged, then you are using too much force when inserting the chute (which is hard to do); or you are squeezing the tube too much as you insert it. This decreases the diameter of the tube, and it will slide past the lip.

As for lubrication, I use graphite powder. If you can find it, whit graphite is less messy. You only need a small amount to lubricate the moving parts of the generator.

[Dare]

When I talk about the chute I am talking about the metal housing that the push bar moves back and forth in - NOT the bisquette feeding tube that the bisquettes are stacked in.  In taking it apart I removed the tube and the thing that holds it in place in order to eliminate that as a problem. 

When it still binded in the ccw direction I removed the housing (those screws were darn tight too) to see if that was the problem or something in the way the swing arm moved.  I was hoping for a chip of wood caught  in there that my blower couldn't remove.  But even with the feeder block flopping around and my nudging it away from screw heads there was no binding.  When I replaced the housing it started up again.

Do I have this right - When the arm moves to the left (ccw) it would push the block against the right or opposite side of the housing? Or would the block cant slightly? I think I'll have to get back in there and move the case out of the way and with a flashlight see exactly what is happening inside that housing.

Maybe a little non-stick tape on the inside of the housing? I'll try the graphite powder first tho. Try the simple fix first.

Thanks for all the suggestions.  It helps to get more than one view on a problem.

Dare

[iceman]

Just thought I'd mention the feed motor moves randomly in both the CW and CCW direction so make sure the shoot moves freely either way.

[Habanero Smoker]

I think we should start a thread with standard terms to call each part. ;D

[iceman]

I think we should start a thread with standard terms to call each part. ;D

Good idea Habs. Wish they would do that with cuts of meat too. ;D

[Tiny Tim]

Just make sure ya include the doohickey, thingamabob, and the whatthehellisit.