Hardware - Vermont Castings Defiant 1945 Service Manual

15. Swing open the ashdoor and use a Phillips screwdriver to remove the two counter-
sunk bolts holding the ashlip, #43, in place. Slide the ashlip forward and set it aside.
Remove the bolts joining the ends to the front panel. Remove the bolts joining the
front panel to the bottom assembly. Use a rubber mallet or a hammer and a wooden
block to tap outward, from the inside, along the joint between the stove sides and the
front panel, and between the front panel and the bottom assembly. When the front
panel moves independent of the rest of the stove, have a helper steady the stove body
while you pull the front panel (#65) (with the air manifold, #64 still attached) away
from the rest of the stove. Set it down carefully on a soft, padded surface.
16. Remove the air tube cover (#39). It has one bolt at each side going downward into
the stove bottom and one at the back.
17. Flip the bottom assembly over and remove the legs. Remove the bolts in the ashdoor
hinge supports (#57 & #40) and remove the ash door (#53).
18. Remove the air manifold from the front. It has three hex head bolts.
19. Examine all castings for cracks, chips or distortions. Repair of replace as needed.
ASSEMBLY

HARDWARE

In most locations, standard hardware is adequate. However, we use either stainless steel or
'Grade 5' hardware to join major body panels in original manufacture. If you lose any of this
hardware, be sure to use stainless or Grade 5 hardware as replacements, to ensure good
performance from the stove. Stainless steel internal hardware will be move user friendly in
the future.
Hardware should be snug but not tight. The hardware aligns parts and draws them together,
but it is the cement that provides the seal between parts. The cast iron will expand under heat
more than the hardware (since the iron is less dense) and if the hardware is too tight it can
cause extra stress on the iron parts.