Ideal Steel: Hot to replace this gasket?

Howdy gents:

I completed a full cleaning of the stove in anticipation of the pending cold snap. I had replaced all teh gaskets except one last month and can't figure out for the life of me how to change this one. It's called a tadpole gasket and seals the cat sled when you engage the cat. There are dozens of allen heads holding the retaining plate down in the front and then inaccessible bolts on the back underside. I'm stumped. While I do have a replacement gasket, I don't want to tackle this until hearing from someone who has managed to do it. Any advice would be appreciated, thanks.

 

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sorry im no help, but interested in the info

 

Havent done that that gasket yet.

 

Sounds like a call to Woodstock may be in order. I'd rather run with a worn gasket than try and replace it and fail with a major cold snap just hours away.

 

I changed my gaskets recently, but skipped that one as it looked fine, & looked easy to mess up.

Let me know if you tackle it, & how it goes.

 

Howdy folks:

I spoke with Woodstock this morning. They are now including a a replacement metal hold-down frame with every cat sled gasket they sell. I asked, "are you ready for my credit card information" and the response was, "No, we're sending this free of charge". damm.

I'll post some pics of the new frame and gasket when it comes in. For the meantime, the Ideal Steel is is having a wonderful time chewing on 2-year old Red Oak at 14% exterior moisture.

 

This kind of thing makes me want a woodstock stove more and more.

 

My opinion, family owned, manufacturing company, guarantee product, cares about customers and product. Answers phone calls and product gets more heat with less fuel! Not too mention, had problem obtaining part so expanded facilities and are going to make in house!

I would buy another.

 

I couldn’t possibly be happier with my IS or the experience dealing with WS. If they have a stove that matches your needs, I highly recommend going for it.

 

Doesnt get much better than that!

 

As soon as I can get my wife on board with letting me put a woodstove in the main level of the house and not just the basement I'm in

 

Any time I've called to order gaskets, even ones I messed up doing stupid things. They have more than went out of there way to get it to me. No charge!! I at least try to pay the shipping, nope have a nice day is all I get. for outstanding customer service!

 

Would be a no brainer for me...

The princess would go back in place while I'm waiting a return shipping label and/or a replacement.

 

Hmmnnnn … this is not the thread I replied to. Looks like my post came here instead. I wonder how that happened. Disregard!

 

I replaced the gasket today and will say that this is not a project I would wish on my worst enemy. The gasket is held in place by four sections of metal bracket; the front two brackets have threaded studs coming off of them and they are held in place by a nut for each stud. The back two sections are held in place by bolts that mount from the bottom up through the gasket. It is impossible to get the bolts to thread up through the new gasket and I wound up using stainless self-tapping screws instead of the bolts that woodstock supplied. My apologies in not having taken pictures of this endeavor, however, my suggestion is to do this during the summer when heat is not a priority, that you have gasket cement, c-clamps, a razor knife, brad nails, a serious ratchet set and a lot of time to do the job.

 

I forgot to add, a call to woodstock was of no benefit. The production technicians leave at 3:30 PM on Fridays and none were around to provide advice. I will not begrudge a working man getting off at 3:30 on a Friday. Rather, the design of this gasket and bracket set is most perplexing......if they had used threaded studs on the back two sections of bracket, this would have been at least a tolerable job. However, downward-facing studs on the front two sections and upward-facing bolts on the back two sections proved to be a fiendish situation. Good luck to those who try it.

 

Golf66, how long was the original gasket in service? Was this pm for you, or did you find that the gasket had failed and needed replacing to get a good seal to the cat sled?

 

In other words, can we just never replace it?

 

Gents,

The reason I replaced it was that the gasket looked like it had failed on the left side and that air was passing from the firebox, under the cat sled and directly up the chimney. If that was indeed the case, the cat would not have been getting "fed" all of the firebox discharge and stove efficiency would have gone down in theory at least. No gasket lasts forever, especially one that is exposed to such tremendous heat. One thing I noticed was that the original gasket was white while the replacement was gray. I'm clueless about gasket composition, however, there had to be some reason for the switch. I'm just glad the job is done and will be heading to the drug store in a few hours to get some Neosporin and Band Aids to deal with all the cuts on my hands. And then to the liquor store and supermarket to get some booze and chow.