US Stove 6039 Door Gasket Replacement & Agitator Help Needed

Merry Christmas everyone!

I'm a newbie to this forum and to owning a Pellet Stove.

I acquired a used US 6039 from some friends that purchased a newer/larger model.

I tore the girl down, sanded and spray painted with high temp Rustoleum paint, I did as complete a cleaning as I could, replaced the Drive Motor, outer gasket to the Exhaust Fan and replaced the Door Gasket prior to lighting her up for the first time.

US Stove told me that 1/2" was the correct size of gasket to use and they were out of gaskets. So I went to TSC and bought/used the 1/2" Rutland Graphic-Glas kit. After installing/curing the door gasket I had a good seal. I used a sheet of paper test method. I did feel resistance for the entire door when I tried to pull out the paper in increments.

The first few days, my flame was what I think good and it went straight up in the fire box. Then all of a sudden the flame was being pushed to the firebrick and burning like a furnace flame. White at the bottom and just at the tip top it was yellow.

Also I was using 80# of pellets in just under 24 hours on a HR-4. Which I have spent many hours trying to remedy.

So I shut her down, cleaned the firebox and retested the door gasket. I found part of my problem. The gasket has lost it's seal in several places. The gasket is fully adhered everywhere in the troft. Meaning that I do not have a bad installation.

So I'm thinking I must have used an inferior door gasket?

Can anyone tell me if I should move up in size to maybe a 5/8" gasket or larger? Any recommendations on a GOOD gasket manufacturer?

Also one of the fingers on the agitator broke off so now I'm needing a new agitator. US Stove has them for just under $60 + the $18 shipping charge.
I did a Google search, Amazon search and Ebay search trying to find better pricing and shipping charges with no luck. Can anyone tell me if there is another place to purchase a agitator?

Any help/suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

WOW! Thank you all for your quick responses!

First of all I can't figure out how to reply to the individual postings, so I'm responding in a group manner.

I did clean everything except the auger motor when I took the stove apart for cleaning/painting. I used an air compressor to blow out all the built up dust/dirt, etc. It looked like the biggest dust storm you have ever seen!

Then I used steel wool to clean the hard/caked on dust build up on the fan blades of the blower and the exhaust fan (I couldn't break loose the screws that mounts the auger motor to the backside of the firewall?).

Then I took my vacuum cleaner and sucked out the channel of the exhaust fan housing area, the 2 cleanout pockets that are on the left and right side of the firebox, the 2 clean out areas behind the firebrick, the firebox, the 9 holes where the hot air is blown out into the room (the best I could) and I did use Pam (mfg recommended lubricant) on the spindles/axles of the blower fan and the exhaust fan.

I wish I had taken before and after pictures!

I'm trying to attach 3 pictures showing my gasket installation, an area that the gasket is not touching the door opening and of the door latch. I hope I made the pictures large enough for you to see them clearly.

When I close the door, there is NO TENSION when I lock down the lasp. There is no adjustment to the door tension available on this model. I'm going to try to tap the latch down like MSCJ did on his unit.
The gaps I tried to show in the picture are very small and they are spotted on the top right side of the door, the left side of the door around the latch area and I'm not sure about the bottom of the door because I just can't see there due to a plate that is mounted just under the door.
Now my question is this..........if I tap down on the latch, it should give me tension to close up the small gaps on the left of the door but will it have any effect on the top right side of the door???

SmokeyTheBear said:

You might want to take a straight edge an see if where the gasket hits against is straight.


I'd remove that latch, insert it in a vise and do my tapping that way. Do it slowly and test it.

In the upper portion above the door hinge (Is that where the small gap is?) it looks like that is a little frayed. On some stoves it has been known for the hinge pins to bend, have you checked them.

To reply to an individual post just hit the quote button.

Click to expand...

Thanks Smokey for the heads up on the quote button!!

I have used a metal square and checked all sides of the door opening where the gasket meets the stove face. No gaps anywhere. So my stove is not warped.

The gasket wear you mentioned on the upper portion on hinge side is my cut of the gasket when I installed it last week. It isn't worn, just a frayed cut. I don't understand that happening because I used a new straight edge razor to do the cutting of the gasket.
The gasket I did remove last week was a one piece gasket. That surprised the heck out of me because everything I found for purchase was lengths of gasket, not a one piece unit.

Regarding tapping the latch plate............I was thinking about doing it while the unit was running and warm. I would think the latch plate would be more pliable?? Any thoughts?

SmokeyTheBear said:

goode2shoes said:

SmokeyTheBear said:

You might want to take a straight edge an see if where the gasket hits against is straight.


I'd remove that latch, insert it in a vise and do my tapping that way. Do it slowly and test it.

In the upper portion above the door hinge (Is that where the small gap is?) it looks like that is a little frayed. On some stoves it has been known for the hinge pins to bend, have you checked them.

To reply to an individual post just hit the quote button.

Click to expand...

Thanks Smokey for the heads up on the quote button!!

I have used a metal square and checked all sides of the door opening where the gasket meets the stove face. No gaps anywhere. So my stove is not warped.

The gasket wear you mentioned on the upper portion on hinge side is my cut of the gasket when I installed it last week. It isn't worn, just a frayed cut. I don't understand that happening because I used a new straight edge razor to do the cutting of the gasket.
The gasket I did remove last week was a one piece gasket. That surprised the heck out of me because everything I found for purchase was lengths of gasket, not a one piece unit.

Regarding tapping the latch plate............I was thinking about doing it while the unit was running and warm. I would think the latch plate would be more pliable?? Any thoughts?

Click to expand...

I hate taping on metal when the stove is running, if you make a mistooke (well you now see mistakes happen ;-) ) best it not happen on a unit with a fire going if you get my drift.

Click to expand...

I didn't make myself very clear on my tapping intentions. I meant I was trying to figure out if I could remove the latch plate while the stove was running and tapping the latch, then re-installing it to check out if I had a snug fit.

I'm in full agreement with what you posted. I would never try to beat/tap on the stove while running.

Sorry for not making my intentions clear. My mind was way head of my fingers..........once again.