Replaced gasket on stove door now I really have to force it closed?!

[calamari]

Thinking about all those adjustments, when it's cool enough to work on I think I'd try this. I assume the face of the stove where the gasket touches it is a very flat and true smooth surface like mine and I'd guess all stoves of this design are. I'd get a piece of plywood or a sandwich of thin pieces of material that would be the thickness you want the compressed gasket to be between the door and the stove's face. I'd remove the existing gasket, loosen all the adjustment screws just enough to allow the door to move but still stay in that position after the pressure is taken off it. I'd masking tape the "shim" to the inner face of the door and then press the door against the stove maybe hitting it a few times around the perimeter with your hand to make sure the adjustments have moved to that "shims" thickness. Then open the door and tighten the adjustments fully to keep that gap you've created. Put the seal in and although it should compress more initially at the hinge side, with the mechanical advantage of the closing lever's cam action it should get as close to what you established with that adjustment process. The gap should be as uniform as you can get it around the perimeter of the door.
Or maybe not. It's easy to tell someone to go tear your stuff apart and try another persons half baked idea but that sure seems like a way to get uniformity which I think is what you're looking for in compressed gasket thickness. Although it may seal for awhile, you don't want it crushed flat to the door on the hinge side and barely touching on the side opposite.

 

[Ted Jenkins]

Thanks for the links to Bronco sites, I appreciate it! I usually get stuff from Jeff's Bronco Graveyard as well as the local junkyard lol!

I also am AMAZED that your gasket stayed/stays in without any glue, simply amazing! It must be a pretty deep channel if it can hold it in place without being glued! Mine overflows the channel so a lot of it still sticks out so glue is needed.

Well, I made some discoveries after I posted the last post. I took a good look at things, I saw and reminded myself that the door is warped, it was NEVER straight right from the factory as I remember the upper left corner ALWAYS failing the dollar bill test like Del had mentioned. If I stand above the door and look down at it I can see the gasket is very tight by the door hinge where it closes first, it is really flattening out there like it always did in the past, the bottom is the same as it used to be not real tight, the top right and middle are very tight, but the upper left corner is loose, the gasket is still really thick there and it is because the door is and has been out of line and there's no way I can fix that. So that was one thing....

The other thing is this door has TOO MANY adjustments on it, most stoves you just open and close them but this guy has a latch adjustment, a hinge adjustment with two hex bolts that you can loosen and adjust the hinge (right) side by moving the door in or out, but I also remembered there are also two adjustment screws in between those two hex bolts that are supposed to raise or lower the door. I did play around with them when I changed the gasket but did no further adjustments since, looked it up in the manual from 1993 and saw that they want you to loosen the two hex bolts and then tighten or loosen the adjustment screws. There was NO WAY that I was going to loosen those two hex bolts as that would've turned this into a major fiasco, they are VERY touchy, so I thought I would try loosening and tightening the adjustment screws without them and see what happened, and it DID move the door and seemed to try to line it up better! I tried all kinds of combinations, tightening and then loosening the upper one, open/close the door, do the same thing with the lower one, open/close the door, I did this for a good while and when I felt it was as good as it would get I tightened everything down and let it go, started a fire and it IS somewhat better, but it seems to be acting more like it used to so I must have it very close to how it was prior to me putting this gasket on a year ago.

I might try to put a newer bushing on to see if that makes any difference when I'm not using it, and that's about as good as it'll get I believe!

WAY too many adjustment choices, and I remember last year asking one of the stove shops if they sell a lot of stoves with adjustable doors and I recall one did say "no, they don't make them much anymore because it drove people NUTS!" I agree.....

PA you are the only one that needs to be happy with your installation. The gasket on my wood stove has leaked for years which has not caused any problems but I really want to set it up better. In your case a combination of issues have taken place sine you last repaired you door. Warpage can be one factor. The hinge with adjustments can be another. The hinge could have rusted or experienced some other issue. With just one look you should be able to determine how far the door has warped. If the warpage is severe then grind the warped section where the channel is to make it more in line with the rest of the stove. Also check the stove itself to see if any of the stove has changed over the years. Most doors are cast iron so the7y can not be modified easy. You might want to consider making the face of your stove more inline with the door. My cat on my stove has needed attention from time to time so yes they wear and tear. Thanks

 

[PA. Woodsman]

Well, well, well!!!!!

I decided to keep "digging" into this issue, so I took the bolt off that holds the bushing on to inspect them both. It is just a common bolt, the bushing looks like a metal tire, there is an inner sleeve that fits inside the bushing and they both ride on the bolt with a flat washer on either side. I compared the bushing with a new one, and it looked smaller and worn. The bolt actually was bent a bit, either from this episode since last Winter and/or the fact that it has been on for about 26 years or so! The inner sleeve was out of round, when I rolled it on a flat surface it wobbled like crazy, the bushing rolled pretty true but it clearly had seen better days. So I replaced everything, new bolt, new inner sleeve and bushing, even new washers, put it on and it closes SO MUCH better now, it's like I FINALLY have it lined up like it should be thank God!! It even closed almost a bit too loose, but I know I can always adjust the latch tighter (yes, another adjustment option on this stove!), but I knew enough to start a fire and see how it goes and it seems to be tightening up as we go along as it gets hot so I will hold off on making any adjustments until I have a few fires to see how it reacts.

I had been keeping an eye on those things over the years, mostly just replacing the bushing when it looked worn, but I didn't do a total check on it until now, didn't seem to need it before but with this issue I knew it HAD to be something else, so glad I seemed to have figured it out without ripping the gasket out or doing anything drastic that could've turned into an even bigger fiasco! And so glad that I bought extra bushings and sleeves years ago when I found out Dovre was going out of business here in the U.S. I know I can always get a metal shop to cut me some more at a pretty hefty price if needed, but it'll be a lot cheaper than buying a new stove!!

