Gasketing The Damper/Upper Fireback - Vermont Castings Defiant 1945 Service Manual

GASKETING THE DAMPER/UPPER FIREBACK

1. Remove the throat Baffle from the fireback lifting it up and off the retaining tabs in the
upper fireback (Fig. 6).
Fig.6 Remove Throat Baffle
2. Remove the left and right wedges that hold the lower fireback and bricks in place, and
remove the lower fireback brick retainer and bricks (Fig. 7)
3. Remove the left and right inner walls – each has a hex-head bolt at top and bottom.
These inner walls are gasketed so you're not breaking a cement seal here. You may need
to pry these walls out with a screwdriver going into notches at their forward edges--if the
stove is enameled, protect the surfaces near the notch.
4. Remove the Allen bolt from the damper handle, and slide the handle off.
5. The fireback is held in place by two hex head bolts on each upper side of the back.
Remove the four bolts.
6. Remove the upper fireback assembly through the firebox. You may need to use a large
screwdriver to pry it loose from the stove back. As you face the stove, remove the right-
hand end first.
7. Remove the damper from the upper fireback by removing bolted tabs at each end.
8. Remove the original gasketing by pulling it out of its channel, and then clean the channel
with a wire brush.
9. Apply a narrow bead of stove cement to the bottom of the gasket groove, and lay the
gasketing into the channel. Do not stretch or bunch the gasket unless you need to
compensate for parts that have changed shape slightly. Close the damper and lock it
closed; check the seal with a slip of paper to ensure tightness. Leave the damper closed
for a few hours if you can, to ensure that the cement sets up well.
10. Work in reverse order to re-install the upper fireback; apply cement to the backs of the
ends of the upper fireback before re-installing.
Fig.7 Remove Lower Fireback