I think I trashed my iroast2 motor

[2ndcrack]

About a week ago after roasting a batch of Cuban Turquino Lavado I kicked off off a 2nd cooling cycle only to hear a loud racket in the  that sounded like a bearing going out. I unplugged the roaster, removed the chamber, and turned it upside down to shake out what was rattling around. It turns out it was a very small pebble that somehow worked it's way from the roasting chamber all the way into the motor. What are the odds? As a result I have little if any air volume, and the unit will suddenly jar loudly. I know they like to yammer on down there about "smashing the machine", but good grief, not mine!

In the meantime I've got a loaner unit on the way and I'm going to visit my local vacuum cleaner repair shop as everything I've researched about the iroast2 motor (Johnson electrics U-5415) indicates that it is also used in vacuum cleaners. I'm hoping they can point me to a model that uses the same motor or can supply me one. Either way I'm betting it will be a great deal less than the $135 to replace the entire bottom unit.

Let my experience be a lesson to always inspect your green beans for foreign invaders prior to roasting.

[Nucer]

If I remember right there was a thread that talked about what the distributors find in the bags.  It was anything from a bug to a good size stone.  So be careful because you never know what you might be getting and the distributor probably isn't at fault.

(still using my hottop that is 7 years old and still roasting in Benbrook, Texas) 

[2ndcrack]

I dissembled my iroast 2 last night to verify that my motor was trashed. What I discovered is that the two screws that secure the motor to the plastic chamber were no longer in place! I guess somehow the vibrations over the years of use had slowly loosened them. It's still hard to conceive that this could occur to both screws, but I guess once the first had fallen out the vibrations intensified. So with high hopes of having fixed the issue I screwed them back in and tightened them as best I could. Unfortunately the horrendous noise is still there so its clear now that motor sustained physical damage when it separated from the chamber. 

 
 

[Ascholten]

check the fan part of it, if a blade is broken off or the fan is unbalanced any way it will shake everything terribly.  That might be where your noise is coming from.

Aaron

[2ndcrack]

check the fan part of it, if a blade is broken off or the fan is unbalanced any way it will shake everything terribly.  That might be where your noise is coming from.

Aaron

Hmm... It does have a few nicks on one of the blades.

[Ascholten]

that should not be enough to do it.  Im talking like  half a blade missing or bent in half, something major like that.

Spray some wd 40 on the bearings, or use 3 in 1 oil see if that will give you a temporary reprieve from the rumbling.  Lot of times they use cheap bearings or just bushings and they dry out, and a little lube can give you a quick fix.

aaron

[2ndcrack]

Spray some wd 40 on the bearings, or use 3 in 1 oil see if that will give you a temporary reprieve from the rumbling.  Lot of times they use cheap bearings or just bushings and they dry out, and a little lube can give you a quick fix.

aaron

Sounds like a good idea. I also have some high-temp grease from my recent dryer servicing, but I wonder if that is too thick?

Right now I have one loaner from my inlaws and another from a friend. My friend's iroast2 has a noticeably lower volume of air, to the point where I had to loosen the lid to keep the beans moving. I like the iroast, but the product consistency is lacking.