THANKS for the replies, I hope that I nailed it now, time will tell!!!!

 

[esshup]

This is true! I just don't like the "grinding" tight closing of the latch and bushing but like I say if I push on the door as I am closing it that takes some of the strain off of it. Hopefully with time it'll lessen on it's own.

I would take some copper colored anti-sieze and coat the pin and inside the bushing. Help reduce wear until the gasket seats in and the door is easier to close. Copper colored anti-sieze has a higher temp rating than the silver stuff.

Dang it, I should read ALL the posts before replying. Glad that you got it figured out!!!

 

[Huskybill]

I had a Russo stove with the gasket in a groove on the door. A block of wood and a hammer drove in the new gasket. The door actually closes on a small angle on the gasket not by much.

Note, when you find what gasket works buy extra.

 

[dennis066]

Remove the door and, using a masonry chisel and hammer, tamp down/compress the rope in the door channel.

 

[bbxlr8]

Hi PA Woodsman - Been a while since I've been on, but definitely small world! I am just over the hill from you on the backside of South Mountain...

Ironically, I used this warm weather on New Year's Eve to replace my gasket using the Rutland kit that I bought in the past at our HD.
What I didn't find out until AFTER I ripped the old one out was that the tube of cement had set up hard as a rock.
Also, learned the hard way that HD is not going to carry any of that stuff anymore and was not a happy camper with my stupidity

I then stopped at Stoves N Stuff too and ended up getting the Meeco's red devil adhesive. While there I checked out their bulk gasket material, because in the past I had the same issue with tightness (took about a season to get "right") I ended up purchasing & using it instead of the Rutland one and it seems good right away It's maybe a bit too soft but the seal is working fine so far FWIW

 

[PA. Woodsman]

Hi PA Woodsman - Been a while since I've been on, but definitely small world! I am just over the hill from you on the backside of South Mountain...

Ironically, I used this warm weather on New Year's Eve to replace my gasket using the Rutland kit that I bought in the past at our HD.
What I didn't find out until AFTER I ripped the old one out was that the tube of cement had set up hard as a rock.
Also, learned the hard way that HD is not going to carry any of that stuff anymore and was not a happy camper with my stupidity

I then stopped at Stoves N Stuff too and ended up getting the Meeco's red devil adhesive. While there I checked out their bulk gasket material, because in the past I had the same issue with tightness (took about a season to get "right") I ended up purchasing & using it instead of the Rutland one and it seems good right away It's maybe a bit too soft but the seal is working fine so far FWIW

Small world indeed! I also stopped last week at Home Depot to look again at the gasket that they had but the guy told me it's all online now which I can't figure out why but it is, so that shoots that! But if you read the posts above I DID figure out that the bolt that has the bushing on was bent, either from this past episode or also the 26 or so years that it was on there, but with the new bolt and bushings IF I press on the door right above the latch when opening and closing it works really smooth, so I will continue to do that until this gasket compresses some more so I don't have to do that, and if it doesn't, if that's what I have to do to close it without grinding down on it then that's what I will do.

But I really appreciate hearing your story too! I am glad the one you got from Stoves N Stuff worked, I hope it isn't too soft like you said it might be? I know K.C. Coal and heating in Alburtis has different densities, that's where I bought a foot section of each and tried them in the hinge part of the door, the hard one forget it, the medium was a bit better but he didn't have any soft so that's why I got the one at Stoves N Stuff as George told me it was soft, and it felt really soft in my hands, so I'll see what happens. Don't know what size you have but mine is 3/4". I think it really depends on the gasket company to be honest with you, but this is MUCH better than it was, it was really starting to work my nerves but I can live with this "solution" for now!

Take care!!

 

[bbxlr8]

I did get that your door was needing some custom TLC. Luckily mine hasn't so far but it seems like everything else that I have touched lately does.
Don't get me started on storm doors and plumbing.

Thanks for the reference to KC. Mine is listed as 1/2 inch in the manual but the last one was directly from the company and probably thicker and defintely denser.
Mine is an Osburn out of Canada about 30Y old. This soft one will do me for the rest of the season but I am not happy with it - Actually want it a bit tighter while it's new

How are you set for wood supply?

 

[PA. Woodsman]

I did get that your door was needing some custom TLC. Luckily mine hasn't so far but it seems like everything else that I have touched lately does.
Don't get me started on storm doors and plumbing.

Thanks for the reference to KC. Mine is listed as 1/2 inch in the manual but the last one was directly from the company and probably thicker and defintely denser.
Mine is an Osburn out of Canada about 30Y old. This soft one will do me for the rest of the season but I am not happy with it - Actually want it a bit tighter while it's new

How are you set for wood supply?

I'm in good shape with wood, there's always plenty around here to harvest! And it's been quite mild here as you know, looks like some colder air coming in the next few days but so far we've been lucky.

Buddy of mine had an Osburn, bought it many years ago at Wood Heat. He seemed to like it.

 

[bbxlr8]

NP - have access to a LOT if you are ever in need.

Made a sloppy muddy mess here lately with my tractor (try not to do so but the weather was cooperating).
I am actually looking forward to it freeezing up

 

[PA. Woodsman]

NP - have access to a LOT if you are ever in need.

Made a sloppy muddy mess here lately with my tractor (try not to do so but the weather was cooperating).
I am actually looking forward to it freeezing up

Thanks!

Looks like you got your wish about the weather lol!

 

[PA. Woodsman]

I still have to push on the door before I open or close it but if that's what I need to do then I do it, eventually down the line I probably won't have to but for now I do. And I looked at the round bushing that the door latches on, and there is a line from where the handle rides on it and that line is almost dead center so that tells me that I have the door lined up pretty square at least!