Both the Keystone and Fireview have ports on the back where you can put in a catalyst probe thermometer. It comes in more or less parallel to the face of the cat. The stock probe is 8". When you have the bypass open and are ramping the stove up to temp so you can close the bypass and light off, the probe reading will go to...well, I don't know how high it would go because I always cut the air and level it off at about 1000. After holding there for about 10 min. I close the bypass and the cat will start glowing...but the probe temp falls to under 900. From watching the probes on the Dutchwest and the Buck 91, I know that when the cat is glowing, the probe should be reading 1000-1600. Checking into this, I found that the tip of the 8" probe doesn't quite reach over the edge of the cat. So I called Condar and was told they had a 9" probe. I said 'Great, I'll take it." Well, they sent me an 11". Fine, whatever, I'll cut it off, even though it will corrode faster without the plating on the end. Installed, it was reaching over the edge of the cat frame and I figured I would get a good reading. I had to bend it slightly to get the tip to sit where I wanted it. View attachment 193922 View attachment 193923 So I fire up the stove, get up to temp, and light the cat. The 9" probe is reading even lower than the 8"! Ay, caramba! <> Now I'm thinking that when the probe gets that long, it can't transmit the temp at the tip all the way back to the dial. The Buck probe comes in at the same angle, but it's only 6"...works fine. I guess the only way I'm going to get a true cat reading on this stove is to drill through the top and heat shield like Todd and fox9988 did, where it comes in at a right angle to the cat face and is only a couple inches long like the Dutchwest, or else figure out how to get a themocouple in there...
I think Todd went to a thermocouple. I don't remember how he routed the wiring. I don't remember him ever drilling the stone. He had a long probe installed through the 7-6" reducer, bent in a U shape, up over the car. As I remember.
Please tell me you are kidding! Have you not heard the expression "curiosity killed the cat"? Go commando like the rest of us!
The probe is in the flame path while in bypass. Explains why your temp drops after engaging the cat. But once engaged, it may work fine.
Nope, probe temp still lagging big-time, even with the bypass closed. I cut it to 9" but it won't even read as high as the 8", which doesn't even reach over the edge of the cat.
My original probe (Easy Boys!) was 8" but then I got a 9" probe. That was not enough so I went to another probe supplier and now my probe is 11" long. Now my probe is TOO LONG. So I tried to bend it but that did not work. And this written by a guy named..... wait for it..... 'Woody'. Ya' can't make stuff like this up, you have to read about it. Fortunately, I could not see the pictures but have a mental vision of Woody's too long and now bent probe. Shiver me timbers.... Brian
Well, then you'll need to stay a safe distance back from the stove; That's one log you don't want to burn!
