Using a Guru and a Stoker!

[PaulR]

I discovered that not having the tube siliconed in is a good thing as I've started using a Stoker (as a new toy besides my guru) and I needed to remove the inducer tube and replace it with the Stoker blower.

Maybe not a regular occurence to have to swap out tubes but in my case good thing I haven't fixed it with silicone

[ThreeDJ16]

I discovered that not having the tube siliconed in is a good thing as I've started using a Stoker (as a new toy besides my guru) and I needed to remove the inducer tube and replace it with the Stoker blower.

Maybe not a regular occurence to have to swap out tubes but in my case good thing I haven't fixed it with silicone

Are you using the 1.5" long inducer tube? I guess you could leave it attached to the Guru, though I do not think you would get too snug of a fit. But hey, whatever works for you.

-=Jasen=-

[PaulR]

Naah, my inducer tube is probably 8 inches (yeah bring on the jokes Sanny ) and it fits like a glove...

[Firemonkey]

I discovered that not having the tube siliconed in is a good thing as I've started using a Stoker (as a new toy besides my guru) and I needed to remove the inducer tube and replace it with the Stoker blower

So lets hear your opinion of the two. Which do you like better and why??

[Sanny]

Naah' date=' my inducer tube is probably 8 inches (yeah bring on the jokes Sanny ) and it fits like a glove...[/quote']Is the glove ribbed???

[ThreeDJ16]

Naah' date=' my inducer tube is probably 8 inches (yeah bring on the jokes Sanny ) and it fits like a glove...[/quote']

So you are using the bulkhead adapter then? Which is also made not to be siliconed in place. The 1.5" inducer tube is about the size of the Guru port sleeve and no snap rings or threaded attachments. Not a long of grip room if it decided to slide forward either. So this is why I suggested the 1.5" long inducer tube should be siliconed.

-=Jasen=-

[PaulR]

Naah' date=' my inducer tube is probably 8 inches (yeah bring on the jokes Sanny ) and it fits like a glove...[/quote']

So you are using the bulkhead adapter then? Which is also made not to be siliconed in place. The 1.5" inducer tube is about the size of the Guru port sleeve and no snap rings or threaded attachments. Not a long of grip room if it decided to slide forward either. So this is why I suggested the 1.5" long inducer tube should be siliconed.

-=Jasen=-

You're right if you get a 1.5" tube that sits flush I would silicone it as well (assuming I wouldn't have a requirement to remove it frequently; which I do).

It looks better to have it sitting flush instead of having the tube stick out (which is obviously the case with my bulkhead adapter )

[PaulR]

Naah' date=' my inducer tube is probably 8 inches (yeah bring on the jokes Sanny ) and it fits like a glove...[/quote']Is the glove ribbed???

Let's not go there

[Fetzervalve]

(assuming I wouldn't have a requirement to remove it frequently; which I do).

May I ask why you need to remove it frequently, or at all?

[PaulR]

Umm, because I'm silly enough to own both a stoker and a guru and the blower tubes are not interchangeable.

i.e. I have to swap inducer tubes/blowers....

[ThreeDJ16]

Ok, decided this thread needed a fresh start. The original Guru inducer tube post was an information thread and mainly about the new Guru part number for the 1.5" inducer tube.

-=Jasen=-

[ThreeDJ16]

Ok, swapped up the title and hope that clears things a bit.

Just a quick summary:

If you have a Stoker and a Guru, you may want to purchase the longer bulkhead inducer, which does not require silicone. If you only plan to use the Guru, the 1.5" inducer maybe your choice. It fits flush with the port on your grill, but you need to silicone it in place.

-=Jasen=-

[mguerra]

Stoker fail mode

When the Stoker fan turns on, the little flap swings open, which is up, and it "sticks" to the top of the opening. The fan turns off and the flap just stays up there. That is full open; you get runaway high temps in this situation. A little rap or tap on the blower assembly is sufficient to loosen the flap and it swings down. It seems to be a combination of a small amount of grease and moisture which adheres the flap to the "ceiling". The flap is aluminum and featherweight, which is important to allow it to blow open. However it has so little mass that the tiny amount of stiction from the grease and moisture can allow it to hang open. Yes, the Stoker is installed right side up! Anyone else have this happen?

[mguerra]

fix

OK, I tried this: Using a cotton swab I cleaned the flap surface that contacts the "ceiling" when open; and the "ceiling". Then lubed the flap surface and "ceiling" with some Teflon lube. Just cleaning it helped a lot and the Teflon even more. I think I will just do a clean and lube prior to every cook. She's out there cooking right now with an operational flap.

[mguerra]

That didn't work!

Well, that did not work. Within the span of one cook the flap/ceiling interface gunked up and stuck the flap open. So, here is fix two: I drilled a 1/16" hole in the ceiling of the airway, cut a little brad down to about 1/8" long, and glued it in the hole so that it sticks down into the airway a tiny bit. This prevents the full surface area of the flat plate flap from contacting the ceiling. The flap now swings up and contacts the tiny point surface of the brad. This is a fraction of a square millimeter of contact, so the flap can't get stuck. As soon as the fan cycles off, the flap drops right down. Let's see how THIS works!

[mguerra]

Stoker fix

Here are the photos of the fix:

http://gallery.me.com/mpguerra/100135

I drilled one hole out of position, that's the bonus hole on the left. The brad head is visible glued in place in the hole on the right.

The internal view shows the brad just sticking down into the airway, surrounded by a hemisphere of glue.

[mguerra]

Another problem

I'm getting a little peeved with my expensive Stoker! It runs non-stop. The pit temp probe seems to be working, but the fan will not turn off. Example: Target Temp for the pit set at 225. Pit temp gets up to 270 and fan still running. Power on and off, no help; change ports for the fan and the pit temp probe, no help; reset the target temp, no help. I actually had to go old school and use my vents to control the temp, oh the humiliation! Anybody experience same?

[jdbower]

Re: Another problem

The pit temp probe seems to be working' date=' but the fan will not turn off.[/quote']

The Stoker sometimes has a startup quirk that causes this but no one has been able to track down why or how it happens. During startup the fans should all turn on, then turn off, then turn on if needed. In some cases the fans turn on and don't turn off, if this happens just power down the unit with the button in the back for a few seconds and power it back on again. There's apparently a new beta version of the firmware floating out there someplace, but I don't know if it covers this problem or not. Either way, Beta code is not for the faint of heart so it may be better to wait until it's released.

[LarryR]

Doc, the first Stoker Rock shipped me did the say thing. It's a known problem with some of the units. Sent it back and they shipped me a new one.

[mguerra]

returned

I sent it back yesterday; I'll call them today to find out if they are going to reimburse me for shipping. This unit is 2 or 3 months old.